A&H

Getting reported

Jack M

Active Member
Level 6 Referee
Hi guys,

A manager for an U16s game I had at the weekend (whose team lost in ET in a KO cup and has been reported to County along with his spectators for using fould and abusive language towards a match official) has now given me a match rating of 5/100 and has reported me to County for swearing at kids and becoming aggressive.

Both of these claims are libelous! I can say that I have never sworn at a player in my career, especially a child. I work in schools etc so I know never to swear at a child.

Does anyone have any advice on what comes next as my County FA isn't the most supportive at the best of times......
 
The Referee Store
Hi Jack ...

Essex FA?

Very supportive ... email Mr Lisher and explain exactly what has happened. He will have to provide a report of why he has marked below 60 - how do you know this is the mark? the foul language and attitude he has mentioned would be a misconduct report and not included in your match rating.
 
Hi Jack...
How do you know that is the mark ypu have been awarded and that you have been reported. Who has supplied you with that info?

You have nothing to worry about if it isn't true.

In case it does get as far as a personal hearing see the following thread in resources http://www.refchat.co.uk/threads/personal-hearings.9035/.

I have never had the misfortune to be in your position so cant give specific advice as such but wish you well
 
Hi Jack ...

Essex FA?

Very supportive ... email Mr Lisher and explain exactly what has happened. He will have to provide a report of why he has marked below 60 - how do you know this is the mark? the foul language and attitude he has mentioned would be a misconduct report and not included in your match rating.

He reported me in a separate form. The guy only mentioned a report when I told him his spectators were being reported!
 
So tit for tat

email James - where abouts in Essex are you based? do you belong to a society?
 
Mostly bluff and bluster Jack!
Are you submitting a report about the club's supporters?
If so make sure you include details of the manager's threat to report you and why.
 
Mostly bluff and bluster Jack!
Are you submitting a report about the club's supporters?
If so make sure you include details of the manager's threat to report you and why.

I submitted 2 reports. One about the supporters and one about the manager.

He also claims that because I didn't give a free kick for what he thought was a dangerous tackle (I didn't see it personally as my view was obstructed by about 5 players due to it being from a corner which didn't beat the first man) and he accuses me of being a danger to children's welfare! Utter tosh!
 
Sounds like a bad loser to me. All you can do at this time is make sure your facts are straight - make sure you have copies of the reports to hand and keep a note of anything else that might be relevant but wasn't required in the report. Chances are he'll back down and withdraw most/all of the accusations, and on the off chance he doesn't do so, the burden of proof is still with him and as the neutral party, your word should be taken more seriously anyway.
 
It may or may not go to a hearing, they'll probably get witnesses in from both sides, and then they'll fine the club for wasting everyone's time on top of the original charges.

Don't sweat these things, the FA may not be perfect all the time but they don't just throw their referees under the bus.

Make sure your side of the story is factual, unemotional and concise, and bring any relevant documentation with you. If you're worried about anything, talk to your RDO, that's what they're there for.
 
As @SurreySuperRef said ... the FA won't just throw you under the bus, CFA's (and especially Essex) do everything that they can to stand with the ref, in 99.9% of cases that are ruled against the ref, it is because they have given wrong information, or have been wrong in law e.g. heard a story of a referee that sent a player off for a foul inside the box, he said at the hearing that it was also a SFP challenge, but b3ecause in his report he put DOGSO and confirmed at the start of the hearing that all was ok and he didn't wish to change anything, they had to throw it out as he was wrong in law
 
I submitted 2 reports. One about the supporters and one about the manager.

He also claims that because I didn't give a free kick for what he thought was a dangerous tackle (I didn't see it personally as my view was obstructed by about 5 players due to it being from a corner which didn't beat the first man) and he accuses me of being a danger to children's welfare! Utter tosh!

If a 'dangerous tackle' broke a child's leg for example, you giving a free kick or not, doesn't help the child with the injury does it?

As you say, utter tosh. He IS entitled to report you, but as others have said, just stay calm, state the facts as you saw them and you will be fine.

If it comes to a hearing, pretty confident, he will be the one that comes out of it looking foolish or worse - not you.
 
I was threatened with being reported lots of times, usually when i'd done my job correctly and stamped down on the bad stuff, swearing / fouls and gobby managers... Its usually all talk and no action. Can't say I was ever asked once by the County FA to explain anything!!

I've told this story before but one particular kno8 manager stood up at a Managers meeting moaning about me and the fact that i'd booked and sent off a few of his players, blah, blah, blah (They were complete Herberts) and I was a disgrace to the league etc etc... The refsec let him say his piece and then read out my individual game report that this refsec liked us to do with teams he had under notice of being kicked out etc..... I'd wrote the words and actions of the day verbatim on the report including their and his actual swear words.... Apparently the other managers were rolling on the floor laughing at this particular manager that he'd even bothered to call me out!!! I carried on being Mr C*** regardless with teams like that and they hated me!!! Brings a tear to my eye!!!
 
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I once got reported for supposedly swearing an an U/16 player.
I'm choosing to believe that it was either a comment somebody else made that was attributed to myself, or a misheard comment, rather than a malicious lie. Don't get me wrong, I'm not an idiot, I just know which assumption leaves me less happy :)
Fortunately my refereeing committee had a bit of trust in me. They pulled me aside, asked what happened, and accepted my word.
I'm sure it's all a different process and setup - and for me the first I heard was at the meeting when I was pulled aside.
 
I once got reported for supposedly swearing an an U/16 player.
I'm choosing to believe that it was either a comment somebody else made that was attributed to myself, or a misheard comment, rather than a malicious lie. Don't get me wrong, I'm not an idiot, I just know which assumption leaves me less happy :)
Fortunately my refereeing committee had a bit of trust in me. They pulled me aside, asked what happened, and accepted my word.
I'm sure it's all a different process and setup - and for me the first I heard was at the meeting when I was pulled aside.

The RefSec of my league has backed me and is still giving me games. My RDO said he will support me but the discipline department are decidimg whether or not I should be charged or not
 
Ignore him the truth will out and I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. This is why I don't agree with club marks you get petty losers taking out their self hate on you. Don't let him get you down Jack!
 
The RefSec of my league has backed me and is still giving me games. My RDO said he will support me but the discipline department are decidimg whether or not I should be charged or not
I was charged once for this and at the hearing their story didn't stack up, so it was case not proven. Their club charge, misconduct charges and sending off offences all stuck.
 
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The RefSec of my league has backed me and is still giving me games. My RDO said he will support me but the discipline department are decidimg whether or not I should be charged or not

The rules changed on this a few years ago. Previously the Referee's Committee could hear such cases, but now they have to be heard by the Judiciary Committee.

Don't worry though, I've sat on loads of hearings and nine times out of ten the club and / or players trip themselves up, contradict themselves, and generally make a complete hash of it. I remember one where the "witnesses" were called in one by one and asked to describe the player who had punched their player. The descriptions ranged from a 5'6" white guy to a 6'3" black guy, and their credibility was immediately shot to pieces.

And that was when the club were defending a charge, as someone has said above I'd be surprised if they even turn up if you are charged and called to a hearing. In which case no evidence means no case to answer.
 
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