2016-2017 Training Wear
- Thread starter Mick Begley
- Start date
if you cant be bothed using your match fee to buy a warm up tshirt and sweatshirt/ tracksuit some people would wonder how serious your frefereeing ambition is remember you dont get a second chance to make a first impression
Cheshire Ref
RefChat Addict
I think that's a bit harsh!
Hang on. Are you telling me you've owned a specific refereeing warm up top/tracksuit since day 1 of refereeing? And are you therefore telling me that you were so convinced when you qualified that you were going to be refereeing for years that you were happy to spend another £50 for a training top on top of all the standard equipment you need to buy ahead of day 1? And finally, are you telling me that you were actually told about this "convention" and the need to have separate training tops on day 1?
If the answer to any of those questions is "no", then you need to calm right down. I've only just hit L6 and consequently, I'm just reaching the stage where I am discovering that this convention exists and I'm just reaching the stage where I'm on the line as part of a team on a semi-regular basis. Up until now, I've turned up to pitches on my own, in my kit and I've had to do this as I'd say only about 50% of them have offered me changing rooms. The idea of turning up in a shirt, changing into a training top and then changing again into kit is new to me and all I was doing was asking if that middle step is really expected or if it just happens to be the preference of some referees I've worked with so far.
Monotone Whistle
Well-Known Member
Different levels, different "expectations" (I say that as my personal opinion). L7, doing Sunday morning kids etc., you just wear your kit and turn up shortly before the game and ref it. As you move up, while there's no need to have a specific badged top, you'll generally find the need to warm up (usually while doing a pitch inspection) and having a training zip-jacket or sweatshirt just looks a bit better and keeps everything clean and tidy.
As you move up the levels, so say you are doing Step 7 football next season, you'll have the chance to get changed, do a warm up, then come back in to your changing room and get into your ref kit, so having a training kit makes sense. Some people, myself included, like to have all the gear and no/little idea and I generally feel I am more professional looking warming up in my badged referee kit and trackie bottoms, but it's not compulsory.
As an L4 this coming season, I would prefer my assistants to have some training kit when we do the warm-up, but I won't make a fuss if they don't as long as when we officiate the match all of us look clean and presentable.
As you move up the levels, so say you are doing Step 7 football next season, you'll have the chance to get changed, do a warm up, then come back in to your changing room and get into your ref kit, so having a training kit makes sense. Some people, myself included, like to have all the gear and no/little idea and I generally feel I am more professional looking warming up in my badged referee kit and trackie bottoms, but it's not compulsory.
As an L4 this coming season, I would prefer my assistants to have some training kit when we do the warm-up, but I won't make a fuss if they don't as long as when we officiate the match all of us look clean and presentable.
When I first got level 3 I bought matching warm up tops and warm up jackets in sets of 3, having been suggested by my coach.
I gave it up after about 10 games as it was clear my assistants weren't comfortable with it. Obvious issue was size, I bought one medium and two larges of both but that meant it was too big for some and also way too small for others. This is where team work and friendship comes in, as it was people I had known for years that told me it wasn't right and was not in line with how I normally behaved.
That said, we did get quite a few comments from club secretaries and even supporters about how impressive it looked during the warm up.
I gave it up after about 10 games as it was clear my assistants weren't comfortable with it. Obvious issue was size, I bought one medium and two larges of both but that meant it was too big for some and also way too small for others. This is where team work and friendship comes in, as it was people I had known for years that told me it wasn't right and was not in line with how I normally behaved.
That said, we did get quite a few comments from club secretaries and even supporters about how impressive it looked during the warm up.