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diversity conference - what?

Kent Ref

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I received an invite today to go to the FA's place in Burton to attend a referee diversity conference.

Why are we having this? Why not have a conference to discuss the problems with reffing like attitudes towards referees from players, the media, the managers, the parents and to a degree the CFAs themselves!

The local game is dying but they want to talk about diversity. Where do they dream this stuff up?
 
The Referee Store
You do know that the refereeing community is made up of a wide range of people with different religious beliefs, capabilities, sexual orientation, genders, etc.?

Did you also know that the refereeing community does not reflect the diversity of the population of this country?

Did you know that to a degree The FA's funding depends on inclusion and diversity to demonstrate it is representative of the population of the country?

That's why there is a diversity conference. if under represented groups can be persuaded to enter the refereeing community, then we would have more referees. Also, greater diversity can actually help tackle some of the issues you have mentioned.

Just as not all players are not white heterosexual males, neither should referees be either.
 
I went to a funeral yesterday and met a female cousin that i haven't seen for about 40 years... all good, then last night i spoke to my dad in America and he happened to mention that she had recently married another lady. I said 'so what'? He was making a big thing out of it (he's 80), I said 'so what, if they are happy, then who cares'.... We live in a changed world with many peculiarities from yesteryear, every one to their own!!!!
 
Why are we having this? Why not have a conference to discuss the problems with reffing like attitudes towards referees from players, the media, the managers, the parents and to a degree the CFAs themselves!

How do you know they're not dealing with it? I know some people's experiences with FA's could be described as 'unsatisfactory,' but they're not all the incompetent pencil pushers as you make them out to be.

If you feel so strongly about these issues, get in touch with your county. Be the change you want to see, and I'm sure your FA is dying for feedback.
 
I've seen years of positive discrimination (at least 10) and i'm getting somewhat tired of it.

I just feel there are more important issues that need to be aired and action taken. Apart from society meetings where we discuss things when does the CFA start to listen to its referees?

I'm right at the end of my refereeing career but the grass roots has so many untackled issues i cannot see any signs of any improvements either happening or in the pipeline.

It's all a bit bleak.
 
Down to funding, although it should have happened anyway. Sport England set targets for the percentage of females, BAME and disabled participants, and participants also refers to referees. I believe these same percentages will also apply to the FA's board and various committees and councils. If thrse targets aren't met the funding and grants are reduced.

And things do need to change. The refereeing community is in no way representative of the general population, and that is probably more the case in London and the South East than anywhere else. London's population is 45% white British, yet the percentage of referees in the same demographic is vastly higher.

It's the same with the FA's Council. 85% are over 60 years old, only 8 out of 122 are female, and astonishingly only 4 are non-white English. That has to change, and change quickly, as it just doesn't even come close to representing the demographic of the country.
 
Just remind me when did the PC Brigade got elected?? I missed it???

Surely an election of a FA Council members should be best man / woman for the job rather that a fixed percentage of this and that just for the hell of ticking a PC box??? We all should have equality rights, surely saying we have two many of this and that is not fair either if a candidate is clearly better for the post???
 
Surely an election of a FA Council members should be best man / woman for the job rather that a fixed percentage of this and that just for the hell of ticking a PC box??? We all should have equality rights, surely saying we have two many of this and that is not fair either if a candidate is clearly better for the post???

I agree, but it's the government that sets these targets, there's not much the FA can do about it.

That said, it's good the FA is providing diversity conferences. Referees come from all walks of life, and it's important to hear their voices too. It's not like it's at the expensive of anyone or anything else.
 
Just been to a company in Nuneaton and I asked for a Dave! 'You mean Jennifer' came the reply, 'no I'm after a Dave' I said! 'No, you're after Jennifer, she's post Op now!' My father wouldn't get that switch!
 
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