I apologies in advance as this will be a bit of a rant thread but I really have no where else to vent
After taking around 2 years out, I've returned to refereeing. A decent pre season has got me up to match speed and yesterday was my first competitive fixture.
Now this fixture is notorious for being quite feisty so thought neutral assistance would be appointed but alas not.
Anyway, the game started and i'd decided to be firm on even the soft fouls to set my stall out early which settled the game down for about 10 minutes although we had lots of moaning. Both club assistance being "loose" with the offside rule which caused some frustration but as they had a better view of the line than I, supported their decisions. Obviously the attacking team full backs were able to see the offsides better than everyone else and the strikers are never offside either!!
We get through around 15 minutes before the away team score a goal. A throw-in which the home team feel is awarded incorrectly leads to a well worked goal. 1-0 to the away side. Then the temperature of the game heats up which leads to an easy caution for the home team for stopping a promising attack, although the away 18 took the opportunity to tell me that I am not protecting players and thats an YC, a quick word to him seems to appease the situation. A few moments later an away player is fouled, as I call in the home player to caution him the away 18 decides to tell me AGAIN that this is an obvious YC and I need to get control of the game. YC issued for USB to 18 followed by the caution for the home 16. No real complaints here so we continue on, staying sharp on the whistle and just a minute before half time I award a penalty for the home team. Lots of comments from home team that its 100% a penalty and obviously the away team clearly feel it was either not a penalty or soft. Penalty converted to make the score 1-1 and away keeper decides to shout "you are a f**king disgrace ref", a clear as day red card issued much to the goalkeepers apparent shock. "I wasn't talking to you ref, im just frustrated". The half ends 1-1.
Second half starts much the same way and after the away team are awarded a freekick Home 7 decides to kick the ball away some distance, so a caution for delaying the restart follows. I start to loosen the game a little and as the away team play a ball through the Home GK runs out to intercept, misjudges the bounce and clearly hand balls it in order to prevent the away striker getting through on goal. Game stopped, direct freekick awarded and red card issued to GK for dogso.
More end to end football before another penalty awarded, away winger is fouled outside the box but retains composure, i play advantage and he's fouled in the box and for me an easy penalty. Obvious dissatisfaction from home team but now a melee starts on the opposite side of the pitch between the subs and one apparently walks on and slaps the away team full back. Bear in mind this out of my view as I've just been running away from it towards the penalty area so haven't seen anything but at this point everyone is telling me how I've lost control of the game, what am i going to do about it etc. I speak to the apparent perpetrator and his team manager as well as the perceived victim and this manager (separately of course) and explain that while I haven't see whats been alleged, I will make a note in my pre match report. That said it couldn't have been nasty as it settles down very quickly and we look to resume with the aforementioned penalty but not before the home team try to take advantage of the situation.
Penalty scored 1-2.
5 minutes later and its the turn of the away team to feel aggrieved, as the gk fouls the attacker, sweeping his standing leg when trying to play the ball. Penalty awarded and while some people were frustrated there weren't too many complaints from players in close proximity
Penalty scored 2-2
What else could happen with just 4 minutes to go, well home team 4 decides to make a reckless tackle. I immediately blow for a freekick with the intention of cautioning but before I am able to issue the away skipper decides he's allowed to run up to me and tell me I am not protecting players, i respond by saying 1) i immediately gave a freekick 2) before I could issue any further action you've confronted me please allow me to take action. We then have a 2 minute back and forth about with him stating "ive listened to you can you listen to me" but he isn't actually listening to what I am saying so promptly end the conversation and proceed to caution the home team 4.
Home team 6, who is on his last warning, is cautioned for persistent infringement and just before the game peters out to its conclusion the away team break into the box, away 14 goes down under some pressure but not enough for me to award another penalty and the players body language also suggest no penalty. Obvious it is a penalty though!
In truth I could have had around another 4/5 cautions late on in the game but tried to manage it but it got to the point I just stopped talking to the players as they weren't interested in reason.
A shame really as both teams are very good and when the focussed on playing football it was an enjoyable game.
Nothing really needed here, it was a tough game and just needed to get it off my chest. Funny how players look to be blameless in everything and it became quite frustrating when players started fouling opponents, see the freekick awarded against them, start being petulant. I don't know if its a generational thing but WOW, its worse that i've ever seen it. Such an entitled bunch nowadays who don't like having things go against them
If that is how its going to be every week it will be the shorted come back ever
After taking around 2 years out, I've returned to refereeing. A decent pre season has got me up to match speed and yesterday was my first competitive fixture.
Now this fixture is notorious for being quite feisty so thought neutral assistance would be appointed but alas not.
Anyway, the game started and i'd decided to be firm on even the soft fouls to set my stall out early which settled the game down for about 10 minutes although we had lots of moaning. Both club assistance being "loose" with the offside rule which caused some frustration but as they had a better view of the line than I, supported their decisions. Obviously the attacking team full backs were able to see the offsides better than everyone else and the strikers are never offside either!!
We get through around 15 minutes before the away team score a goal. A throw-in which the home team feel is awarded incorrectly leads to a well worked goal. 1-0 to the away side. Then the temperature of the game heats up which leads to an easy caution for the home team for stopping a promising attack, although the away 18 took the opportunity to tell me that I am not protecting players and thats an YC, a quick word to him seems to appease the situation. A few moments later an away player is fouled, as I call in the home player to caution him the away 18 decides to tell me AGAIN that this is an obvious YC and I need to get control of the game. YC issued for USB to 18 followed by the caution for the home 16. No real complaints here so we continue on, staying sharp on the whistle and just a minute before half time I award a penalty for the home team. Lots of comments from home team that its 100% a penalty and obviously the away team clearly feel it was either not a penalty or soft. Penalty converted to make the score 1-1 and away keeper decides to shout "you are a f**king disgrace ref", a clear as day red card issued much to the goalkeepers apparent shock. "I wasn't talking to you ref, im just frustrated". The half ends 1-1.
Second half starts much the same way and after the away team are awarded a freekick Home 7 decides to kick the ball away some distance, so a caution for delaying the restart follows. I start to loosen the game a little and as the away team play a ball through the Home GK runs out to intercept, misjudges the bounce and clearly hand balls it in order to prevent the away striker getting through on goal. Game stopped, direct freekick awarded and red card issued to GK for dogso.
More end to end football before another penalty awarded, away winger is fouled outside the box but retains composure, i play advantage and he's fouled in the box and for me an easy penalty. Obvious dissatisfaction from home team but now a melee starts on the opposite side of the pitch between the subs and one apparently walks on and slaps the away team full back. Bear in mind this out of my view as I've just been running away from it towards the penalty area so haven't seen anything but at this point everyone is telling me how I've lost control of the game, what am i going to do about it etc. I speak to the apparent perpetrator and his team manager as well as the perceived victim and this manager (separately of course) and explain that while I haven't see whats been alleged, I will make a note in my pre match report. That said it couldn't have been nasty as it settles down very quickly and we look to resume with the aforementioned penalty but not before the home team try to take advantage of the situation.
Penalty scored 1-2.
5 minutes later and its the turn of the away team to feel aggrieved, as the gk fouls the attacker, sweeping his standing leg when trying to play the ball. Penalty awarded and while some people were frustrated there weren't too many complaints from players in close proximity
Penalty scored 2-2
What else could happen with just 4 minutes to go, well home team 4 decides to make a reckless tackle. I immediately blow for a freekick with the intention of cautioning but before I am able to issue the away skipper decides he's allowed to run up to me and tell me I am not protecting players, i respond by saying 1) i immediately gave a freekick 2) before I could issue any further action you've confronted me please allow me to take action. We then have a 2 minute back and forth about with him stating "ive listened to you can you listen to me" but he isn't actually listening to what I am saying so promptly end the conversation and proceed to caution the home team 4.
Home team 6, who is on his last warning, is cautioned for persistent infringement and just before the game peters out to its conclusion the away team break into the box, away 14 goes down under some pressure but not enough for me to award another penalty and the players body language also suggest no penalty. Obvious it is a penalty though!
In truth I could have had around another 4/5 cautions late on in the game but tried to manage it but it got to the point I just stopped talking to the players as they weren't interested in reason.
A shame really as both teams are very good and when the focussed on playing football it was an enjoyable game.
Nothing really needed here, it was a tough game and just needed to get it off my chest. Funny how players look to be blameless in everything and it became quite frustrating when players started fouling opponents, see the freekick awarded against them, start being petulant. I don't know if its a generational thing but WOW, its worse that i've ever seen it. Such an entitled bunch nowadays who don't like having things go against them
If that is how its going to be every week it will be the shorted come back ever