The Ref Stop

Meeting former player / managers...

Sheffields Finest

Maybe I'm foolish, maybe I'm blind!
Level 7 Referee
Took 3 of my grandkids to a kiddies climbing place close to my house today and bumped into 2 separate ex player/managers in the same building. Had a good chat with one, now retired from football and really nice towards our games together, he was a nippy striker and was a minor whinge about his offsides, great banter and a pleasure to see. The other one saw me a just nodded in a sly way, that would have been a completely different conversation :). The last time I saw him I booked him and blew prompt time on a friendly going south very quickly after a last minute re-taken penalty goal.

Ever meet ex-players / managers off duty??
 
The Ref Stop
A local manager has a really bad case of small man syndrome. I sent off one of his players in a game which they unexpectedly lost, and he told me that “the next time I see you out I’m going to f***ing do you!” This obviously added a club report.
A couple of weeks later I was in a local diy store with my daughter when she told me “dad, there’s a man over there looking at you!” He was hiding behind a pallet in case I saw him!
 
I see loads of players and coaches ”around”. I hadn’t considered it much before but I’m very polite (sometimes too polite) in games. Smiling policeman type. But that’s also how I am with strangers. So, it’s super easy to be myself and smile and have a quick comment with a player or coach out in the street.
 
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