Members Blogs

Today brings the first game of the new football season for me, and my first as a Level 5 referee. My first appointment is in the Windsor Foods County Senior Football League Division One. For some reason, I am feeling really nervous… how can this be so when I am simply doing something that I have done a thousand times before? I can only put it down to fear of the unknown. This is my first ‘middle’ in the County Senior League, but why should I treat this game any different from any other? All of the checks have been made meticulously. It is a good job really as I almost forgot my socks! Anyway, it is almost time to set off to the ground so I will update this post with some post match feedback later! Ciao for now! UPDATE: So the game...

It’s not every day that a member of the Media talk sense about Referee’s or refereeing in general, but that is exactly what Steve Wilson of the BBC has done. Thanks to ‘The Renegade Ref’ for pointing this out in your latest newsletter: Cut the men in black some slack BBC Sport blog editor | 14:27 UK time, Monday, 16 January 2012 I’m not sure that there is a European president, a cabinet minister or a city banker anywhere who is doing a tougher job under more critical scrutiny just now than Premier League referees. Every weekend there is a catalogue of evidence made up of slow-motion, frame-by-frame replays to prove that the men in black are becoming less adept at applying the laws of the game appropriately. Managers criticise them...

I haven’t blogged for quite a while so I thought that I would provide a mid-season update. Christmas has now been and gone and the goose is on a diet! Just before the Christmas holidays I was summoned to a meeting with the County FA in order to receive my mid-season bandings – both club and assessors. To put it shortly, I am right where I need to be therefore, without wanting to tempt fate, should the second half of the season go as well as the first, I will be in with a shout for promotion to Level 4. Having said that, the marking is that tight that one really bad mark could send me plummeting down the banding grade scale, and one very good mark could see me sky-rocket to the top of the banding scale, so it really is in my hands. I...

PROACTIVE Taking the initiative by actions, tending to make things happen. REACTIVE Reacting to events, situations and stimuli spontaneously. When the ball goes dead good referees come alive. All referees are reactive. The best are also proactive. The ball is dead for around 20 of the 90 minutes of a match. INITIAL GENERAL QUESTIONS FOR DEADBALL SITUATIONS Did my position make the decision credible? Am I in the best position for the restart? Do I need to check my watch? Do I need to keep an eye on a particular player? Do I need to watch a pair of players? Do I need to move closer to them? Do I need to check that assistants are OK? Do I need to keep an eye on those on the touchline? Do I need to speak to a manager/ coach/ club rep? Do...

Before considering a few useful comments that you might make to players on the field of play, you might think about a few general hints. Some of them you may already know about, but it will do no harm if you think about all of them. First of all, remember that your bearing will reflect your confidence. Do not slouch your way onto the field before the tossing of the coin, because if you do the players will notice it and your game will not proceed in the best possible way. Are you aware of the difference between confidence and arrogance? The first is your friend; the second is definitely your enemy. Nobody likes an arrogant referee, except those players who enjoying causing you some grief. Never watch the ball that is kicked high...

Frickley Athletic FC v Dinnington Town FC in the Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup – 7:45pm ko. Frickley have announced that they have reduced admission prices: Frickley Athletic have reduced the normal admission prices for tomorrow’s Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup tie against Dinnington Town, k.o. 7.45pm. Adult admission will be £5 with Concessions £3 and Under 16s £2. The Blues will be without recent signings Steve Dickinson and Ben Turner as neither were signed in time to play in the tie whilst Leon Henry is suspended. Continue reading...

Last Sunday's game was never likely to be played once the temperatures fell below freezing on three consecutive nights, so my first action in my great comeback was to postpone a game! I went to watch a referee the day before the postponement, assessing if he was competent to step up to the next level. So much of Monday and Tuesday evenings were spent writing and re-writing his report. Since Wednesday I've worked through a presentation for work, based on a course I've been attending with our in-house training and development department. It's been a pleasant surprise to be on the receiving end of some training rather than delivering it. Just as I did when I became a referee and I couldn't help analysing the performance, I've been doing...

‘Referees in the media’ will be published at the beginning of the week on the Dutch Referee Blog and provides remarkable or interesting quotes and links to articles worth reading. “We should reflect on the experience tennis and rugby on their own methods including temporary exclusions (the sin bin), public explanation of referee’s decisions, or rugby’s penalty try for example.” FIFA’s former director of international relations Jerome Champagne has suggested changes in the world governing body in an interview with Reuters. “I’ll take all necessary measures to clear my name. What they did is so sneaky.” Says Bulgarian referee Raicho Raichev about Luchezar Yonov, a suspended referee, who used Raichev’s name to officiate the friendly match...

Being a "retired" referee has never sat too well with me and for a long time I felt I still had something to offer out on the green stuff. I get a lot of satisfaction from my work as a Referee Tutor working on behalf of The FA, converting players, coaches and volunteers into qualified referees in the hope that they will enjoy the "dark" side of football as much as I did. I also take a lot of professional pride in the reports I write after each time I have been out to assess a referee. I'm hoping that they take something of value out of the reports and it helps their game. I value the friends I've made through refereeing, some have reached the dizzy heights of the professional game in England and appear on my TV screen almost every...

A Danish fan has to pay the national FA a fine of about 250.000 euro’s. He attacked German referee Herbert Fandel in 2007′s match between Danmark and Sweden. Danish FA confirmed the court ruling that the man has to pay them because of the damage the FA suffered from the incident. According to DBU Secretary Jim Stjerne Hansen the fan has ‘attacked Danish football integrity’. The match was abandoned with 3:3 on the scoreboard by referee Fandel. Uefa decided that Sweden wins the match with 0:3. To fresh up your mind: here’s the situation. Continue reading...

‘Referees in the media’ will be published at the beginning of the week on the Dutch Referee Blog and provides remarkable or interesting quotes and links to articles worth reading. “I know it’s not easy to clinch another final match gig because there are so many good referees in Asia now. But I’m sure it’s the dream of everyone who will soon hang his whistle and I’m one of them.” Abdul Malik Bashir. Source: AFC Singaporean referee Abdul Malik Abdul Bashir who will turn 44 on Wednesday has two more years to achieve his goal. “There has been a personal discussion with the referee. He admitted everything, apologized, and said it does not happen again.” Says former Bundesliga referee Frank Fleske, now regional director, about a local...

Zanetti had a big smile on his face after he kicked the ball hard behind his own goalie. Just couldn’t stop laughing about this stupid action. But what he didn’t know that the goal in the match Parma – Inter didn’t count. Referee Antonio Giannoccaro took over the signal of his assistant Claudio La Rocca, who made an offside call for the attacker close to Zanetti. What would you say: stupid action by the defender or correct call by the assistant because the attacker is influencing Zanetti’s play although he didn’t touch the ball? Continue reading...

A 50 mile trip saw me arrive slightly after the referee but before both assistants at today's Supply League game, my first "active" trip to a football game since December 5. In the shelter of the wall alongside where the home supporters were standing, it felt fine, but on stepping out into the biting wind, it didn't take long for my feet to freeze. I say "active" as I enjoyed a trip to a South Midlands League game with my friend and colleague, Slim from my National Course for FA Referee Tutors from back in July 2009. It was nice to watch a game of football without having to write up a report afterwards. I did sit with the assessor and it was reassuring to note that he was picking up the same things I note in my games. The game today...

Adidas has released the new World Cup referee outfits. See full collection here. Continue reading...

‘Referees in the media’ will be published at the beginning of the week on the Dutch Referee Blog and provides remarkable or interesting quotes and links to articles worth reading. Best wishes for 2012. I wish you a good refereeing year! “My hope is that we can officiate the final of the tournament. Everything will depend on the performance of us on the field.” Neant Alioum from Cameroon about his appointment for the African Nations Cup. “I enjoyed it when a match went well and all persons involved gave me a handshake afterwards to thank me for the match. That’s the biggest appreciation a referee can get.” Michael van Praag, chairman of the Dutch FA and former amateur referee. “Sometimes the reactions of the players are clever and they...

The Ajax fan who entered the pitch and attacked AZ goalie Esteban will spend four months in prison. Dutch court punished him with six months jailtime, with two months of conditional release. The 19-year-old ignored his stadium ban of three years and went to the cup match, where he invaded the pitch in 36th minute. The goalie defended himself and then kicked the attacker twice, while lying on the ground. Dutch FA’s prosecutor has rescinded the red card and will not punish the AZ goalie. The judge punished Wesley van W. for grievous bodily harm with premeditation, because he made bets about attacking the goalie. He also took into account that the boy has been sentenced before. The court holds Wesley responsible for the fact that people in...

‘Referees in the media’ will be published at the beginning of the week on the Dutch Referee Blog and provides remarkable or interesting quotes and links to articles worth reading. “He’s really looks better than the last time I’ve seen him.” Says lawyer Sven Menke after visiting Babak Rafati, who’s recovering from an attempted suicide. “Oh yes, of course I miss it. It’s like a player, when he finishes playing. I miss it a lot, but on the other hand, it’s good because you are still involved, still hungry and can explain better to the referees what they need to do.” Massimo Busacca misses refereeing now he’s the head of Fifa’s refereeing department. Read full interview on Fifa.com “I’m very happy. It’s a nice appreciation and a good...

Dutch public radio station 3fm had collected 8.621.004 euro’s for mothers all over the world who are victims of war. The money goes to the project ‘This one’s for mama’ from the Red Cross to provide these women a shelter, food and medication. Three dj’s moved into a house of glass for a week without eating, just drinking some shakes with necessary ingredients. This year was the seventh edition. But the final amount of money is not reached yet. There’s an ongoing online auction with items from famous people. One of the items is a set of cards, referee clothing and a match ball from referee Bas Nijhuis. You can buy it via eBay. Highest bid so far: 157 euro’s. Your bid should be at least 160 euro’s. The auction stops at 5pm (CET) next...

Goalie Esteban from AZ Alkmaar got karate kicked in the back by an Ajax supporter. He recognized it just before the fan was close behind him. The man fell down and the goalie kicks him while lying on the ground. Referee Bas Nijhuis gave the goalie a red card. AZ coach Verbeek took his team off the pitch because he doesn’t feel safe anymore. The match is abondoned. Referee Nijhuis, who got promoted to Elite Development this week, after the match: “I couldn’t do anything else then apply the rules and give a red card.” What do you think the Dutch FA will do: punish Ajax for fan doing karate kick on goalie or AZ for leaving the pitch? Rematch? Let me know what you would decide. Embedding the video was impossible, so watch the highlights on...

German referee Manuel Gräfe let a penalty kick being retaken in a penalty serie. Twice! The cup match between Fortuna Düsseldorf and Borussia Dortmund ended goalless after 120 minutes. In the penalty serie Blaszykowski from Dortmund thought he made the 2:2 (after 4), but Gräfe was resolutely pointing to his whistle, demanding the Polish player from Dortmund to re-take the penalty kick. Immediately after that Andreas Lambertz from Düsseldorf misses. He walks away, head in his hands. But what he did not realize is again the call for a re-kick by the referee. Goalie Weidenfeller and a field player who came running from the middle line heavily protested and got both a yellow card. But I think the referee’s decision was correct (no replay...