The Ref Stop

Referee retention idea

The perception of referees needs to change from the top. Let them speak to the media. Let them have personalities. Actually punish dissent. Call it out at every opportunity on Sky and BT. Promote refereeing properly. The only part of refereeing that's promoted is the failed respect campaigns. Never seen anything on tv about attracting refs to the game. All I ever see is criticism.

And for God's sake can we actually do something about dissent and criticism from managers during the gane and after! Everytime the camera is on the 4th official he's being screamed at. Who in their right mind would look on TV, see that and think "that's a job I'd like". There is literally no reason why a manager or coach should communicate with a referee. None at all. They are their to coach/manage their players. There was an article last week that the Spurs players are uneasy because the new managerial team give the officials so much abuse. But why is it allowed to happen. How about 0 tolerance of communications between management and officials? It really has got to that point in the PL/CL for me. Its dreadful to watch and is a hindrance to attracting young refs.

I'm ranting incoherently now 🤣🤣 I'm just sick of the abuse officials get and even more so the absolute inability/unwillingness of the powers that be to stop it. Its weak.

just touching on one point, the 4th and ref do have powers to deal with the coach
its allowed to happen because the 4th, our refereeing colleague, allows it to happen
and then yes, the planet see it and it filters down to council park 9 on a Sunday morning

best example being as stated a few weeks ago on another thread, Mr Warnocks behaviour, or, misbehaviour, has been tolerated for so long that it has now become the norm ' oh thats just Neil'
how did it get to that stage? because the folk entrusted with deciding if someones conduct is acceptable have let it be so. once again, your, our, and everybodys refereeing colleagues
 
Last edited:
The Ref Stop
The role of a referee at grass roots has to be enjoyable the vast majority of the time to make younger Referees stick around because the lure of £20/£25 for 2 hours +work just isn't enough .

They could do with paying me when a club withdraws from a competition and causes me to lose a fixture. :P :angel:
 
I think many referees of an age, like me have had a reboot.
I've been involved in football as player/manager/referee for 55 years. I've always done it.
The lockdown has given people the opportunity to question why we do it and for some the answer is not to do it any more. it's hard to see how the FA can change that.
 
While reading this it occurred to me - as referees do we need to promote and publicise the role better and attract a better standard of candidate to refereeing classes in the first instance? As an example, a couple of years ago I persuaded an 'acquaintance' to take up the whistle and now he's refereeing regularly. I'd know him through football for years and he was always a troublesome player and coach. He tells me he never imagined he would be a referee and is surprised by how much he enjoys it.

We get the abuse but despite the high drop out rate there are a lot of us who keep doing it years after year because, presumably, it's enjoyable and rewarding. It allows me to continue involvement in the game I love after my competitive playing days are finished. Even just at grass roots level I've experienced matches, players and stadiums I would never, ever have experienced as a player.

It's not for everyone but I still find a lot of positives in refereeing.
 
I completely agree with every point raised in this discussion, but ultimately I believe the only people concerned about referee retention and treatment are Referees themselves

I disagree with this. As a referee the fact that there is a referee shortage is great. I'm in demand. I can get midweek games now, something I've always wanted.

I'm also a U9s coach and the referee shortage is a disaster. I have to get a parent to ref our home games. Away games are reffed by one of their parents. Sometimes they don't even have a whistle. It's incredibly frustrating.

The point of my proposal is for the teams creating the problem to feel that frustration, rather than teams at the bottom of the ability pile.
 
I disagree with this. As a referee the fact that there is a referee shortage is great. I'm in demand. I can get midweek games now, something I've always wanted.

I'm also a U9s coach and the referee shortage is a disaster. I have to get a parent to ref our home games. Away games are reffed by one of their parents. Sometimes they don't even have a whistle. It's incredibly frustrating.

The point of my proposal is for the teams creating the problem to feel that frustration, rather than teams at the bottom of the ability pile.

Friday brain teaser

Given the whistle is compulsory, ( non negotiable), if said parent has no whistle, can they even stand in and pretend to be referee?

ok its under 9s and we all want them to play but if you having a ref, then things marked compulsory in the good book dont really give us too much room for manouvre.

That aside, plenty games avail my area too these days, just refs who have found other things to do of late
 
Friday brain teaser

Given the whistle is compulsory, ( non negotiable), if said parent has no whistle, can they even stand in and pretend to be referee?

ok its under 9s and we all want them to play but if you having a ref, then things marked compulsory in the good book dont really give us too much room for manouvre.

That aside, plenty games avail my area too these days, just refs who have found other things to do of late

yes if it's U9s or similar age, as playing is probably more important than doing it right by the book.

but not as you go up the ages and deffo not into open age. it would just become a farce!
 
The perception of referees needs to change from the top. Let them speak to the media. Let them have personalities. Actually punish dissent. Call it out at every opportunity on Sky and BT. Promote refereeing properly. The only part of refereeing that's promoted is the failed respect campaigns. Never seen anything on tv about attracting refs to the game. All I ever see is criticism.

And for God's sake can we actually do something about dissent and criticism from managers during the gane and after! Everytime the camera is on the 4th official he's being screamed at. Who in their right mind would look on TV, see that and think "that's a job I'd like". There is literally no reason why a manager or coach should communicate with a referee. None at all. They are their to coach/manage their players. There was an article last week that the Spurs players are uneasy because the new managerial team give the officials so much abuse. But why is it allowed to happen. How about 0 tolerance of communications between management and officials? It really has got to that point in the PL/CL for me. Its dreadful to watch and is a hindrance to attracting young refs.

I'm ranting incoherently now 🤣🤣 I'm just sick of the abuse officials get and even more so the absolute inability/unwillingness of the powers that be to stop it. Its weak.
I just can't understand why a rugby style only captains or a summoned player are allowed to converse with an official, from the top down too. It wouldn't take many games flashing yellows and 2nd yellows for this to stop. Coaches screaming at 4th officials too, quite often you don't even see it on TV but I sit near the dug out at Cambridge and it's awful sometimes.
 

Attachments

  • river.jpeg.jpg
    river.jpeg.jpg
    246.3 KB · Views: 9
  • World-Cup-Round-of-16-Uruguay-vs-Portugal.jpg
    World-Cup-Round-of-16-Uruguay-vs-Portugal.jpg
    38.6 KB · Views: 9
I just can't understand why a rugby style only captains or a summoned player are allowed to converse with an official, from the top down too. It wouldn't take many games flashing yellows and 2nd yellows for this to stop. Coaches screaming at 4th officials too, quite often you don't even see it on TV but I sit near the dug out at Cambridge and it's awful sometimes.

Jurgen Klopp spends the entire game either screaming or sarcastically laughing at the 4th official. Most do it but he is particularly bad. Why is it allowed? There is no reason or logic to seeing officials screamed at every week at for those in charge to just ignore it. The word is weak
 
Jurgen Klopp spends the entire game either screaming or sarcastically laughing at the 4th official. Most do it but he is particularly bad. Why is it allowed? There is no reason or logic to seeing officials screamed at every week at for those in charge to just ignore it. The word is weak
I was saying to my wife yesterday, they should just send the 4th official over to the otherside away from the benches. And make the subs trudge round
They end up just being a battering ram for the refs decisions which are largely, almost exclusively out of their control.

It's the same when senior AR in our games, juts constant questions about decisions which are 40 50 60 sometimes 70 yards away.
It's difficult to manage when you agree with the bench but equally, when they are talking out of their behind. Which is usually the case.
 
I was saying to my wife yesterday, they should just send the 4th official over to the otherside away from the benches. And make the subs trudge round
They end up just being a battering ram for the refs decisions which are largely, almost exclusively out of their control.

It's the same when senior AR in our games, juts constant questions about decisions which are 40 50 60 sometimes 70 yards away.
It's difficult to manage when you agree with the bench but equally, when they are talking out of their behind. Which is usually the case.

Several times a game Klopp (and most of the others) are filmed screaming at the 4th official. That will absolutely effect amateur managers living out their dreams of managing their teams to local league success. What I really hate is how weak the authorities are with dissent across the board. I emphasise the word weak but thats exactly what it is.

I remember sat in the changing room after a Sunday League u21 match 2 seasons ago and the manager banged on my door and demanded to be let in to speak to me. I told him no (I'd sent him off) and he said he was entitled to be seen 10 mins after the game like in the football league. Obviously he was told that this isn't the football league and that I'd see him after I've got changed (I hadn't been paid yet). Saw him after, he carried on ranting about some offside decision (they'd lost comfortably from memory) and I told him he had one more opportunity to pay me or I'm off and he through the money on the floor! I just left and tried not to laugh.

Rubbish story really but the point is that he believed he could behave a certain way as he's influenced by what he sees on TV. And as I've said before, everything we see about refs on TV is negative and that poor behaviour towards them is permitted.
 
Another view is whats accepted as norm, and, what we as an official accept
I recall few year back on an international weekend there was no senior matches so I stepped in as late call off for a semi pro line , two teams I knew of but had never officiated at, and a referee I did not know.
Within mins it was clear the home tech area was out of control, a quiet word had no effect so within ten mins I have the referee over, warning for tech arrea, five mins later, the managers assistant is emptied.
the behaviour is ridiculous. the attitude, language, screaming at me and ref, I have a second person removed before half time

So at half time, obv we have a lot to chat about, during which both referee and other AR come away with " they are always like that, a nightmare" and so on


of course they will always be like that if you allow them!!

Absolutely no way for £25 was I stepping down x levels to assist in a game and be treated like sh1t and tolerate misbehaviour like this.


so, a lot of the times, we as officials make a rod for our own back, we allow misbehaviour because, its just how it is, we dont want to be the one to make a fuss, we cba with the paperwork then eventual hearing.
 
Well it's all I know with those letters.

If you want people to know what you're talking about, suggest explaining ...

when I typed the post, I never considered adapting it to suit your knowledge of acronyms.
GIYF ( google is your friend)


that aside, I believe CBA appears in the dictionary in its own right, thus, no individual explination of the term is required
 
when I typed the post, I never considered adapting it to suit your knowledge of acronyms.
GIYF ( google is your friend)


that aside, I believe CBA appears in the dictionary in its own right, thus, no individual explination of the term is required

I see. Well, I've googled it now as you suggested and now know it's "meaning". In the time it took you to type the last 2 posts, you could have simply just stated what it meant.

I may not have as extensive a knowledge of acronyms as yourself, but as least I can spell "explanation". ;) :)👍
 
I see. Well, I've googled it now as you suggested and now know it's "meaning". In the time it took you to type the last 2 posts, you could have simply just stated what it meant.

I may not have as extensive a knowledge of acronyms as yourself, but as least I can spell "explanation". ;) :)👍

and back to the topic.........

pvt message me and I will arrange your chocolate medal to be sent out for being speller of the week.
 
and back to the topic.........

pvt message me and I will arrange your chocolate medal to be sent out for being speller of the week.

Indeed.

Thanks for the offer, but I'm afraid I'm unable to even begin to describe the immensity of the **** I don't give. :) :cool:
 
Back
Top