A&H

Managers trying to get in your head before the game !

Alarm bells are ringing whenever I hear "you'll have no problems from my boys" or "we look after the referee here".
I don't even respond to managers thinly veiled attempt to curry favour, it's pathetic.
I just smile and stay silent till they bugger off.
And McTavish, no offense, but what you describe is def an attempt to sway the referee your way.
 
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If a managers is worth his salt he will be trying to influence the referee right from the first handshake. Why not? It's part of his job, much like it is our job to see this for what it is and get on with our job to the best of our abilities.

As long as they don't cross the line into misconduct, pay no mind.
 
Now that I think about it someone tried to influence me at the weekend. It was a parent helper telling me how the opposing coach had been to some of their games so she knew they'd be fouling her boy a lot. The reality was that whenever he had the ball the captain would shout "no foul no foul" and he'd dive or look for a foul.

I've had managers tell me their boys are easy etc but to be hones I've usually forgotten about that by the time the game starts.

It's players i've found that try to influence me mostly by telling me to watch for pushes or keep an eye on no.14 etc
 
deusex said:
And McTavish, no offense, but what you describe is def an attempt to sway the referee your way.
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No offence taken - of course it is, I said so myself. But it is also an attempt to make everyone's game more pleasant and if that results in the referee looking slightly more favourably on my team then that is fine. I hardly think having a friendly chat with the referee before the game and hoping for a good contest between two honest teams should be classed as "pathetic"...;)
 
deusex said:
And McTavish, no offense, but what you describe is def an attempt to sway the referee your way.
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Don't see the problem, it's part of the job
I prefer a team who tries to have me their way (even if there's no chance) and therefore have a positive attitude towards me than a team who assumes that I'm going to mess up from the beginning and think of me as the enemy
 
SM said:
If a managers is worth his salt he will be trying to influence the referee right from the first handshake. Why not? It's part of his job, much like it is our job to see this for what it is and get on with our job to the best of our abilities.

As long as they don't cross the line into misconduct, pay no mind.
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Is this much different from diving for a penalty? Is that our job to see this for what it is?
 
deusex said:
Is this much different from diving for a penalty? Is that our job to see this for what it is?
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Nothing like it at all. Diving is against the LOTG, friendly chats with the ref aren't covered.

We've previously spoken here about players who congratulate you on the excellent job you are doing to try to make you look kindly on them - should we show a yellow card to these dastardly miscreants?

Sure if a manager is being insulting - as the OP suspected - or threatening that is a different thing but a bit of gentle pre-match chat the same as diving? Really?
 
Just playing devils advocate, but what if some of these "nice" managers are in fact just nice people and their team you won't hear a peep from actually are a nice bunch of lads and its all just a genuine conversation. What a cynical bunch we've become refereeing.
 
DaveMac said:
Just playing devils advocate, but what if some of these "nice" managers are in fact just nice people and their team you won't hear a peep from actually are a nice bunch of lads and its all just a genuine conversation. What a cynical bunch we've become refereeing.
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That was my point, really.

I was just explaining how I would use the fact that I had a generally well-behaved team to set up a certain expectation with the referee whilst having a good-natured chat with him - probably completely ineffectual but no harm in being pleasant (unless you consider this to be akin to diving). I would like to think that if everyone had adopted my policy of friendliness and encouraging good behaviour then games would be easier all round. Bear in mind that whatever I said to the ref, if both teams behaved well, then my mild attempt to influence the ref would have completely no effect - the only way that it might work at all is if the opponents were over-aggressive, petulant or dirty.

Perhaps instead I should have shouted "oh, come off it ref" at every decision with the occasional bout of traditional abuse thrown in for good measure and then refused to shake hands at the end rather than using my jedi-level mind games.:confused:
 
I totally agree @McTavish there isn't anything wrong with being friendly. My game at the weekend I had two amazingly friendly managers. We had about a 15 minute chat before the game. Was very refreshing. Best part was the home manager was the nicest guy ever, then when we stop chatting walks over to his team and gives them an absolute rollicking for all being late, announces the team line up and just stood on the sideline for the whole game not saying a word to them. Half time I had to chat to him to get the ball pumped up a but, he was all smiles unless his team could see then he had a face like thunder!
 
DaveMac said:
Just playing devils advocate, but what if some of these "nice" managers are in fact just nice people and their team you won't hear a peep from actually are a nice bunch of lads and its all just a genuine conversation. What a cynical bunch we've become refereeing.
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When I come across this type of manager I might change my thinking.
I can only go on my own experiences in my own games.
 
Yeah I mean don't get me wrong ive had chats with managers before games, but it's been about the weather or the football at the weekend e.c.t. But as soon as the conversation turns into cheap point scoring, mind games then they get "the talk". to be fair in the two times it's happened since I've started clamping down it; the games have went off without a hitch and both managers never said a word towards me...

Again though, you might be totally right and I am being over zealous with people but so far it's worked and I haven't had to write a misconduct form in 3 years.
 
I see no harm in it. When I played I was always the same, I'd be that guy at the corner telling the ref to watch the player pulling the shirt, keep an eye on this that or the other. I'm not sure it ever made a difference, but it could subconsciously tip something in my favour.

Looking at this from another point of view how would people feel if you wanted to have a chat with the players before kick off and started saying you wont accept any foul language and if the manager just piped up telling you you wouldnt be getting any of that from his team and we're all here for a fair game of football.

I just think its one of those things we, as referees, have to just take with a pinch of salt and get on with it.
 
Well sh*t the proverbial bed.
Today, after being given the warmest greating by the home team manager, I ended up giving his chaps 5 yellows and one red. At FT his persona hadn't changed at all. He thanked me for the match and even ushered away his player that was moaning about his RC.
A genuinely top class individual that I though only existed in Disney films. More people like him are badly needed.
 
deusex said:
Well sh*t the proverbial bed.
Today, after being given the warmest greating by the home team manager, I ended up giving his chaps 5 yellows and one red. At FT his persona hadn't changed at all. He thanked me for the match and even ushered away his player that was moaning about his RC.
A genuinely top class individual that I though only existed in Disney films. More people like him are badly needed.
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Can you please let us know the club name, manager name, league district and venue so we can come and meet this Peter Pan fellow for ourselves? :p;):D

In all seriousness though good on him, the football world, no, the world, needs more people like this in it.

On a personal note I've only been given this chat once, the away manager said I wouldn't have any trouble from either team and he was right, they were both diamonds.
 
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