A&H

OCD regarding kit

spuddy1878

RefChat Addict
Is it just me ?

Black Nike Kit.

Black Nike sweatband

Black Nike Bots

Black Nike Tracksuit

Black Nike Bag

Just ordered the Black Winter Coat to go with it.

I started off with Adidas Boots and a puma bag but they had to go.
 
The Referee Store
All good and well until you go out there and have a mare

but hey, kit looked good :(
Only the same as Ronaldo wearing number 7... e.g.

Sometimes just having things right helps ppl.. superstitious types if you will.
 
  • Like
Reactions: one
Only the same as Ronaldo wearing number 7... e.g.

Sometimes just having things right helps ppl.. superstitious types if you will.


Not for me, because, the Ronaldo 7 has 11 plus other pals to pulll him through, Ronaldo 7 can have a mare for 89 mins then score an over head kick in the 90th and he is the hero.
The ref has no hiding place, nobody is going to pull him out of the sticky stuff, no player is impressed if the referee is all shiny, but, they are impressed if they turn in an accomplished peformance
I only of late have moved away from wearing my shiny sponsored stuff from yesteryear and worn what I have and feel comfy in...nobody, (least that am aware of) has batted an eyelid
could referee naked as far as teams are concerned as long as you are fair, consistent and neutral.

When you move up to be with the big boys, you get you stuff to match, thats the time you know you have achieved something

If you turn up at the local pub Karaoke dressed as Freddie Mercury then make sure you are indeed worthy of the costume
 
Last edited:
Not for me, because, the Ronaldo 7 has 11 plus other pals to pulll him through, Ronaldo 7 can have a mare for 89 mins then score an over head kick in the 90th and he is the hero.
The ref has no hiding place, nobody is going to pull him out of the sticky stuff, no player is impressed if the referee is all shiny, but, they are impressed if they turn in an accomplished peformance
I only of late have moved away from wearing my shiny sponsored stuff from yesteryear and worn what I have and feel comfy in...nobody, (least that am aware of) has batted an eyelid
could referee naked as far as teams are concerned as long as you are fair, consistent and neutral.

When you move up to be with the big boys, you get you stuff to match, thats the time you know you have achieved something
You miss my point.

Sometimes we have superstitions that remove any worry. In no way am I saying wear all nike. You'll look the part and be the part. Like you say its neither here nor there qhat you look like.

But if it makes you feel better, and gives you any iota of extra confidence who are you and I to cast aspersions on it.

Give u a personal example. I play a lot of Fifa on the xbox. I have a wierd thing when I "appear" to play better knowing my control pad is 100% charged as in just taken off charge.. there is no logic to it, it probably has no bearing on how I play, I just "feel" better in the knowledge its charged. Its just an extra relaxer when I am playing the game competitively against other users.

Back to my Ronaldo example, if Ronaldo is wearing number 8 maybe he doesnt attempt the overhead kick in the 90th minute. Not wearing number 7 might affect him mentally to the point where he doesnt feel he can attempt it.

The human brain is a marvellous but can also ve most peculiar.

If wearing the clobber makes you feel better anf gives that extra iota of confidence to go an make that pen decision in the last minute, not one of us can say whether it is right or wrong as our brains, minds and thought processes are completely different. Yes, you can say not for me. Thats cool but if it works for someone else, let them crack on.
 
Not for me, because, the Ronaldo 7 has 11 plus other pals to pulll him through, Ronaldo 7 can have a mare for 89 mins then score an over head kick in the 90th and he is the hero.
The ref has no hiding place, nobody is going to pull him out of the sticky stuff, no player is impressed if the referee is all shiny, but, they are impressed if they turn in an accomplished peformance
I only of late have moved away from wearing my shiny sponsored stuff from yesteryear and worn what I have and feel comfy in...nobody, (least that am aware of) has batted an eyelid
could referee naked as far as teams are concerned as long as you are fair, consistent and neutral.

When you move up to be with the big boys, you get you stuff to match, thats the time you know you have achieved something

If you turn up at the local pub Karaoke dressed as Freddie Mercury then make sure you are indeed worthy of the costume

I agree with some of your points, however the way a referee looks does have a bearing on what a team thinks of of you. A ref turns up in a 1980's kit looking like a bag of rags then the team will immediately have a poor opinion of him. On the flip side i remember my first ever game when i turned up in the latest kit and looked decent and heard the manager during his team talk say, "This ref looks like he knows what hes doing so......"

Its human nature, a plumber turns up to fix your tap wearing a tuexedo and you think WTF, same as if he was wearing bermuda shorts and a vest.
 
Oh i do get it !!

My as usual extreme example rings true for me though......karaoke, in waltzes Freddie, and, he is pants and gets laughed out the bar
Same theoretically applies to public park Webb or Oliver shining bright stinking of the correct brand yet when the game starts, its a mess
Cue being chased off the park, away to drive home to cry into the Nike hankie.

but yes, what works and makes some folk moist, leaves others exceptionally dry
 
I agree with some of your points, however the way a referee looks does have a bearing on what a team thinks of of you. A ref turns up in a 1980's kit looking like a bag of rags then the team will immediately have a poor opinion of him. On the flip side i remember my first ever game when i turned up in the latest kit and looked decent and heard the manager during his team talk say, "This ref looks like he knows what hes doing so......"

Its human nature, a plumber turns up to fix your tap wearing a tuexedo and you think WTF, same as if he was wearing bermuda shorts and a vest.


Oh am saying still be smart, SHIRT TUCKED IN, socks up etc, but, no player in council park 19 in the pouring rain is going to examine to see whether you have this seasons, or last seasons black top on.

That said, I do confess I wear a FIFA tracksuit to game from time to time, and yes, you do know folk have something to say quietly about it, just hope its one of my better games those days !!!
 
All good and well until you go out there and have a mare

but hey, kit looked good :(
There is no downside to having the latest gear and looking smart (besides the hole in your wallet). First impressions do count for something and a good performance and looking the part is better than a good performance and not looking the part. Similarly, to the point you are trying to make, a bad performance and looking the part is a lot worse than a good performance and not looking the part, but nobody is arguing otherwise!
 
I've no problem with people buying the latest kit or watch etc. It's your money and if you want it and enjoy using it then go for it!

Let's not pretend that having £200 worth of kit, boots and jacket etc and a £300 watch is in any way necessary or will in any way have an impact on your performance, it won't, especially at park level. People always feel the need to justify any expensive purchases but you really dont have to. It's your money and if you enjoy spending your hard earned cash on new gear then do it and enjoy it. But let's not pretend it improves performance because once the game starts you have no thoughts about what you're wearing and neither do the players.
 
No good having all the kit and caboodle if you can't control a tasty game! (not aimed at the OP in any way) just in general...... I'm all for respecting the badge and looking smart but I'd rather have a scruffpot doing it properly than some of the car crash County FA drones that I've seen locally!
 
I have seen me turn up to say, 5th/6th game of weekend and all I have left to wear is my 80s rags
Yes, players have a laugh but my reply is simple, "old school kit, for an old school referee" and, its never been a problem (so far!)
 
Self image is important. If decent clobber makes us feel the part, we're likely to act the part. It won't help tame a pack of hyenas, but it does reflect that we're thinking about refereeing from all angles
 
or will in any way have an impact on your performance
I think the point @JamesL was making was not so much about the price (although it could), but about looking the part impacts your state of mind and confidence and in turn that impacts your performance.

On the flip side, obsessing with it could impact you negatively. Once you are at the game, the game takes priority over the way you look.
 
Only the same as Ronaldo wearing number 7... e.g.

Sometimes just having things right helps ppl.. superstitious types if you will.
I lost my lucky coin a few weeks ago. 10 cards and a post-match brawl in 2 middles since then. I'm considering going on ebay to see if I can buy a replacement for the old swiss franc coin I lost!
 
There's a phrase that's used in a lot of sports, not just football and certainly not just refereeing, "all the gear no idea". Just as a bang average triathlete turning up with a £10,000 bike isn't going to help him win the event, a referee turning up with all the new kit and equipment isn't going to make him a better referee. That's an analogy I've used when I've seen young referees at level 5 and below turn up with buzzer flags and even comms kit, it isn't going to make them any better at that stage and they need to learn how to pedal the bike properly first.

The difference is though that no one is judging how a triathlete looks, the same can't be said of a referee, so it does make sense for referees to make sure that they at least look professional.
 
Is it just me ?

Black Nike Kit.

Black Nike sweatband

Black Nike Bots

Black Nike Tracksuit

Black Nike Bag

Just ordered the Black Winter Coat to go with it.

I started off with Adidas Boots and a puma bag but they had to go.

Well.....what else would you use? ;-)

I'm like you, tend to stick with the black stuff. Preferred getting a black kit bag where possible, but that's no big deal.
having said that, I always refereed in areas that permitted different colour shirts.

I'm still all for the predominantly black boots too. THAT can be tricky!!

Having said all that, some of our RA windcheaters were largely light grey, but it's got a ref's badge, so all good.

I really don't understand why everyone is piping in with the 'looks vs performance' bit.
 
There's a phrase that's used in a lot of sports, not just football and certainly not just refereeing, "all the gear no idea". Just as a bang average triathlete turning up with a £10,000 bike isn't going to help him win the event, a referee turning up with all the new kit and equipment isn't going to make him a better referee. That's an analogy I've used when I've seen young referees at level 5 and below turn up with buzzer flags and even comms kit, it isn't going to make them any better at that stage and they need to learn how to pedal the bike properly first.

The difference is though that no one is judging how a triathlete looks, the same can't be said of a referee, so it does make sense for referees to make sure that they at least look professional.

In these parts it's "all the kit, full off effluent....
 
Back
Top