Late post but I've been thinking about this all week and I felt the need to post it now.
Saturday U21s I had a nice fair game, nothing really doing, easy to control, a fun game to referee.
Sunday U15s I had a horror. It was a team I'd refereed before, blues, and I'd had a bad time with them before. However, going into each game I throw away any pre-conceptions and referee as I would any other game.
Within 25 minutes I had two 14 year old kids in the book for dissent and could feel a storm brewing. End of the first half I should have binned a blue for violent conduct, he kicked out at a player after a fair tackle, but for some reason I told myself I'd caution for adopting an aggressive attitude, I created a false doubt about the players intentions. I know he had every intention to kick the guy.
Luckily for me there were no reactions from yellows, and they were very well behaved all game. 83rd minute comes (I was playing 7 additional due to a fairly nasty injury to yellows keeper) and I find myself cautioning another blues for dissent after I gave yellows an attacking free kick. Then the blues goalkeeper decides to get involved and this is where things turn ugly. He starts getting in my face pretty much screaming at me. So, I proceed to caution him aswell... "what's your name fella"?
"Jimmy Saville"
"No seriously, what's your name fella?"
"Jimmy..."
"Jimmy what?"
"Jimmy Saville"
"Last chance goalkeeper, what's your name?"
At this point player decides to take a step forward, right into my face, toe to toe with me pretty much and says "or what?". Now, I'm a big guy. Only 17, but I'm 6ft 1" and weigh upwards of 18 stone. But to avoid confrontation, I take a big step back from the guy, at which point he says, "yeah, **** off you melt". Cue red card for OFFINABUS and he leaves the FOP, still having not given me his name.
Now, I realize my mistake here. I should of taken "Jimmy Saville", wrote it down and reported it. Shouldn't of questioned it... yes I understand that. If it had come back that by some strange coincidence his name was Jimmy Saville I would've put myself in hot water. I knew it wasn't because him saying the words brought on uncontrollable childish laughter from his teammates, but still.
So after I've sent the GK off, the blues manager steps onto the FOP and orders her players to come off, ranting about me being a cheat, ruining the game, etc etc. Now here is the part where I think refereeing has turned me into a monster. At this point, lots of thoughts were flowing through my head as to what to do.
The main idea I had, and the one which I was all but ready to go with was to caution every player for leaving the FOP without my permission. This would've led to five sendings off for two cautions, totalling six dismissals and thus meaning the game would be abandoned. Now, for a few moments I seriously considered this. I was walking towards the touchline where the players had gathered, ready to do it, when I found myself blowing the whistle.
In the back of my mind I'd decided to abandon the game due to them refusing to continue and that's what I went with in the end, although, I think, by law, I would've been well within my rights to caution all of them for leaving the FOP without referees permission...?
Now you see what type of monster I am
Saturday U21s I had a nice fair game, nothing really doing, easy to control, a fun game to referee.
Sunday U15s I had a horror. It was a team I'd refereed before, blues, and I'd had a bad time with them before. However, going into each game I throw away any pre-conceptions and referee as I would any other game.
Within 25 minutes I had two 14 year old kids in the book for dissent and could feel a storm brewing. End of the first half I should have binned a blue for violent conduct, he kicked out at a player after a fair tackle, but for some reason I told myself I'd caution for adopting an aggressive attitude, I created a false doubt about the players intentions. I know he had every intention to kick the guy.
Luckily for me there were no reactions from yellows, and they were very well behaved all game. 83rd minute comes (I was playing 7 additional due to a fairly nasty injury to yellows keeper) and I find myself cautioning another blues for dissent after I gave yellows an attacking free kick. Then the blues goalkeeper decides to get involved and this is where things turn ugly. He starts getting in my face pretty much screaming at me. So, I proceed to caution him aswell... "what's your name fella"?
"Jimmy Saville"
"No seriously, what's your name fella?"
"Jimmy..."
"Jimmy what?"
"Jimmy Saville"
"Last chance goalkeeper, what's your name?"
At this point player decides to take a step forward, right into my face, toe to toe with me pretty much and says "or what?". Now, I'm a big guy. Only 17, but I'm 6ft 1" and weigh upwards of 18 stone. But to avoid confrontation, I take a big step back from the guy, at which point he says, "yeah, **** off you melt". Cue red card for OFFINABUS and he leaves the FOP, still having not given me his name.
Now, I realize my mistake here. I should of taken "Jimmy Saville", wrote it down and reported it. Shouldn't of questioned it... yes I understand that. If it had come back that by some strange coincidence his name was Jimmy Saville I would've put myself in hot water. I knew it wasn't because him saying the words brought on uncontrollable childish laughter from his teammates, but still.
So after I've sent the GK off, the blues manager steps onto the FOP and orders her players to come off, ranting about me being a cheat, ruining the game, etc etc. Now here is the part where I think refereeing has turned me into a monster. At this point, lots of thoughts were flowing through my head as to what to do.
The main idea I had, and the one which I was all but ready to go with was to caution every player for leaving the FOP without my permission. This would've led to five sendings off for two cautions, totalling six dismissals and thus meaning the game would be abandoned. Now, for a few moments I seriously considered this. I was walking towards the touchline where the players had gathered, ready to do it, when I found myself blowing the whistle.
In the back of my mind I'd decided to abandon the game due to them refusing to continue and that's what I went with in the end, although, I think, by law, I would've been well within my rights to caution all of them for leaving the FOP without referees permission...?
Now you see what type of monster I am