That's rich!

[GregR]

I did a friendly for a manager for whom I refereed two cup games last season last weekend, and the game went by okay, had to issue two cautions however. Then as you do, sent them off to the County, only to recieve a phone call yesterday. The phone call was from the said manager complaining that I had sent the cautions in "it was only a friendly mate", " i'm not very happy that you sent them in".

But this baffles me, just becasue it's a friendly doesn't mean I won't send the cautions in, I even said at the start, I will only use them if they are needed and such was the severity of one tackle, and the length of one guys mouth that they were needed, but I just don't see how they can complain when I try and enforce the laws correctly when had that match been in a fortnights time and he had two cautions, I wouldn't even have to entertain the idea of recieving such a phone call because it's a league game that 'means' something, whereas a friendly to them is meaningless.

Also, to compound the misery/disbelief on the phone, he started moaning about the fact that I enforced fixed substitutes and not 'roll on-roll off', and again out came the classic words at the game, "well last week's ref said we could do it", which makes me think that why are some referees doing it wrong and getting away with it, whereas I get an ear bashing when I do it correctly because it is after all, only a 'friendly'..

 

[Reffariiii]

It does p*ss me off when you have refs who apply one 'set of rules' that are contrary to the LOTG and refereeing. Just makes the job a whole lot harder.

(Post number 200 btw. The first member I believe? [except Ross]... Not that it matters )

 

[Ryan Owens]

Congratulations, Lewys!

I agree with you on this, Greg. A caution is a caution and if it warranted a caution in a friendly when you had said that you would've be giving them out easily, than it warrants a report. Do they think that punching someone in a friendly should be rewarded with impunity? Of course not! So why would any other breach of the LOTG? Why bother paying a referee to even show up?

 

[GregR]

Exactly! If they don't want things done right then why don't they referee the game themselves and let all hell break loose. This is why I dislike doing friendlies because everyone expects some kind of favour which really narks me.

 

[Dave Mac]

I was wondering this. For a friendly game like that would there be any problem if the clubs just agreed on someone to ref the game who isnt a proper ref? (if that makes sense) I understand it'll probably cause a few problems with the laws not being enforced properly, but then they wouldnt have the worry about anything becoming official. My first game i took charge of between two works teams was a friendly but I made it perfectly clear I'd need to report any cards shown, which raised a few grumbles. But I was lucky enough it was so early on in the season and between the 1st and 2nd team that there wasnt really any tackles being made in anger so was able to keep the cards in my pocket.

 

[Ross]

A league i used to officiate on, had a shortage of referees, because of this, they added a rule to state that an agreed referee had to be found if a referee wasnt appointed by the league

Caused bedlam!!!!