The Ref Stop

The decline of RA's

Ade Willoughby

Ade Willoughby

Adeboy
This is my first post and I apologise if this idea has been brought up in the past.

I am a member of the Eastbourne RA and we have our meetings on the first Monday of every month. However lately, attendance has dropped significantly. It's understandable as people have other things to do.


I have suggested to our RA that with more and more people turning to apps to communicate that our RA needs to go digital.


What I would like to see on RefChat is the ability to create GROUP SECTION allowing RA's to create their own communications hub.


This is not about segregation, rather providing clarity on issues by area/county and then sharing best practice allowing RA's to align themselves and provide the best advice for their members.


Would this be possible here?
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Kind regards


Ade
 
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The Ref Stop
I like the idea, but wonder if that would mean posts that would help the wider community becoming lost in an individual RA's section. This site is like one big RA, but if there was a way to ensure that posts were only relevant to a specific RA it could work.
 
Ade Willoughby said:
This is my first post and I apologise if this idea has been brought up in the past.

I am a member of the Eastbourne RA and we have our meetings on the first Monday of every month. However lately, attendance has dropped significantly. It's understandable as people have other things to do.


I have suggested to our RA that with more and more people turning to apps to communicate that our RA needs to go digital.


What I would like to see on RefChat is the ability to create GROUP SECTION allowing RA's to create their own communications hub.


This is not about segregation, rather providing clarity on issues by area/county and then sharing best practice allowing RA's to align themselves and provide the best advice for their members.


Would this be possible here?
download




Kind regards


Ade
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Don't see the point to be honest Ade.
What difference would it make? Why not just join this forum and ask/discuss stuff as a refereeing community anyway which we are.
I (personally) think the notion of having a load of different "members only" sections would add no value to this forum or sub sections of it.

Just tell everybody in your RA to join Refchat and job done. ;) :)
 
@Kes, the point I'm trying to make is to identify issues in a specific league or team as well as in general. Something that refs in the Eastbourne RA can relate to (for example). Something that works for one person may not work for someone else but if we are able to share best practice with those that ref in the same league, it will create consistency which is a positive approach and will eventually be recognised by the teams within the league(s). It may even encourage more refs to join.
 
Last month The National RA of England invited all Local RAs to take up an offer by having their own presence on the internet by using the National RA server resources to present a professional looking website.

The process was to register and then receive a login and from there the main users could upload their own content, while having access to training materials provided free of charge by the National RA. I followed the procedure only to be told that because of this change they were having to re-write the registration and login process. So a bit like telling everyone a new campsite is opening and when you try to book telling them that it's not available to use yet. It kind of pisses people off.

Last year our local RA voted to stay with the National RA, mainly because of the benefits of membership. I don't see too many of them and no matter who runs it, it seems the National RA is heading for the cliff edge in the very near future. I think a vote this season might see a different outcome.
 
Here's my 2 penneth. I'm now in my 20th year as a qualified referee, and the RA meetings are all the same. Nothing's changed in the 20 years at the meetings. It's the same old story every month. "Years ago, when I was refereeing crappington Stanley vs numpty Utd, I got paid 2 and 6 for the game" etc etc etc. It's the same faces, now 20 years older telling the same stories they were 20 years ago. I attended an RA meeting just before Christmas, 8 of us attended, 1 of which was a newly qualified 14 year old lad, who looked bored to tears. The only thing that cheered him up was when I gave out some freebies. Not sure we'll be seeing him at another meeting.

Granted not every RA is like this, but is it any wonder attendance is so low? I'm sure some people only go to get away from the missus for a few hours
 
The RA board changes every five minutes so it's no surprise they're struggling with direction.
Poor decision to get rid of the old RA forum. The new site with interactive training seems to be progress in the right direction if they can implement it. One crash and you lose people's attention.
The RA-FA youth council launched a website offering monthly content but that's not had any new content since November (when it was launched).
 
I offered technical support to the RA a year or so ago and basically got told to bugger off!
 
I think Ade has the right idea about the way forward.

I just happen to also think that nothing can move forward until all the old farts in local RA's are dead and meetings like the one @Ross describes above (not unlike my own) are no more. :D
Trouble is, as already mentioned, most local RA's are held up and kept alive in terms of attendance by these very members who either need to get with the 21st century or stay at home. The death bell tolleth.... ;)
 
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