A&H

Worst. Referee. Ever.

G

Glenn

NCFA L7
Where do I start.. I went to see my Brother-in-law play football, he plays for his local U15's team, and the referee I witnessed was quite possibly the worst I've ever seen! The safety of those kids playing was poor.. Here is my reasoning!

1. He didn't complete ANY pre-match kit check
2. He wasn't correctly attired, he was in jogging bottoms and a jacket! (Now I was on the side in shorts and t-shirt and I was warm!)
3. Early in the second half, a player of the home team went down injured, and as a player of the away team ran passed, the away team player punched him in the side of the head with intent! This was shocking as it is, but then the referee only issued a YC for Violent Misconduct! Now.. I'm all for wanting to keep players on the pitch to have a good game, but I don't care how old they are, they will walk every time for Violent Misconduct!
4. In the second half, there was 4 offences by the away team, which should have been a minimum of a YC, one of them a borderline RC which went without even a talking to!
- A studs up challenge
- A two footed tackle, which completely wiped the home team player out
- An elbow to the face of a home team player (was very borderline RC)
- The away keeper physically ran up to the attacker and pushed him over as he was running towards the ball near goal! ( Personally I feel it was a DOGSO offence)

Needless to say, this referee had no control over the match, and had no concern to the safety of the players!

After the match I approached the referee and asked him about these decisions and he became very aggressive with how he was 'talking' and swearing in front of the youths!

Needless to say as soon as I got home, I filed a report to the CWO of both counties which partake in the league!

Unreal that there are referees like this allowed to operate!!
 
The Referee Store
Was he a proper referee or a stand in? His attire suggests to me that he is a stand in.
 
Same here. That said, if he was an official referee, then from what you describe, its appaling behaviour.

On a slightly different note, if this ref was a younger say 14/15 year old, would you, presuming you are older than that, have interviened at half time maybe to give him a phew pointers?
 
I would like to say that we should be positive about our colleagues and, instead of calling him the worst referee ever, perhaps it would have been beneficial to speak to him and ask him about his decisions and why he came to the decision he came to. When he explains his decision, you can pin-point exactly where he went wrong and explain to him, in friendly and official (I note here that it is not "Violent Misconduct" but, in fact, Violent Conduct) terms, what he should do better next time. We are all in it together, after all.
 
Just to clarify, he is an active referee in the area, and he is about 45 years old.

Ryan, on your point of approaching him, I did, and he became very hostile and vocal when asked as to what warranted his decisions.

His conduct was appauling, his attitude towards the spectators and club officials was unreal.. I just can't believe that referees are allowed to officiate in this manor!
 
Surely if he is that bad as you say then member clubs are reporting him to the league/CFA.
 
I think what was more important than going up to him is not criticizing him publicly. Colleagues have gotten in trouble for that in the past.
 
seems like the image of refereeing is not being upheld - looking at the incidents listed I hope the teams sent in appropriate comments and he's not used again but how did he get to referee the game. Was it a so called favour?

whatever he needs operational advice
 
The club involved is also submitting a report. I did not criticize him at any point, I purely questioned his reasonings to decisions and why he didnt go by the LOTG.
 
Personally - I would only talk to another official (on a game where i am a spectator) if i had official capacity to do so - otherwise, I am potentially creating a problem for myself.

As Ryan says, regardless of age, experience etc, perhaps this was an off day (we all have them) hell, the other day, i took a great piece of advice from a referee virtually half my age!!

If you, as a referee, have a serious concern about the conduct of another official, i would email or talk to the RDO confidentially about it and let them take the matter as they see fit.
 
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