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Manchester Referee calls for nationwide strike


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Referees rally to make a stand

Over the past 24 hours, Manchester based referee Ryan Hampsonn has been interviewed live on BBC 5 Live, interviewed by the big media corporations (BBC, Sky) along with many of the big newspapers about his plan to unite referees around the country to 'strike' over the course of a weekend in March.

Hampsonn has stated he is fed up of the verbal and physical abuse that he and his colleagues up and down the country are being subjected to at almost every game. He states that he has no issues with his parent FA (Manchester) and the way it deals with misconduct, but he thinks a strike may be what is needed to make the players, managers, spectators etc realise that referees are there so they can play a game of football and in doing so, should not be subjected to abuse at the same time.

This follows a recent strike in Burnley where the Referees were instructed to 'close their dates' for three weeks, essentially having no FA appointed and qualified referees on any of the games for that period. 

What are your thoughts on the matter? Do you think that referee abuse is rife in Cornwall? How would you feel if the referees in Cornwall decided to "close their dates" over this weekend in March, therefore having no appointed referees?

 

This is already making news around the country.

http://www.manchesterfa.com/news/2016/dec/referee-statement

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Teenage football referee headbutted and spat at

A teenage football referee is trying to organise a strike because he says the level of abuse in the amateur game is out of control.

Ryan Hampson has faced both verbal and physical violence including being headbutted and spat at.

"They've introduced new laws at the top but something needs to be filtered down to us".

This clip is originally from 5 Live Daily on Thursday 29th December 2016

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04mvjjt

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I went on the programme live with Adrian Chiles and this lad, amongst others yesterday Dave. He's a passionate kid who is just fed up with the crap that he is expected to take. I basically said I'd like to see more training given to these guys for dealing with these situations, particularly in man-management and dealing with player"flashpoints".

Lets get one thing straight, despite the Marcus Martin incident, there has been very few (that I know of) instances where referees have been physically assaulted here in Cornwall. We are talking about London, Birmingham, Manchester etc where they get this abuse on a game by game basis. I've refereed almost 90 games in a year, the closest I've been to physical abuse is having my cards knocked out of my hands (well, attempted). 

I spoke with Ryan personally just because I was interested to see what referees are dealing with in Manchester compared to here in Cornwall as I felt it could aid with the Respect and Behaviour programme. I don't get shocked very often but I was during this conversation.

I also know of a referee only a few months ago who was verbally abused and was blocked into a car park (his car) by a team of players who refused to let him leave. Is that acceptable @Sijames or should he just quit? This affects referees. You don't know what is going on behind closed doors in the referees life. This could have affected him more than it could say you and I. Think about it, think about the effect it has.

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5 hours ago, Sijames said:

if you dont like it quit, surly they didnt go into this thinking it would be an easy ride? probably another official who has no background in actually playing the game!

If a referee is to progress up the ladder to the glitz and glammer of the Premier League and International games, he has to forfeit the playing side and focus on his/her refereeing.

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3 minutes ago, JENGLE said:

I don't think a referee strike will make any difference. Hefty fines and player/coaches bans would help a little bit.

Fines and bans don't work. If they did there wouldn't be a problem. Although if a professional player was banned for say six months that might get the message through. Why is it so different with rugby and football? Egos and money.

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Quite a few years ago, the professional referees called a strike in the Scottish League. They all "closed their dates". What did the SFA do? Well, they ignored the referees and flew in referees from other countries. 

A strike, in my opinion isn't the right way to go about the situation. Bigger bans (lifetime) for the players and a direct link between FA discipline and criminal charges. If a referee is assaulted, the FA should straight away report it to the police and let them deal with it also. Obviously in recent times we can only talk about the Marcus Martin incident. Should he have faced an assault charge? 

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I see your point Willow Tree. But if fines and bans wouldn't work, what would work then?

With regards to the Marcus Martin incident, I can't comment too much as I wasn't there. But depending on the nature of the incident and the force used towards the referee, I think he should've done. Like you said Dave, you'd hope that would make them learn if anything. As, unless your stupid, nobody wants a criminal record under their name.

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17 minutes ago, Dange'rous said:

Quite a few years ago, the professional referees called a strike in the Scottish League. They all "closed their dates". What did the SFA do? Well, they ignored the referees and flew in referees from other countries. 

A strike, in my opinion isn't the right way to go about the situation. Bigger bans (lifetime) for the players and a direct link between FA discipline and criminal charges. If a referee is assaulted, the FA should straight away report it to the police and let them deal with it also. Obviously in recent times we can only talk about the Marcus Martin incident. Should he have faced an assault charge? 

I remember that, one of the referees came from Malta. I believe there was a referee swap a few years ago. I think it was Brentford who had their game officiated by a Japanese referee. I'm sure the FA would do something similar if the professional referees called a strike. The Premier League would always go ahead, the rest of the Football League probably, the Conference maybe and anything below that, the FA don't really give a shit about.

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15 hours ago, JENGLE said:

With regards to the Marcus Martin incident, I can't comment too much as I wasn't there. But depending on the nature of the incident and the force used towards the referee, I think he should've done.

You just did!

Whereas I was actually there, one of only 167 that can really give an opinion, and I don't think he should have been! 

 

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I meant a detailed opinion on it Dave, as in a live account of the incident. I also spoke to someone who was there, and he said what Marcus did was plain stupidity. However, he didn't confirm nor deny whether he should've been sent off or not. Don't get me wrong I like the lad after watching him play for Truro for many years, but should he have put himself in that position in the first place?

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21 minutes ago, JENGLE said:

I meant a detailed opinion on it Dave, as in a live account of the incident. I also spoke to someone who was there, and he said what Marcus did was plain stupidity. However, he didn't confirm nor deny whether he should've been sent off or not. Don't get me wrong I like the lad after watching him play for Truro for many years, but should he have put himself in that position in the first place?

Couldn't confirm or deny being sent off!? He threw the referee to the floor by all accounts. How would that not be a red card?

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I've almost opened up a can of worms here. Just for the record, I have no opinion on my question regarding criminal charges against Martin. I wasn't there and I'm not a fan of forming my own opinion based on those of others. 

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I'm with you Dave. I can't form opinions of incidents/matters when I don't know what's happened. But, after hearing various stories, he deserved the card and extended ban. There's no defending that sort of behaviour. Thankfully, we don't see incidents like that too often, not towards the referee anyway.

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