REFEREE SHORTAGES

[Referee]

WELL, WE ARE ALREADY CALLING MATCHES OFF IN VARIOUS LEAGUES AND VARIOUS DIVISIONS DUE TO REFEREE SHORTAGES - WE SIMPLY DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH REFEREES TO GO AROUND THIS SEASON.

I AM ONE OF THE MORE ATHLETIC ONES WHO CAN DO A "DOUBLE" WHERE CERTAIN TEAMS GROUND-SHARE OR HAVE TWO TEAMS PLAYING BUT WE ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN.

WE NEED TO BRAINSTORM WITH THE LEAGUE AND COME UP WITH A FEW WORKING PRACTICES THAT MAY RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.

ANY IDEAS OUT THERE ???

MY FIRST SUGGESTION IS THAT WE MOVE SOME OF THE MATCHES TO MIDWEEK OR ON A SUNDAY.

[St Darren]

Good theories ref, but generally not practical because of Sunday games, and for midweekers then obviously the lights as well.

There will always be a problem with shortages of referees, I know a lot of mining league games go ahead without a ref, but it doesn't happen to often in the FHL league.

Think we just have to put up with it to be honest with you.

[Guest PJD ref]

Refereeing shortages have been a problem for a decade or more.

The only people you can blame for this is the clubs. I dont wish to start an arugument but tell me why someone should give up their saturday afternoon for a measly £15 to be called every name under the sun by players and spectators! Every club is bad for it including my own.

If players actually realised that the "Fat B........" running up and down was actullay a good thing maybe more youngsters would jump in to the middle. I never claim to be a good ref, hell I've never been promoted (granted never seeked promotion but prop wouldnt get it).Recently I had a lad of about 15 was interested in refereeing so I took him along to some Fal/Hel games. I was abused verbally and in one case nearly phyiscally. I got him some contact to start his cousres.. funnily enough he's never signed up.

Teams need to take a leaf out of the Egg Chasers book. START RESPECTING THE REFEREE! ok lets not go as far as calling him Sir! but accept the descion and move on. In what life time does a player think he's going to get his own way by throwing his toys outta the pram and screaming at the ref that hes a stupid .......!

I am sure I will get told where to go now! but its just my opinion. If we want more games to go ahead teams need to respect referees. And why not send one person from each club to be qualified as a referee???? maybe then they'l know what theyre shouting about?

TTFN

[St Darren]

Some good points there from PJD, dunno if our paths have crossed before!!

But I do get fed up with people making comparisons between football referees and rugby referees, in rugby the laws are straight down the line, in football its down to interpretation, refs think one thing and players and spectators think something different, in rugby 9 times out of 10 its clear cut. Granted, it doesn't excuse abuse of any kind, but sometimes there is only so much shite refereeing you can take!!

IE: Rob Styles at Anfield the other week, I was spitting mad cos his interpretation of some things was absolutely shocking!

[Guest BenTimmo]

It's true, and its a tragedy. Last season I was a referee... I didn't do all that many games down here, as I was at university in Coventry... but this season I just looked at it and thought 'no, actually I don't want to go around Cornwall getting insulted for less than £20 a week' and so I didn't reneew my registration, and have instead signed on (or will do when we get ourselves organised) with Helston.

I was no great shakes as a ref, and I'm not much better as a player. To be honest, most of the insults and abuse didn't bother me too much (though having stones thrown at me at Robartes wasn't too great ) still, I took the decision that I simply didn't want to do it anymore.

And just remember, almost every decision a referee has to make it due to one of the players making a mistake So the players always make more mistakes than the referee... and yet the referee always takes the blame; not the players :P

[Guest Postie Pidge]

FAL-HEL DIV 1 - Falmouth Town vs Mousehole

FAL-HEL DIV 1 - St Agnes vs Lizard Argyle

FAL-HEL DIV 3 - Ruan Minor vs Frogpool/Cusgarne

Both postponed because of the shortage.

[Magic Mike]

this very strange as a week or 3 ago all the refs were saying they werent doing anything, was that because a lot of the senior leagues had kicked of and the junior leagues had not??

[Dave Deacon]

I believe some of the unavailability is down to administration delays ... although referees have taken the required courses/tests/etc .... the paperwork has still to be channelled through the systems!

[green & white]

it was my team (mousehole 2nds) pidge

[Guest Postie Pidge]

Thanks green and white!

If teams adopted the Nalders West Cornwall Sunday League's referee's scheme, I think the situation would be helped.

Oldasitgets is always happy to explain it but I know refereees who officiate in this league (Soccer Follower is one) are able to enjoy it more.

SF - your opinion on this?

[Guest PJD ref]

I refereed today and got a shit load of abuse from both sides, and to my embarresment i actually swore at a player, it was not heard overally, and I appoligised to the player.

The thing that did make me laugh was that some oen else (a spectator I think) started moaning about my language the fact I had already booked one player for ''alleged'' (i say that cos i cant prove he swore at me) and warned several others didnt bother him but the fact i had sworn was worth than killing a small feline!

Anyway my point is that the abuse we referees get from players is not on lol,

I appreciate the support some people have given on here to the fact that refs are dealt a bad lot. At this level of football players should be happy theve got a ref and a game! regardless.

TTFN

[Gorgie]

The referee's initiative, a scheme to support referees officiating in the West Cornwall Sunday league makes the matches far more enjoyable! Players tend to communicate more appropriately, and respect the job the officials are doing to enable them to play football.Probably the reason why their are more than enough referees for the Sunday league this season!

[B Manning]

You should not need any scheme to support referee`s, their treatment you`d be properly conducted across the whole spectrum of football leages.

[Guest Postie Pidge]

But the scheme helps the officials and they are guaranteed to be respected (most of the time).

Something does need to be done to curb the shortages.

Sorry Gorgie I forgot about you!

[Soccer Follower]

Gorgie has answered your question Pidge.He is spot on.

[Richard Chown]

I find every referee has a different style. I personaly tend to make a big deal of having a chat with the two teams before the game. I explain to the lads in the changing rooms, saying that one thing I don't tolerate is swearing at myself or the assistants and 'backchat'. Then in military style,get the sides to acknowledge that, last and mostly importantly I say 'lads enjoy the game its what were all here for'.

From this I hope that the coaches have a word with his team when I leave. I think its always important to also do a bit of man management and find out the first name of the two captains, Im a great believer in giving captains a greater role (like in rugby) so that if there is a incident I can have a quiet word with them to calm things down. I think this way you gain respect on and off the field of play.

I tend to have quick social in the clubhouse (even some that you would tend to avoid in London), for people to realise you are human not a robot.

I recommend everyone whos ever had a interest as a player to go on the Refs course, its a bit of a laugh and you will have a greater understanding of some decisions ae made.

[Mike Odgers]

Chown Uk,

I very much like the idea of the introduction of referee and the two captains to have a pre match "get together" and to explain your requirements.

At the moment the Captains only task is winning a 50/50 toss of the coin and choosing ends.

Let them earn the right to wear their Captains arm band and be the team leader.

[Guest postman pat]

as a refs assistant in the last week i had a player tell me to F*** off even if i had told the ref i know he could not have sent the player off because he did not hear it. these players think they are big and clever but all they are doing is ruining the game we all love we also know they do not have the bottle to do the job themselves. they just turn up play the game and then Bug*** O** not making any contribution to the beutifull game :c:

[B Manning]

I am exactly the opposite to ChownUK, I do not go near the teams if I can help it and will never give a talk before the kickoff explaining what I expect and what i will do the reason being I do not want to commit myself to any action which if I fail to carry it out loses me my credibility, eg If I said that foul language will not be tolerated and a player miskicks a shot on goal and lets out an expletive very loudly my options are still open and I would deal with it by a quiet word to the player, but if in a talk before the game I had said that foul language will be dealt with by a red card I would then have to send the player off. Players have been sent off for exactly that. Just for the record i am a FA registered assessor and I would never advise a referee to give a prematch talk to the teams. A few words to the captains at the toss up would suffice.

[Guest PJD ref]

Its nice to see the amount of refsand players on here giving their opinions on this matter. I am a beliver of talking to the captains only before a game and then suggestiong that they talk to their teams.

Maybe its me but that dont seem to work either.

Finally I have been lead to belive that the CCFA dont like referees using this website, is this true and does nay one know why

[Richard Chown]

I am exactly the opposite to ChownUK, I do not go near the teams if I can help it and will never give a talk before the kickoff explaining what I expect and what i will do the reason being I do not want to commit myself to any action which if I fail to carry it out loses me my credibility, eg If I said that foul language will not be tolerated and a player miskicks a shot on goal and lets out an expletive very loudly my options are still open and I would deal with it by a quiet word to the player, but if in a talk before the game I had said that foul language will be dealt with by a red card I would then have to send the player off. Players have been sent off for exactly that. Just for the record i am a FA registered assessor and I would never advise a referee to give a prematch talk to the teams. A few words to the captains at the toss up would suffice.

Fair comment BM, however I did say foul language directed to myself or the assistants, not a accidental bleep. If someone did swear at me I would award a warning hence keeping my credibility. I just find that's what has worked best for me and its how I find respect on the pitch when doing Armed Forces/London FA games its something I will test out when I start to referee here in Cornwall. If it don't work down here I might not do the same.

[St Darren]

Some people say that when a ref comes in the changing room before the games, "its all about them", I'm not for that, at the end of the day we're there for a game of football. Plus, why go into the changing rooms? the managers are in the middle of a team talk and you have to listen to a load of crap from a referee.

The idea of chatting to the captains in the middle is the best option in my opinion, give them something to do, its up to us as players to keep a lid on things. The ref is there to officiate not to bloody molicoddle us.