Weekend Snippets

remember the sprinklers coming on at Oxford a couple of seasons ago

I must say I thoroughly enjoyed my seasons refereeing and made a quick transition from Class 3 to Class 1 (as it was then) and onwards to the Western League.

Even the "abuse" could be turned to "fun" if you had the right attitude, but was a pure misery for those that couldn't hack it......................and do you know what? I always had a theory that those that most struggled with it were those who had never played the game.

Unfortunately those who "wasted" their early years playing the game have ruined their chances of making the very top before they have even started refereeing. Sad, but true and indicative of the very problems in the game and a revealing insight into the way off beam ideas of the Football Association.

I reffed in an era when if a player called you a "thingy", and as long as it wasn't in general earshot of all around the ground; you told him to shut up and got on with it. I used to self question myself mercilessly over cards issued, and on the rare occasions of "multiple" cards being necessary; I'd be on the phone to my small circle of trusted and senior colleagues holding a post mortem that weekend.

I always got the impression that 95% of the officials at all levels absolutely loved the game, whilst the small percentage of the ones who loved themselves far more were soon "sussed" by the others and teased mercilessly.

Nowadays, looking at the obvious "youth" of many of the BSP AND Football League refs, it's obvious to me that they set out reffing way before they could have played any meaningful football in anything approaching a pressured environment and thus willingly interpret the current day mantra unquestioningly. The result is sadly there for all to see..................whistle, whistle, whistle and card, card, card! Very little attempt to show empathy and absolutely NO personality and very little man management skills.

When you've had a football thrown at you by your ref in a halftime dressing room row, had to take the field for the second half covered in tea stains to the looks of the players who have all heard the screaming match emanating from your dressing room. Then you get to appreciate the frustration the players feel over a poor offside flag you gave as a linesman. Yet it happened to me at Exmouth one evening and "mysteriously" (the Western League had obviously heard about it) my weekend fixture was changed at short notice so that I lined for the guy again at Home Park within four days so that an exchange of sheepish grins and a hug later we were once again a team united battling it out against the hard bitten old pro's and gobby youngsters of Argyle reserves and their opponents.

Today that would have ended up as a steward's enquiry and possibly the end of that guy's career in the middle. We were "forced" to sort it out as men, and it did us a lot of good!

A very good post Merse and one that does show the many changes In the way games are now refereed, none really for the better.

As you know my family from your Newton Spurs games I can't remember If we touched On George Best, my grandfather. About five years ago the Herald Express did a story about the lack Of respect shown to ref's these days.

The main feature Of the story was centered around George Best, before I go on, I believe he died before I was born,so sadly never got to meet him.

George Best was very well know In Newton Abbot as he had a fish stall In the Newton market, Merse you will remember there were about four Of five kiosk's between the Drum Clock and the main market building, he traded from one Of those.

The Heralds story, told how he would shut up early On a Saturday to go and ref local football games. He use to still be wearing his white shirt and bow tie while he did the games.The one point they really made was the great respect the players had for him and he was feared by many.

The result was that no player ever crossed George Best when he was the ref Of the game they were playing In. While we could expect that todays players should ever have to play In a game and have to fear the ref, It really should not be a problem for them to Be able to show some respect.

All local refs do It for the love Of the game and without them, games could not go ahead, Or you end up with two teams trying to agree who might ref, so as to get the game played.

I remember one such game at Decoy about three years ago,when there was No ref for the game, a phone call confirmed that the league wanted the game to be played. Ants team were the away team and the home manager claimed that as he had done It before he would be the best to do It.

What a bloody cheat he was, he gave a penalty that never was, his player cracked the ball against the crossbar, nobody else, not even the keeper touched the ball. The player put the rebound Into the net, but could not be a goal as no one else had touched It.

Their manager the ref gave the goal and all hell broke out afterwords, this really shows why, even If they are not that good, having a proper ref, Is really a must.

You question the age Of many refs In the BSP and ask If they had ever played the game etc, do you not think, the way they ref Is not really down too them.Surly It Is now all directives that they have to follow and they are always aware that there will be some accessor marking their performance.

As I believe that Is the case today, It Is In my view the main reason the common sense approach that would have been used when you did It, has disappeared, never to return again..