Driving home from the game yesterday evening, I was listening to 606 on 5 live, with Savage and Sutton. They did a 606 special on the verbal and physical abuse that referees get. It was prompted by Milocovic's push on the ref at the Man Utd game.
However this was focused on youth, grass routes and semi-pro football.
They had people calling in, refs, coaches, supporters and parents, some of their stories were horrendous!
A ref was killed in Holland when he had been reffing an amateur game, he was attacked coming off the pitch by parents and supporters.
A 19 Yr old in Norfolk I believe, was punched in the ribs by a coach of an amateur team and another, in Scotland, had death threats sent to him and his family after officiating at a semi-pro game.
Refs are now leaving the grass routes game in their droves, where soon there the grass routes game could cease.
I have to admit when I was coaching in both youth and senior football, it could get 'heated' but it never entered my head to physically attack a ref, and if any of players ever did or overstepped the mark, they would never have played for me again.
A lot of what is seen in the pro game filters down, so is it time that the FA/EFL, started to get serious with deterrents?
Milokovic gets a rest of season ban and a very hefty fine?
Players who surround the ref, are booked?
We take a leaf out of Rugby's book, only the Captain allowed to talk to the ref?
If players argue with a decision, FK for arguments sake, the ref moves the FK 10 yds forward and keeps doing so, if the arguing continues?
In my opinion something has to be done, or I fear grass roots referees will disappear completely.
Any thoughts?
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All this for an under 9 game!!
A couple of weeks later we have London and Kent FA looking to recruit refs and they wonder why they had no takers.
Always find that when i say 'here mate you do it if you want ' shuts them up
in all honesty some of the refs are a bit shit but so are the footballers ffs
and there will be no game without the ref and i say it all the time to players and parents and my kids have since day one known to thank the ref and umpires after every game no matter how bad you may think they were
they had silent football the other week where just applause or encouragement was allowed
there was a survey after and i voted for silent football every week , sick of all the shouting shit out confusing the kids , giving officials shit etc etc
i fucking hate people
Sometimes even joining in, when they should be actively trying to stop it.
I thought all parents and coaches signed a declaration with the league that they would treat everyone with respect and positivity.
The issue here is that the leagues don’t back this up, and they give little support to the referee’s when they do report abuse. With the excuse of they can’t sanction parents because their child has a right to play so, if you punish the parents you punish the child.
Usetobunkin, that coach had a responsibility to deal with the parent, and should of asked him to leave as he was disrupting the game. If he refused then the coach should sub his child off and refuse to play him until the parent falls in line.
If this fails then threaten to call the police to have him removed for breach of the peace or arrested under a public order offence.
Also, clubs should put pressure on the leagues committee to support referees and take their reports seriously and act to stamp out this behaviour. And the FA should put huge sanctions on professional players who behave badly against referees, because it’s obvious that they set the example for our kids to follow.
That way referees would be able to learn their trade unhindered at grassroots, and the older and more experienced they become the more chance of they have of becoming a full time ref. Helping to make the standard of refereeing higher in this country.
"Ref you can't shout 'mine' or 'leave it'" (you can)
"Ref you can't be offside in your own half" (you can)
"Ref you can't be offside if the ball is played backwards" (you can)
"Ref you can't tackle from behind" (you can)
This topic has been highlighted so many times, not only by the BBC but other media outlets. The sad thing is nothing has been done about it by the FA, and it is 100% down to them to sort it.
I sometimes walk the dog on a Sunday and watch some of the games at the park. A couple of months ago, I saw a manager hit out at the ref. Not a punch, but the ref was young and he was a mature guy. The parents did get him away quickly and he left the area but at the end of the game as I was going home I saw him in the car park being comiserated by parents. I was tempted to tell him he was in line for a big fine and long ban and that he was a wanker but the first two he will get anyway and wankers don't know they are so there was no point.
I think body cams seems to be a good idea. It is pretty straightforward, cheap, technology nowadays.
Let's start with the most obvious. In what circumstances can you be offside in your own half? If you can be, then I'm happy to learn something new after 25 years of playing and 45 years of watching...
surely ungentlemanly conduct (always was when I've played)
really - I'll learn something new here then
agreed
pretty sure that one's been outlawed a few years now
it happened to Charlton under Karl Robinson who inevitably was going mental because the ref quite correctly allowed the opposition to take the FK from the Charlton half.
Of course in the old days, if you were offside when the ball was played you were offside, end of the matter. Much simpler times...
Happy to stand corrected again on the ball being played backwards...
Either way Law 11 (Offside) doesn't refer to the direction the ball is played/touched.
I also think that part of the problem is that the referees at grassroots level are typically there by themselves. Younger refs, say under 20, should have a more senior person there exclusively to support them.
Ideally at each match location there would be a senior referee overseeing all behaviour and handling complaints for all.
”we need more refs, come and help”
or the more profound
”kids can’t play organised footy unless adults give up their free time. Be grateful”
Hats off to those that run the gauntlet every week.