Referees falling like ninepins
Thursday 29th September 2011, 2:30PM BST.
THE number of active referees has dropped by a third in one season.
However, officials deny there is a crisis in the ranks.
Referees’ Sub-Committee chairman James Falla confirmed the number of GFA-registered referees had dropped by about a dozen this season to approximately 25. Injuries have also left the supply of those left stretched to the limit.
Bels’ Jeremie Cup fixture against North on Tuesday required a club official to run one line, as was the case for Sylvans versus Grouville last Saturday.
Two of three under-18 matches last week were cancelled because there was no referee available.
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I am a registered level 5 Referee, although currently non-active due to recent knee surgery. I have just read today’s article with keen interest.
Could the shortage coincide with Graham Skuse relinquishing his position as Referees Development Officer, or more to the point some reasons as to why he walked?
Could it be that Graham put 10 Referees names (of which I was one) forward for promotion to level 4i, they having fulfilled the criteria laid out at the beginning of the 2010/2011 season, not being honoured by the GFA board?
Incidentally Jersey put 3 Referees forward and all were succesful in their quest.
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This is not really a surprise
Being a referee is a lousy job, being moaned at by both sets of players, both coaches, and spectators
All the ‘Respect’ campaigns in the world will not help while we see professional footballers getting away with screaming and swearing at referees
How about Guernsey adopting a zero tolerance approach to on field abuse of referees?
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Being a referee, I can honestly say the only reason why I turn up week in week out to officiate games is purely down to enjoyment. If I didn’t enjoy myself then rest assured, I wouldn’t be doing it.
I used to play up until I had a long term knee injury and saw refereeing as a way of keeping in touch with the game, also to offer something back to the game I love.
Although I enjoyed playing football, I was never a GREAT player. I could kick a ball, only with my left foot but again, the reason why I played was enjoyment. We only ever participate in hobbies because we enjoy them…
I’ve got three games this weekend and cannot wait! CF 2nite, LB tomorrow morning and SP Sunday afternoon. Follow me on Twitter: @RefRossco
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@pyer
Interesting post. Although I do like the idea of Guernsey adopting a zero tolerance approach to on field abuse of referees, I can say that Guernsey, as well as all Association football globally does currently have a zero tolerance approach.
Law 12 states: It is a red card offence for using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures.
Referees most certainly have to tools to tackle such behaviour. I do entirely agree with you that it does not help when we see the Professional getting away with it.
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I have every sympathy for referees. However, they should enforce Law 12 more often. It would only need for a few games at every level to be reduced to 9 v 6 for Managers and club officals to take control of their players. Within a few weeks the problems would disappear.
Alternatively, footballers could follow rugby’s example where the players accept the ref’s decision and get on with the game. Then again they might have to grow up a bit for that!
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I have no interest in football whatsoever, but recognise that it is a very popular and well followed game.
As an outsider, I think one of the core reasons that football referees suffer so badly with abuse from players is the ‘example’ or lack of, set by professional footballers.
Anyone who is paid several times an average persons wage, in one week, for kicking a football around is going to do anything he can to influence a game – abusing an official, diving on the floor clutching his face when he hasn’t been touched etc etc.
If there is so much money riding on the result of a football match, there should at least be a TV match official for the ref to call on when a close call needs to be made. Perhaps that might stop some of the players trying quite so hard to influence the ref in this type of situation? i.e. if that player knew that a situation could be looked at again in the heat of the moment during a game, he might be a bit more respectful towards the man in the middle who has to apply the laws?
Perhaps football should also try the yellow card system that applies in Rugby – if a player is yellow carded, he leaves the field for 10 minutes. If losing a player for 10 minutes led to the opposition scoring and influencing a match, it might teach some of the less well behaved players to moderate their behaviour and concentrate on playing their sport rather than cheating?
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