Originally Posted by
padjoe
And teams must realize that we referee up to five or six games in a week/weekend. At the moment I am doing four high level games a weekend. We give players countless opportunities, we have a road block process to cautioning players. Still players get on your back.
Teams need to understand, referees will have bad days and when we do there is no escape.. We can't wave at the sideline to be substituted like a striker whose missed ten chances on goal or a defender who is to sluggish to track back.
Referees who have off days can only limp to half time, hoping the second half will be different. Remember we are only ever one tackle away from total chaos ensuing..
I gave a player four chances last weekend, with each blow of the whistle the back chat would start. "you're not letting the play flow" when i blew for a first free.. every time..... first foul, second foul, chat to player, third foul, spoke to the captain, admonished the player and the fourth yellow card, persistent infringement,.. that's 40 minutes, second half, fifth foul, more back chat, six foul good night, you've had enough chances. Every time I blew the whistle he had something to say. When I finally walked him, there were no arguments from the coaches, no arguments from the team mates.
I was told earlier in my season, that I get paid to do what I do so i deserve the abuse. I get paid $50 a game, thats a nominal fee to cover my travel expenses and my gear. It's not to have a comfortable living. Referees really are the third team in football and its about as much as retaining composure and not letting **** get to our heads. I was a goalkeeper, a **** one, but one all the same, I called for everything.
On occasion where I give it back, I get told you're the referee you can't talk like that..I do talk the teams before the game, give them the sceal of what i expect, my style of refereeing and yes I am Irish, so you prob won't understand me so don't waste your breath on me.. I mean that politely..if you have a question ask me at half-time or after the game.
I do police everything in the first ten minutes to demonstrate that yes I can referee and I am here to keep a grip on the game but then I loosen up as the match temperature allows.
I love a physical game of football, it's not a tickling contest after all, and that gets me in trouble from time to time but you can't call everything there would be no game. I do play a lot of advantages where possible. There is no better feeling that seeing a great advantage lead to a goal.
When I referee English teams, I get told I am against them cause I'm Irish.. I explain that is exactly what the IRA had in mind, send me to New Zealand, get me to **** off a few English teams, that would drive the Brits out of the North..
When I referee more ethnic teams, I get accused of racial bias when I award frees against them and because I am white european.
Had a right back from south auckland take three swings at me during an all in brawl as I broke up the fight and still he claimed he wasn't aiming for me.. even though he'd jump at me fist closed when my back was turned.
Remember last season refereeing a Nigerian team in Sunday league and they kept comparing me to the referee who cost Barcelona in the Champion's League, a couple of seasons ago, because they were black and I was white.
Last year as an Irish referee in NZ, I was sent to referee the only Irish team in the league versus a Chinese team. I awarded Irish team a penalty, Irish team misses penalty, there was an infringement in the box by Chinese player, Irish referee orders a retake to which the Irish team scores. Even though it was all justified, it still sounds so dodgy..doesn't it?
This weekend Irish team playing in top of the table league decider.. whose assistant referee 1..me! I raise this point to my superiors that this might be suss.. I get at least you'll understand what they are saying.. and it will be grand..
Refereed their rivals few weeks back on a miserable, shocking day. Pitch barely playable. They were playing a Scottish team.. Celtic Supporter Club. I explained to the rival team, that the pitch was nearly unplayable and if they were sure they wanted to play.. I was an Irish referee, refereeing them in a potential shock because of the conditions.
Rival team leading 8-0 by half-time, 10-0 by the 75th... pitch was no longer playable.. game abandoned.
League allowed result to stand thankfully.. these are obviously the more extreme examples of what i have faced.
It's simple not every kick, push, trip, handball is a foul, not every keeper will hold every ball and I understand naturally first port of call is to blame the referee.
Last weekend, made a huge mistake as an assistant referee, there was an offside, referee didn't see my flag, blew for a penalty. I kept my flag up for an age. The referee still didn't look, i took my flag down, penalty scored. team went from 2-0 to 3-0 down in an instant. The players were of opinion i"d flagged for penalty any way, which is no excuse, mistakes do happen, never had that situation happen before.
The assessor rightfully hammered me in the post game assessment for not standing my ground. We learn from our mistakes, won't happen next game or next time situation arises. We get assessed, I get assessed at least once a weekend or once a fortnight. Being assessed is as bizarre as the players... because you've this one person with a clip board telling you everything you done wrong regardless of how well you played...then they finish by saying enjoy your season.
The week before, i was two minutes deep into injury time, home team up 2-1, time added on was gone, but sufficient delays in injury time, to warrant adding time on... just about to blow when away team kicked a ball from just inside the centre circle and that split the defense, away team scored.. referee to blame... nothing to do with shoddy defending or failure to pick up the striker.. so then after I had a very decent game, in my opinion, I was told to read the rule book, i said thank you, you are entitled to your opinion.. to which I got **** you..
I still made sure to shake players hands and went home and thought about the game. At the end of the day, we still all have to go to work on Monday and we will cross paths again during the season.
I work in a bar and I get players coming in asking about my season so far and they tell me about theirs. They see me as human when not in the middle..
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