What Should the LDMC be Doing for Clubs ?

**Hoops 1967** · 18/10/2006, 7:23 AM

Originally Posted by Old keeper

I did try to have a proposal passed at the last AGM that we would have a facilitator for each division who would be responsible for maintainining data for each of the divisions, this would have split the work load and we could place player stats on the system but there are also issues with some people not wanting yellow and red cards included in the player stats??? but we should be able to run with full stats soon as they are being collected but not displayed.

Hi Old Keeper any idea when this will be happening?

**Old keeper** · 18/10/2006, 8:51 AM

Originally Posted by Hoops 1967

Hi Old Keeper any idea when this will be happening?

Hi Hoops

The facilitators are on board. I have been very busy for the last few weeks so any delays are down to me, but after this week we should see movement on the new look website with the stats included.

**Hoops 1967** · 18/10/2006, 11:55 AM

Nice one.

**the only 1** · 18/10/2006, 1:33 PM

lads oldkeeper which is mr finnan is doin a good job dis year as it is only his first year on the ldmc

**Roadend** · 18/10/2006, 1:54 PM

You're a regular Jessica Fletcher all the same.

**Old keeper** · 21/10/2006, 10:23 PM

Originally Posted by Roadend

Just a quick one, Old keeper. The fixtures per division on the LDMC site have been causing a bit of confusion at FAI/MFA weekends. I know that the last time "A" teams weren't competing in either that new fixtures were scheduled for B or C teams. This caused problems as some of those teams players had already made plans to go away based on the LDMC site's fitxture list. With the new fixture not appearing until Tuesday's Chronicle, teams were left short due to other commitments being pre-arranged. I know it has happened one or two teams again this weekend.

Hi
awaiting dates from the FS to put the 2nd round games up and change the website, should be done soon

**Old keeper** · 21/10/2006, 10:28 PM

Hi

As you know the LDL has no treasurer at the moment, as a result the committee are looking for nominations for the position. I would urge any of you who are members of clubs to try and make sure your clubs discuss the nomination rather than take instruction from certain quarters. The nominations need to be in by the 31st of the month in order to have a special delegate meeting to elect the new treasurer.

**Old keeper** · 23/10/2006, 11:25 PM

Hi

Some facts for your perusal

This weekend there are 19 referees available, 7 of these are doing two games each this gives us 26 games to play. there are 37 games scheduled not including games that are off due to the OT or for free weekends, so we are short 11 referees. This is the reason that games will be off over the weekend.

Dont forget it is the long weekend and refs have a life too!!!

**Roadend** · 24/10/2006, 10:35 AM

When will the games off be known?

**Jock MIB** · 24/10/2006, 11:47 AM

what is actually happening the website says games are on sunday the Star newspaper says some games on Saturday is that a miss print..

thought from last time that if there was a shortage of referees then the lower divisions will be taken into account this time. now i see that its has games on with refs but once again there are question marks beside few games in 3a , 3b, 4a and 4b.

why are we being overlooked again if it happens the same way as last time then my team will not have played a game since 1st October and there are no games scheduled for next week again.

starting to get very frustrating to keep a team together

**larrywhite** · 24/10/2006, 12:07 PM

Agree with you there Holycrossjock. Our game has a question mark where the refs name is too so it doesnt look good.

Our A team in 1A have a game and referee down which means they will have had a game 5 weeks running.

Now I know and they know full well that they are going to win nothing yet they go into Sundays game having match practice and plenty of it.

Our B team who will challenge in 3B have played 5 games in 10 weekends (not even counting midweek) and will go into a tough game on Sunday (if its even on) without match practice as we cant even arrange friendlies thanks to the shortage of referees.

My only consolation is that the A team will be out of the FAI and the MFA in the next few weeks which means there will be no more free weekends for cups.

The main problem with no games though is training. I have noticed it for a good few years that players see that they have no game on a Sunday so they dont bother training that week. We only train once a week so if there is no game for 2 weeks running and some dont show up for one of the trainings then you are getting behind in your fitness. Its almost like playing your opening game of the season every 3 weeks. No match fitness, lack of cohesion, poor touches.

If thats how the lower leagues are going to be treated then why not just wait until April to play the rest of the games. At least then we could relax for the winter then plan another pre season and play 2 games a week when the clocks change. A lot of teams have 10 or 11 games left so that could easily be run off in 7 or 8 weeks.

By the way...its still not too late for another 3a-4b cup. Just play it on FAI/MFA cup weekends. 32 teams means that there are only 5 rounds.

**larrywhite** · 24/10/2006, 2:42 PM

Just looking at the website....

15 morning games have refs assigned. 4 afternoon games have the refs assigned. How will it be decided which 7 games will be assigned referees?

Now I know its the Bank Holiday and its quite obvious that some refs want the afternoon off but it is getting farcical. Players sit around for weeks waiting for games then expect to be playing on a Bank Holiday weekend and then the refs decide they wouldnt mind going on the lash so it means the lower leagues lose out again.

And this is WITHOUT 5 premier games.

Some teams are going to be without a game in 5/6 weeks. Thats absolutely ridiculous.

And when exactly will we know if our games are on or not? What do we tell the players at training this week?

**Limeref** · 24/10/2006, 10:14 PM

Originally Posted by larrywhite

Just looking at the website....

15 morning games have refs assigned. 4 afternoon games have the refs assigned. How will it be decided which 7 games will be assigned referees?

Now I know its the Bank Holiday and its quite obvious that some refs want the afternoon off but it is getting farcical. Players sit around for weeks waiting for games then expect to be playing on a Bank Holiday weekend and then the refs decide they wouldnt mind going on the lash so it means the lower leagues lose out again.

And this is WITHOUT 5 premier games.

Some teams are going to be without a game in 5/6 weeks. Thats absolutely ridiculous.

And when exactly will we know if our games are on or not? What do we tell the players at training this week?

Speaking for myself, I now only referee one match - why - simple, the level of abuse.

The abuse suffered week in week out by referees has become intolerable, some weeks I come home and wonder why I do it, I have been called every name under the sun and sometimes even more unforgivable, my family has been abused.

Don't get me wrong, when I have a good game, there is no better feeling in the world - that is why I persist.

So back to my point, why one game, if I referee in the morning, during the afternoon match, my body becomes tired (the same as if a player plays two matches), mistakes creep in and players, coaches etc abuse even more.

Also the number of referees is dwindling each year, with no new blood going in to replace them, who was the last new referee in Limerick? Look who has left over the last few seasons Kevin O'Driscoll, Tony Markam, Neol Dunphy, Declan Earls, Joe Hannon - who has replaced them?

In five years time I can see there being no Div 3A/3B/4A/4B because there won't be enough referees to officiate the matches.

We all need to take a look at ourselves and see what we can collectively do to improve the situation - maybe Div 3A/3B/4A/4B being played on a Saturday- I don't know - but something needs to be done before its too late

Limeref

**abbeyvale** · 24/10/2006, 11:07 PM

Originally Posted by Limeref

Speaking for myself, I now only referee one match - why - simple, the level of abuse.

The abuse suffered week in week out by referees has become intolerable, some weeks I come home and wonder why I do it, I have been called every name under the sun and sometimes even more unforgivable, my family has been abused.

Don't get me wrong, when I have a good game, there is no better feeling in the world - that is why I persist.

So back to my point, why one game, if I referee in the morning, during the afternoon match, my body becomes tired (the same as if a player plays two matches), mistakes creep in and players, coaches etc abuse even more.

Also the number of referees is dwindling each year, with no new blood going in to replace them, who was the last new referee in Limerick? Look who has left over the last few seasons Kevin O'Driscoll, Tony Markam, Neol Dunphy, Declan Earls, Joe Hannon - who has replaced them?

In five years time I can see there being no Div 3A/3B/4A/4B because there won't be enough referees to officiate the matches.

We all need to take a look at ourselves and see what we can collectively do to improve the situation - maybe Div 3A/3B/4A/4B being played on a Saturday- I don't know - but something needs to be done before its too late

Limeref

Well said, I agree.
I think we should be looking at playing more games on a Saturday as well as maybe even a longer break for refs on a Sunday.

So instead of a ref doing a game at 1030, and getting home at 1pm and then heading off at 1.45pm to do a 2.30pm game, maybe have some later kick offs on a Sunday, ie; 3.30 or even 4pm, just ideas, dont bite my head off.

And I know before you say it, some players will be working on Saturday, but like I said these are just ideas........

Anyone anything else to add????

**Old keeper** · 24/10/2006, 11:49 PM

Originally Posted by Roadend

When will the games off be known?

You can take it that any game without a ref will be off. I will update the website on Wed evening.

The second round games wont be up on the website until I get the dates from the FS.

**Old keeper** · 24/10/2006, 11:56 PM

Originally Posted by holycrossjock

what is actually happening the website says games are on sunday the Star newspaper says some games on Saturday is that a miss print..

thought from last time that if there was a shortage of referees then the lower divisions will be taken into account this time. now i see that its has games on with refs but once again there are question marks beside few games in 3a , 3b, 4a and 4b.

why are we being overlooked again if it happens the same way as last time then my team will not have played a game since 1st October and there are no games scheduled for next week again.

starting to get very frustrating to keep a team together

Well Jock

You have every right to be angry

The Star is a missprint

The lower divisions should have been given priority and it is silly that we are concentrating games on divisions with more games played. this will change following discussions this evening.

I would urge your club to write to the committee or email myself in relation to your complaints. part of the problem is that people can hide behind the clubs silence and say that there are no complaints from the clubs, and if there are no complaints we cannot proceed to change things.

I share your frustration,

**Old keeper** · 25/10/2006, 12:00 AM

Originally Posted by larrywhite

Agree with you there Holycrossjock. Our game has a question mark where the refs name is too so it doesnt look good.

Our A team in 1A have a game and referee down which means they will have had a game 5 weeks running.

Now I know and they know full well that they are going to win nothing yet they go into Sundays game having match practice and plenty of it.

Our B team who will challenge in 3B have played 5 games in 10 weekends (not even counting midweek) and will go into a tough game on Sunday (if its even on) without match practice as we cant even arrange friendlies thanks to the shortage of referees.

My only consolation is that the A team will be out of the FAI and the MFA in the next few weeks which means there will be no more free weekends for cups.

The main problem with no games though is training. I have noticed it for a good few years that players see that they have no game on a Sunday so they dont bother training that week. We only train once a week so if there is no game for 2 weeks running and some dont show up for one of the trainings then you are getting behind in your fitness. Its almost like playing your opening game of the season every 3 weeks. No match fitness, lack of cohesion, poor touches.

If thats how the lower leagues are going to be treated then why not just wait until April to play the rest of the games. At least then we could relax for the winter then plan another pre season and play 2 games a week when the clocks change. A lot of teams have 10 or 11 games left so that could easily be run off in 7 or 8 weeks.

By the way...its still not too late for another 3a-4b cup. Just play it on FAI/MFA cup weekends. 32 teams means that there are only 5 rounds.

Please Please have your club write to the committee, It is not possible to make changes if the clubs do not request or support the changes.

**Old keeper** · 25/10/2006, 12:03 AM

Originally Posted by larrywhite

Just looking at the website....

15 morning games have refs assigned. 4 afternoon games have the refs assigned. How will it be decided which 7 games will be assigned referees?

Now I know its the Bank Holiday and its quite obvious that some refs want the afternoon off but it is getting farcical. Players sit around for weeks waiting for games then expect to be playing on a Bank Holiday weekend and then the refs decide they wouldnt mind going on the lash so it means the lower leagues lose out again.

And this is WITHOUT 5 premier games.

Some teams are going to be without a game in 5/6 weeks. Thats absolutely ridiculous.

And when exactly will we know if our games are on or not? What do we tell the players at training this week?

You can tell the players that if there is no ref against their game the game is off.

It is ridiculous and there is action being taken

**Old keeper** · 25/10/2006, 12:09 AM

Originally Posted by Limeref

Speaking for myself, I now only referee one match - why - simple, the level of abuse.

The abuse suffered week in week out by referees has become intolerable, some weeks I come home and wonder why I do it, I have been called every name under the sun and sometimes even more unforgivable, my family has been abused.

Don't get me wrong, when I have a good game, there is no better feeling in the world - that is why I persist.

So back to my point, why one game, if I referee in the morning, during the afternoon match, my body becomes tired (the same as if a player plays two matches), mistakes creep in and players, coaches etc abuse even more.

Also the number of referees is dwindling each year, with no new blood going in to replace them, who was the last new referee in Limerick? Look who has left over the last few seasons Kevin O'Driscoll, Tony Markam, Neol Dunphy, Declan Earls, Joe Hannon - who has replaced them?

In five years time I can see there being no Div 3A/3B/4A/4B because there won't be enough referees to officiate the matches.

We all need to take a look at ourselves and see what we can collectively do to improve the situation - maybe Div 3A/3B/4A/4B being played on a Saturday- I don't know - but something needs to be done before its too late

Limeref

Hi Limeref

I applaud any referee who turns up for a game (I would be responsible for my fair share of abuse over the years but i think I dont cross the line too often an will always smile and forget after the game) part of our problem in Limerick is the degree of confrontation between the different bodies responsible for soccer. we all need to work closer together and the problems can and will be worked out.

**Old keeper** · 25/10/2006, 12:11 AM

Originally Posted by abbeyvale

Well said, I agree.
I think we should be looking at playing more games on a Saturday as well as maybe even a longer break for refs on a Sunday.

So instead of a ref doing a game at 1030, and getting home at 1pm and then heading off at 1.45pm to do a 2.30pm game, maybe have some later kick offs on a Sunday, ie; 3.30 or even 4pm, just ideas, dont bite my head off.

And I know before you say it, some players will be working on Saturday, but like I said these are just ideas........

Anyone anything else to add????

#

Good ideas Keep them coming