Unsung Heroes

Local referees deserve a medal

It really would do some footballers, managers and supporters a great deal of good to attend a meeting of the Pembrokeshire Referees’ Society because it might help them to realise how much referees love their sport!
Take away all the jokes about doubting match officials’ parentage, or needing to attend Maggs Optics, or being congenitally stupid – and it is evident from their discussions that having a skin like a rhino is only one facet of their involvement because there is no doubt that local players ape their counterparts on television, officials are becoming more boorish and crowds are so anti-social that one wonders why on earth they carry on giving back so much to their sport for very little in terms of financial remuneration.

Air of camaraderie

There is a real air of camaraderie at the meeting, with Steve Williams as a capable chairman, using the quiet but firm control that is part of his make-up to make sure the meetings don’t drag on. Jonathan Twigg is secretary, having just returned to officiating in the county, whilst Ian Baxter looks after the finances as a capable Hon Treasurer. Missing, still sunning himself in Florida and missing all the rain and snow, was Danny Thomas, the president and father figure to many of the younger refs who certainly benefit from his wealth of experience and rustic approach to explaining what they should do!
The humour is often supplied by Chris Stapleton, another official of long-standing, plus the Boswell brothers, Roy and Alan, all three never afraid to call a spade a shovel, with Darren Thomas perhaps following in dad Danny’s footsteps with his wry approach to some of the topics raised.

Problems posed by players and club officials

Co-incidentally, the players’ part in the game, especially with regard to violent conduct on the pitch or abusive language, is perhaps the easiest to deal with because yellow and red cards are available to make sure that players know their responsibilities.
Managers who keep telling the referee they are wrong and trying to apply pressure on the decision-making is a real ‘pain’ for refs but again there are sanctions that can be used, like taking out a ‘White Report’ sheet which means that clubs can lose points for this sort of misdemeanour. It seems that some managers have become so artful in this shoddy practice that when they have been warned then they have a deputy ‘mouth’ nearby who will try to carry on the pressure!
Even worse are supporters who have never played the game but are suddenly experts on all aspects of play, or those who have played and seem to know everything but wouldn’t dream of putting something back into their sport by taking up the whistle. At least referees have the power to have such idiots ejected from grounds or abandon the match but refs, players, officials and supporters in this area are only out to enjoy football after a week’s work – and it is not life and death!

Refereeing Poser:

A player goes down injured and the team’s designated first aid-man rushes on to help him but before reaching the player verbally abuses the referee in a highly offensive way. What can the official do?

Answer:

The ref’s first job is to make sure that the first-aider deals with the injury since he is the one with legal duty of care towards his team on the pitch. Once that is completed the referee can then warn the first-aider that he will be placed on a ‘White Paper’ report for his abusive behaviour and also tell the manager that this is going to take place – and he will not tolerate any further behaviour of the sort.