So we come to the end of another football season. Is it just another football season? For Royals fans it is the end of their Premiership dream. However, I have a feeling that for referees it could be the beginning of better times.
A number of things happened during this season, whilst not particularly good at the time, can lead to a better future. Take for instance the horrific injury to Arsenal striker Eduardo da Silva. It highlighted the injuries that can be caused through late tackles. Fewer people now consider that the flying tackle is justified, even if the player plays the ball. Fewer professional managers are defending their players who get sent off for such tackles.
Another good thing is that the FA is determined to make managers account for their blatant criticism of referees during and after the game, even such luminaries as Sir Alex Ferguson, who couldn’t resist publicly condemning the referee’s decision to award a penalty for handball, which he could not possibly have seen from his position in the ground.
It is the continual dissent and abuse that concerns referees the most and which, if we believe the FA statement, causes the greatest number of resignations from the game.
Locally two referees had enough and abandoned games because of abuse. This lead to an upsurge in complaints from other referees who overwhelmingly voted for a strike, or perhaps more correctly, to withhold their services for one nominated Saturday. This was avoided by a meeting of competition officers, referees and clubs at which it was agreed to work together to try and irradiate such behaviour.
Nationally the FA chief Executive, Brian Barwick, introduced his ‘Respect’ project. This is to be welcomed, although many felt it started at the wrong end in youth football, but it is here where the influence of parents is particularly felt amongst the younger referees. Under the trial, carried out locally in the South Chiltern Minor League, parents are kept behind roped off pitches and on the opposite side from coaches. Time will tell how much affect this will have on parent’s behaviour.
Let me relate two recent experiences locally to show how much we need to change the mindset of people in local football. First in a girls' match, a player made a two footed (flying) tackle on the opponent’s goalkeeper for which the referee, understandably, showed the red card. The player’s father rushed on the field and refused to move unless the referee reinstated his daughter. The referee refused and had no option but to abandon the game spoiling the day for the rest of the girls.
In one of the local men’s leagues, second played third in the last game of the season. Afterwards, the victorious team manger wished to photo his team to celebrate finishing as runners-up. The players insisted that the manager join them and asked the nearest person to take the photo instead. This happened to be the referee who agreed but who was then loudly berated by a member of the losing team claiming that this showed a bias towards them.
As I say, we’ve a long way to go but with things moving in the right direction, I feel if the authorities keep their nerve, it will improve the game for all.
Can I just convey my thanks to all readers for the letters, phone calls, e-mails or stopping to give suggestions or raise queries for the column and to David Wright, Sports Editor of the
Post for the space to give a referee’s point of view.
Finally for this season can I just refer to recent research that reports that understanding the offside law needs graduate level skills and twenty million people find it difficult. Despite what pundits like Alan Hanson continually suggest, referees understand it perfectly. But then I have always said referees are special people.
Dick Sawdon Smith
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© R Sawdon Smith 2008