A match I refereed yesterday...

Tim7

Tim7

Retired Footballer
6 May 2003
Gravesend
Charlton Athletic FC
Well, as some of you know, I am a referee, just doing local level at the moment, and yesterday I refereed a top division Sunday League match between Real Gima FC and Top House FC. I have had no trouble with either side before yesterday...

Well, it was going fine, then Top House lost the plot! Gima were on the counter attack, lino flagged, I overuled him, Gima scored. Then I went over to the lino and asked him and explained to him that I was overuling him as I felt it was onside.

Then about 5 Top House players all came up to me arguing etc, then two of them called me a cunt, and one of them called me a cheat, so i sent all 3 of them off, as you should.

We played the last 10 mins of the half. Then at half time the Top House player/manager who I had sent off came over and apologized and even said I was right to do what I did. And he said that 2 of their team had been called into work and 1 was injured so they didn't have enough players to play the 2nd half, so it was abandoned.

The teams went into the dressing rooms and got showered etc, meanwhile I was waiting outside for it to calm down a bit, and chatting with the Gima secretary and Swanscome secretary (who was up there watching).

Then one of the players I sent off came out after being showered and came up to me talking about it, and I quite calmy said I don't want to talk about it, go away please. Then he went off on one saying, and I quote: "You're a fucking joke. I know where you live, (then he said the name of my road), and I'm going to make your life a fucking misery."

So I waited for him to leave then went home and reported it to the police and the Kent County FA.

It just makes me think like, why do people go mental over a Sunday league game of football? Sure, every time I play myself I want to win - who doesn't? But to take it that far, I dunno really, mental.

No stupid replies either please guys.
 
It makes no fucking sense at all when people act like that in a Sunday league game. Its not like they are playing in an FA Cup Final is it!?

Some people really need a fucking slap!
 
It makes no sense full stop. But i cant help think that most footie players, both pro and amature arent the brightest lights around and react in stupid ways. Sad thing is you cant actually do much about this kind of nonsense anymore. I mean giving the guy a kicking wont help as they will only come back to get even, and letting it go will only make them think its ok. Hopefully the police / fa will do something about.
 
I've wanted to get involved in football throughout my life, different things at different stages, but after seeing it close-up I've never followed it through.

I played football as a kid and the amount of abuse that flew around, from kid to kid, from kid to referee, from ADULT to referee and from parent to parent was just scary. A game is a game.

I was a kids football coach for a month. It was a nightmare. The kids were great but the parents stand there and when you say "today we're focusing on offsides" the parents will shout out "DON'T LISTEN TO HIM, LISTEN TO ME".

I've wanted to get involved in Sunday League football for years now, it's something I would absolutely love to do, but every time I go and watch it at the local sports place the amount of abuse flying about is the same as it was when I was a kid.
 
The police have actually told me that what he said isn't a threat, I was like err, you what? They said "It can be meant in many different ways". So the police aren't doing anything about it.

The KCFA will though, how strong is yet to be seen though.
 
Theyve started a national campaign over here this week to make parents aware of their behaviour and responsibility along the line. Frank de Boer is the spokesman.
 
Tim7 said:
The police have actually told me that what he said isn't a threat, I was like err, you what? They said "It can be meant in many different ways". So the police aren't doing anything about it.

The KCFA will though, how strong is yet to be seen though.
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Maybe if he had given you a note that threatened you and your family that would have been considered a threat...though knowing the police I would think that even that wouldnt hold any water.

You just gotta stick with it mate, I am sure there aint that many complete wankers out there on a Sunday morning
 
A depressing tale. I stopped playing 11-A-Side football 2 or 3 years back because of crap like this. Most of the time things are fine, but there's always one inbred who is intent on breaking your leg. We even got chased off a pitch by an opposition supporter in a LandRover once! You just lose the desire to play.

I hope it all works out. In my experience players usually forget incidents as soon as the red mist has evaporated. Like you said, I can't get my head round how stupid some people are.
 
I stopped playing Sunday league soccer for the same reason, our team once had our cars attacked after a game, and shortly after one of our black players was attacked outside the dressing rooms... The average pleb in this country wants putting down..
 
This is the exact reason I don't play sunday football anymore. Too many wankers just ruin it. I've thought about reffing and coaching as well but the thought of this just puts me right off. Its crap.
 
Tim7 said:
Well, as some of you know, I am a referee, just doing local level at the moment, and yesterday I refereed a top division Sunday League match between Real Gima FC and Top House FC. I have had no trouble with either side before yesterday...

Well, it was going fine, then Top House lost the plot! Gima were on the counter attack, lino flagged, I overuled him, Gima scored. Then I went over to the lino and asked him and explained to him that I was overuling him as I felt it was onside.

Then about 5 Top House players all came up to me arguing etc, then two of them called me a cunt, and one of them called me a cheat, so i sent all 3 of them off, as you should.

We played the last 10 mins of the half. Then at half time the Top House player/manager who I had sent off came over and apologized and even said I was right to do what I did. And he said that 2 of their team had been called into work and 1 was injured so they didn't have enough players to play the 2nd half, so it was abandoned.

The teams went into the dressing rooms and got showered etc, meanwhile I was waiting outside for it to calm down a bit, and chatting with the Gima secretary and Swanscome secretary (who was up there watching).

Then one of the players I sent off came out after being showered and came up to me talking about it, and I quite calmy said I don't want to talk about it, go away please. Then he went off on one saying, and I quote: "You're a fucking joke. I know where you live, (then he said the name of my road), and I'm going to make your life a fucking misery."

So I waited for him to leave then went home and reported it to the police and the Kent County FA.

It just makes me think like, why do people go mental over a Sunday league game of football? Sure, every time I play myself I want to win - who doesn't? But to take it that far, I dunno really, mental.

No stupid replies either please guys.
Click to expand...

That is harsh mate. I wouldn't worry about the guy though, just a case of bad loserism. Good one for telling the police straight away though - if anything does happen later in life then they can't say you hadn't done anything about it before.

Any feedback from the Kent County FA?
 
It gets hot headed on the football pitch for various reasons... Pride being the biggest one and no one like to lose. But to react like he did is WAY OVER THE TOP! "I Predict a Psycho!".

I can remember asking a Ref at half time what game he was watching as I felt my team were NOT getting any decisions but the opposition got loads, we were 1-0 down.... He of course said "just because its half time doesnt mean I cant book you!" So I left it at that. Second half he gave a dubious Penalty for our team (For a supposed foul on me!) and we ended up winning 3-1!
 
I gave up Sunday reffing due to a similar incident - the thing that gets me is, none of them even know the fucking rules, or should I say laws. But they still want to argue over them.....

and, if there was no ref, there's no game.......wankers.....
 
I've been and watched a few sunday league games - I have been asked on a few occasions to play. But I refused, mainly because of type of retard that you refereed. I have played a few games - meant to be friendlies!! with players of sunday league teams and if they take a disliking to you they want to hurt you - I haven't been hurt severly, but have been close a few times. Just because the other fella has got the arse ache - usually because I megged him :) I also have this cool drag back thing I do, very simple, but can take a player out - also pisses them off!!

My hat goes off to you for being a referee its bad enough being on the opposition side of people like that - but as a ref, it must be terrible.
 
Ref called me thick as pigshit the other day. Because I questioned him giving bias decisions against our team. We get on with ALL the refs in the league, but this one guy doesnt like us, and causes us misery every game we play in. We have played under him about 4 times and never won a game.

The WORST incident was when the opposition hit the crossbar, and I chested it down when it came back off the bar, and then turned and passed it out. This was with my back to the ref. He then blows for a penalty. I was FUMING. It was a clear chest down, so I protested, in a non-violent way (Im not that sort of player). I just went over to him and told him it was my chest, then he comes upto my face and says "It was deliberate handball to stop the ball going in the net".

:| I then saw redmist and after hurling abuse I had to substiute myself.

They missed that penalty. JUSTICE.
 
I feel for you...
i once played what you people would call sunday league football (we play it on saturday) and i stopped because one day i saw an opposing player deliberately break one of my team mates's legs...he had a double open fracture and i can still hear the sound of the actual breaking of the bone...it was attrocious...the guy was months absent from work...in the end it all turned out good...he's professor sports economy now...

To be fair most referees were bad, but hey, we were bad too...

And maybe i'm old fashioned but when i see what the professional role models are doing on the pitch...people emulate them (which is stupid), but when i see people like Joey Barton against Sunderland, i'm disgusted...when i see diving and cheating, when i see elbows going in the direction of the opponents face...well it's no wonder that some idiot feels he shoulddo the same thing.
 
Yep, sadly people copy people. And when the FA don't back referees like Graham Poll and the John Terry incident, it sends out the message that things like this are OK. When a whole team runs up to the referee and surrounds him (usually Chelsea), the referee reports it and the FA do nothing, or give like a £1,000 fine to the club, it's pathetic.
 
I think we have plenty of good 6 a side players...we play what we call mini-football for years...it is a sport that is invented in the 60's by an Hungarian refugee who lives in Belgium.
I've played mini-football in a second division team, it is very technical with tiny goals and is very good to develop technical skills and passing. The only negative thing about is that it isn't promoted to young kids because our FA sees it as a rival sport to football...this is a big shame.
My 7 year old daughter plays both mini-voetbal and football. She's the only girl in both teams and her coach of the (big) football team told me that technically she is by far the most skilled player in his team and also the best passer (a shame that she just can't shoot on goal).
England could use coaches who let their young players play this kind of football, it's good for their development. They will get enough strength when they are older.
 
If im not mistaken gerd, Brazil and Portugal have great passers and dribblers because of their strong involvement in 6 a side. Portugal are Europe's best I think.
 
Well, through one thing and another, I have decided to step down as a referee. Maybe in a few years I'll miss it and decide to go back to it, but for now, it's definately not for me.
 
Refereeing definitely isnt all its cracked up to be thats for sure. I have ref'd so called "Friendly" matches in the past and some of the stick and even threats of violence I have had to put up with... In particular the fact they spent most of their time on the floor and I told them to get up and get on with it! I then had about 6 Foul Mouthed players surrounding me shouting abuse at me saying things like "Your a fucking twat, watch your back! get your fucking eyes tested and how the fuck could you not see that as a penalty!".....
 
Yep, it's a shame really, as I'm sure I probably could have been a top ref. But I just don't want the abuse and lifestyle that goes with it, even for £90,000 a year.
 
Tim7 said:
Yep, it's a shame really, as I'm sure I probably could have been a top ref. But I just don't want the abuse and lifestyle that goes with it, even for £90,000 a year.
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Thats a shame mate - especially for idiots to ruin it for you!

90k a year! I didn't know they get that much - Anyway its all about Job Satisfaction, if your not happy in your job - then usually you are not happy in life.
 
Yea, it's true, I don't think you would get much satisfaction! :lol: I've read Graham Poll's book, and some of the stuff is ridiculous :nono: Being told hes "not welcome" in bars and having people wait for him to go to his car and then vandalise it etc.

I've just got a new job and I'd rather put more time and effort into that as I could go places with it, plus they're paying for me to do an MCSE course, so I wanna give that the time it needs to do it properly over 2 years.

All in all, I feel it is the right decision for me to resign as a ref.
 
Tim, that's a shame that you stopped, but i certainly understand you...
I can't understand all those managers and pundits who are very negative against referees...every single attack like that has as a result that people stop refereeing...the less people are refereeing, the bigger the chance that the remaning ones are bad...i can't understand why those critics don't understand that...in the end this is bad for football...
 
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