I've never refereed a game in my life, and I have criticised referees just not all the time. It gets boring
Look at Arsenal fans this season, they are an embarrassment. On the verge of calling a government enquiry into a conspiracy against them every time they think something has gone against them.
I've also witnessed at first hand, and have spoken to referees who have been the victim of it, the awful abuse referees take at park football level, often young lads starting out in the game. I think that a culture of abusing referees at the top level has normalised abuse all the way down to grass roots, where vulnerable officials have nowhere near the protection their professional counterparts have.
The game would die without referees. People need to remember that before we reach a point where no-one wants to do the job anymore
I don’t disagree with most of the things you have written but I also don’t think referees should be above criticism. It’s a sad fact of football life that managers, players, owners etc are subject to the most viscous abuse, often very personal and much worse than the criticism aimed at referees. They make mistakes, just like players and managers do, so criticism is inevitable.
I know there is a shortage of referees out here in the U.S. because of the relentless abuse. It really has become ridiculous - it is an extremely hard job, but every missed decision is given as incompetence, when by that measure, the amount of footballing mistakes would mean all 22 players on the pitch are incompetent too!
All of the replay angles have not helped, as fans see things the ref does not have the benefit of.
the whole basis of competitive sport is predicated on there being a neutral arbiter of the rules, not on that arbiter being infallible. If you can't agree to accept the ref's calls, go home.
Letting referees have a mic and then reviewing that recording after would solve most problems. Retrospective bans for abusing officials, zero tolerance. Sorted.
“Look at Arsenal fans this season, they are an embarrassment. On the verge of calling a government enquiry into a conspiracy against them every time they think something has gone against them.”
Do you not think the results of any Government enquiry requested by Arsenal at the moment might be looked upon with a degree of suspicion…?
Sadie is 9 now and has been going to Wycombe and Everton matches since she was a 3. I don't think she's seen anything like last night. I know she was excited to go into school yesterday to tell her teacher we won 5-0 and that we're top of the league!
Ellis on the other hand is 5 and part of the syndrome he has means at the moment he doesn't communicate. We're hoping this changes as he grows older but it's just a waiting game. He's got other challenges, he's not walking or that but I love taking him the match. He never cries, he seems happy and apart from kicking his trainers off about 10 times on Tues he was brilliant.
It's just me and him going on Saturday and I'm going to run the parkrun with him beforehand. We've never done it before but it's something I hope he enjoys and it will be something different for me running pushing a pram.
It's a great time to be going the matches. I look at the team when it's announced and start thinking who's missing. My dad come with us to Stockport (sat in the home end) and I said to him we're a really good team without maybe the superstar but a couple of players to watch out for Kone and Humphreys and they didn't disappoint.
Whoever we bring in seems to slot in well and it looks like we have a great team spirit so excited to see how far we can go.
Just to add @ryan_w_kirkby2 that I always hugely enjoy reading your contributions to the Gasroom and how much you / your children enjoy following the club. You seem like an exceptional father.
Thanks for the nice comments. I enjoy it just as much as the kids. The 2 girls play sat & sun now which isn't ideal in terms of getting to as many games as we'd like but they love playing and watching.
Comments
He could be one in this life?
Interesting theology angle
I've never refereed a game in my life, and I have criticised referees just not all the time. It gets boring
Look at Arsenal fans this season, they are an embarrassment. On the verge of calling a government enquiry into a conspiracy against them every time they think something has gone against them.
I've also witnessed at first hand, and have spoken to referees who have been the victim of it, the awful abuse referees take at park football level, often young lads starting out in the game. I think that a culture of abusing referees at the top level has normalised abuse all the way down to grass roots, where vulnerable officials have nowhere near the protection their professional counterparts have.
The game would die without referees. People need to remember that before we reach a point where no-one wants to do the job anymore
I don’t disagree with most of the things you have written but I also don’t think referees should be above criticism. It’s a sad fact of football life that managers, players, owners etc are subject to the most viscous abuse, often very personal and much worse than the criticism aimed at referees. They make mistakes, just like players and managers do, so criticism is inevitable.
I can’t think of any other sport where the level of abuse, criticism etc from 90% watching is like it is in football. It’s disgusting.
You don’t see it in most other team sports or even individual.
Id happily see points deductions for crowding the referee. Would soon stop.
the impact it has at grassroots is unbelievable. I cannot think of any other job where you’d get this much abuse.
To be fair, these days you can only criticize a referee when we win, because that’s all we do.
I know there is a shortage of referees out here in the U.S. because of the relentless abuse. It really has become ridiculous - it is an extremely hard job, but every missed decision is given as incompetence, when by that measure, the amount of footballing mistakes would mean all 22 players on the pitch are incompetent too!
All of the replay angles have not helped, as fans see things the ref does not have the benefit of.
the whole basis of competitive sport is predicated on there being a neutral arbiter of the rules, not on that arbiter being infallible. If you can't agree to accept the ref's calls, go home.
Letting referees have a mic and then reviewing that recording after would solve most problems. Retrospective bans for abusing officials, zero tolerance. Sorted.
“Look at Arsenal fans this season, they are an embarrassment. On the verge of calling a government enquiry into a conspiracy against them every time they think something has gone against them.”
Do you not think the results of any Government enquiry requested by Arsenal at the moment might be looked upon with a degree of suspicion…?
Sadie is 9 now and has been going to Wycombe and Everton matches since she was a 3. I don't think she's seen anything like last night. I know she was excited to go into school yesterday to tell her teacher we won 5-0 and that we're top of the league!
Ellis on the other hand is 5 and part of the syndrome he has means at the moment he doesn't communicate. We're hoping this changes as he grows older but it's just a waiting game. He's got other challenges, he's not walking or that but I love taking him the match. He never cries, he seems happy and apart from kicking his trainers off about 10 times on Tues he was brilliant.
It's just me and him going on Saturday and I'm going to run the parkrun with him beforehand. We've never done it before but it's something I hope he enjoys and it will be something different for me running pushing a pram.
It's a great time to be going the matches. I look at the team when it's announced and start thinking who's missing. My dad come with us to Stockport (sat in the home end) and I said to him we're a really good team without maybe the superstar but a couple of players to watch out for Kone and Humphreys and they didn't disappoint.
Whoever we bring in seems to slot in well and it looks like we have a great team spirit so excited to see how far we can go.
Vicious? Or “thick, sticky consistency” ?!
Great post, @ryan_w_kirkby2. What a lovely family. We’re privileged to have you all as northern members of our special football club.
Enjoy the run with Ellis on Saturday morning and the match in the afternoon of course. It almost feels greedy to expect another win !!
Thick would be equally appropriate but I’m blaming predictive text and my own failure to check for mis-spelling vicious. Well spotted sir!
Just to add @ryan_w_kirkby2 that I always hugely enjoy reading your contributions to the Gasroom and how much you / your children enjoy following the club. You seem like an exceptional father.
Great stuff. I can't wait to see you and the family at Goodison on 11th January. ;-)
POTD
Thanks for the nice comments. I enjoy it just as much as the kids. The 2 girls play sat & sun now which isn't ideal in terms of getting to as many games as we'd like but they love playing and watching.
Exactly this. Huge hats off for your commitment. Hope I get to meet you all at some point.
Didn't your Mum tell you that, you should only make promises that you know you can keep?😀
Haha - fair!