TOUCHLINESTOUCHLINES The Magazine of the Sutton Referees’ Society www.suttonreferees.co.uk December 2011 Simeon says…
C o n t e n t s It’s Quiz Night!
2 Simeon Says… December meeting: 3 Editor’s Notes Weds Dec 14th 3 From the Chair 4 Sutton’s Super Refs Starting Prompt at 19:30 5 Captions Please! 6 Quiz Night Wednesday December 14th – 7:30pm Dear All, 7 ..in the Referee’s Opinion Your thoughts, questions and comments. Well here we are already in December. Doesn’t time fly when you’re 16 An Eventful Sunday having fun? This is always one of my favourite months; not only A day in the life of Sunday Referee, Alan because of all the office parties coming up and the festive spirit but Donovan. because we have the one and only Sutton Referees’ Quiz Night 18 Check the Net compiled by our very own quiz master, John Martin. I know John Snippets from the World Wide Web. has been working particular hard once again to come with 24 Just for Laughs sometimes the most impossible questions to answer, so please Sporting Humour. make every effort to attend. I know you will but I still like to ask. 25 Dealing with Dissent Please also note we will be starting the Business-as-Usual side of An article by Keith Hackett. the meeting prompt at 19:30. 26 Society Members on the Park Photo Page. I remember this time last year as I sat here writing this piece and 28 RA Delegates Report looked out of my window to see the first snow fall of the From meeting of November 28th. season...which lasted what seemed like an eternity at the time! 29 Society Contacts Fingers crossed we’re not going to have it half as bad this year. 30 Minutes Last month’s meeting was again a success and I thank Barry From the Meeting of November 9th, 2011 Rowland for stepping in at a relatively short notice to present on 28 Dates for Your Diary Advantage. It’s always nice having a subject that can be used at all Upcoming Events. levels of football. It may be good to get the big names but it proves just as good to have a presenter and a subject that is in common with the majority of our members. Some great news!! It’s been confirmed that we can enter two teams for the Inter Society 5-A-Side to be held at Hayward’s Heath Leisure Centre on Sunday 8th January, 2012. I have had a good response so far but still need a few more. Please, if anyone is interested in representing your Society, let me know ASAP. As always the Committee are looking for suggestions so please let anyone know your thoughts. I look forward to seeing you all on the 14th at Gander Green Lane.
Simeon
TOUCHLINES is published by the Sutton Referees’ Society. Editor: Mike Coen Email: [email protected]
The reproduction of articles and news is welcomed by the Society. They would, however, like to receive a copy of those publications which reproduce any of our articles, either in whole or in part. Front cover photo: The opinions expressed in TOUCHLINES merely reflect the views So good, he can do it with his eyes shut! of the authors and are not binding in any way on the editor or Rod Van Niekerk - FA Vase - Three any official. Bridges -v- Beckenham Town. 2 Editor’s Notes From the Chair Hello Everyone!! Dear Colleagues,
This seems to have been my month for We had another excellent attendance at the November meeting when mistakes!! You can read about my Barry Rowland visited us to discuss the playing, or the not playing, of interesting offside call at the Fulham advantage. Everybody, as ever, got fully involved and Barry returned Academy later in this issue. I also received to Kingston Society, where he is their training officer, with our thanks a call from Tim Lawrence at County Office: and best wishes.
“Hi, Mike. The other night, you did Ash -v- The December meeting is normally one of my personal highlights of Horley in the cup” the season - Quiz Night. John Martin will be the quiz master and I am I confirmed that I indeed had. sure, if past years are anything to go by, the questions will be diverse “And you cautioned three players?” in the extreme. I am afraid that I will not be in attendance on the evening - as my glorious whites are taking on Odense Boldklub at The Again, I concurred. Cottage in the final Europa League group game and are playing for a “Which team were each of them in?” place in the knockout stages - so I have to furnish my apologies. Another lesson learned - Don’t fill out your paperwork just after you have got in from an Christmas is now fast approaching which means different things for the evening game at 11:30pm…and whenever various levels of referees. Those who are in the top four levels will find you do it, always check it thoroughly. this time of the year can be quite taxing, as most of the clubs will play the bank holidays and the weekends. Whereas those of us who Fortunately, it has also been my month for officiate in the parklands will have very little to do, as many local some pretty good games and Mark Wood, leagues take a sabbatical during the Xmas break. bless his cotton socks, has been active in arranging to have me assessed on several Fingers crossed that the mild weather continues, so as to ensure that as I strive to reach the next level. we do not have a repeat of the past two seasons when several weeks of appointments bit the dust due to the inclement conditions which we Shock has reverberated around the World of all had to suffer. Football with the news of Gary Speed’s suicide. Not quite so well publicised have As ever, do please keep Mike Coen updated with any plum been two, fortunately unsuccessful, such appointments that you have received, as we all like to see who is attempts made by match officials just before doing what and where. Still on the subject of Touchlines, do keep a big games on the continent. Depression is a look out for any stories that catch your eye, or send our Mr Editor terrible thing and the intense pressure that a details of any refereeing situations that you have witnessed or been life in the public eye can put upon a person involved in which you feel deserve a wider audience. can only be imagined by those not subjected to it. Our thoughts must surely be with I noticed back in November that Mr Masaaki Toma from Japan Gary’s family at this difficult time and became the first overseas referee to officiate an FA Cup fixture when hopefully the two European match officials he took charge of the Brentford v Basingstoke Town first round fixture will receive the support that they need. as part of an FA referee exchange programme. So, with this in mind, I contacted the New Zealand FA and asked if we could exchange our On a lighter note, December’s meeting is the Wayne for a couple of sheep but they gave me short shrift and blocked always-enjoyable and always-frustrating the move, as they informed me that they had only just taught the Quiz Night. I always think I know stuff until sheep the offside law and they did not want to go over all that again John delivers his meticulously-prepared with Wayne!! Never mind it was worth trying. barrage. Please make every effort to attend this fun evening. On the horizon we have the Surrey / Sussex referee societies 5-a-side tournament. Full details about venue and date can be found If I don’t see you then, have a very happy elsewhere in Touchlines but if you want to be involved let Simeon Christmas. May none of your games be know as I am sure he can find a place for you. snowed off and I’ll see you in the new year at the 5-a-Side or at the January meeting. Have a great Xmas and New Year and hope to see many of you again soon.
See you on the park, Kindest regards. or at Gander Green Lane. B a r r i e (The Chair)
M i k e . 3 SuttonSutton’’ss SuperSuper RefsRefs
Mike Coen Surrey Sunday Int’mdt Cup - Rd 3 Epsom Downs -v- Merton Galaxy Sun 27th Nov Surrey Saturday Premier Cup - Rd 2 Ash Utd Reserves -v- Horley Town Reserves Tue 29th Nov Surrey Saturday Int’mdt Cup - Rd 3 Cobham Reserves -v- Shalford Wed 7th Dec FA Carlsberg Sunday Cup - Rd 3 Barnes Albion -v- Wrightchoice CSA (Assistant) Sun 11th Dec Barrie Whittington Surrey Sunday Junior Cup - Rd 3 Dundonald Chase -v- Ash Rangers Sun 4th Dec Surrey U18 Floodlit Midwk Cup - QF Sutton Utd U18 -v- Walton & Hersham U18 (Assistant) w/c 16th Jan FA Carlsberg Sunday Cup - Rd 3 Barnes Albion -v- Wrightchoice CSA (Assistant) Sun 11th Dec
Jamie Whittington Surrey U18 Floodlit Midwk Cup - Rd 1 Kingstonian U18 -v- Camberley Town U18 (Assistant) 24th Oct Surrey U18 Floodlit Midwk Cup - QF Sutton Utd U18 -v- Walton & Hersham U18 (Assistant) w/c 16th Jan
Simeon Potter FA Carlsberg Sunday Cup - Rd 3 Hazelhurst -v- Dee Road Rangers Sun 11th Dec FA County Youth Cup Sussex FA -v- Worcestershire FA
Peter Sullivan Surrey Sunday Junior Cup - Rd 3 Chessington Athletic -v- Erskine Rovers Sun 4th Dec
Wayne Ingram FA Carlsberg Sunday Cup - Rd 3 Barnes Albion -v- Wrightchoice CSA Sun 11th Dec
4 CAPTIONS PLEASE !!!
Have you an amusing caption for the picture? Email your thoughts to me and I’ll put the best efforts in the next issue.
…and Last Month’s Offerings
Barrie Gale - "The keeper for the Woking Society has a snooze for the whole of their fixture against Sutton 'B' in the annual 5-a- sides and still manages to keep a clean sheet" - "David Stockdale takes it literally when Fabio Capello tells him that he will be the keeper on the bench for the game against Spain at Wembley" Mike Coen - Despite his mum telling him that if he followed his dreams he would get to Wembley, Tommy never seemed able to dream quite hard enough!! Peter Watson - Wayne found the ideal place in the queue for FA Cup tickets, but then he woke up… Barrie Whittington - When the referee asked his assistant to go benchside - this is not exactly what he had in mind - Thanks to the wonders of modern technology it is plainly obvious the whole of the bench had crossed the line. Simeon Potter - We couldn’t afford a coach, so nicked the park bench - Where the hell did you get that picture of me??? - Easy…Easy…Easy…Easy…Easy…!! 5 SuttonSutton RefereesReferees’’ SocietySociety QuizQuiz NightNight
WednesdayWednesday 14th14th DecemberDecember 7:30pm7:30pm StartStart
QuizmasterQuizmaster:: JohnJohn MartinMartin
Come and test your knowledge on things Sporting and (if last year is anything to go on) Strange!!
6 .…in the Referee’s Opinion…. Your Thoughts, Questions and Comments Dear AFA Please find attached my match report for Saturdays match on 19th Nov 2011. Surrey & Kent Intermediate Cup (Round 1) The home club must be saluted for their outstanding hospitatilty, this was tremondous and in 10 years of refeering this was ceratinly the best. 1. Was met on arrival. 2. Shown to my changing room. 3. Given Oranges / drink for half time 4. Given match balls all pumped and ready to use. 5. Shown where the picthes were. 6. Introduced to Captain. 7. Asked if there was anything else I required 8. Paid up-front. This was so refreshing and really does make one feel appriecated. I would like to see more clubs make effort with officials, not expecting a free drink after, just a proper meet and greet would be perfect start. Yours most grateful David Laughton AFA Referee NPD:1742706
[David felt that this experience was worth sharing as football seems to have its share of negative press at the moment. Ed.]
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Mike - Just a note for inclusion in next month’s Touchlines. Firstly my apologies for not attending any of the meetings so far this year, but this is due to holidays and training sessions for our new referees. While still officiating, I have bumped into a couple of new referees that have joined Sutton Society, so I know our numbers are growing. With this in mind, the December meeting is traditionally time for a light hearted sport and pastimes quiz and a good turnout would be appreciated to make more competition on the evening. I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible on the night, Wednesday 14th December. Check Touchlines as the meeting may have an early start. Regards John Martin
[Meeting will start promptly at 7:30pm. Ed.]
------7 Something not to do when running the line…..at the Fulham Academy…..for their U18s…..when they are filming the game…
Fulham -v- Ipswich U18s; a good fast game. All has gone well and there are about five minutes to go when Fulham bring on a nippy sub up front who is determined to work hard to impress.
I’m bench-side and soon realise I will have to keep my wits about me as his constant movement means he is onside, then offside, then onside again as Fulham build their attacks. Eventually, with the ball right over on the far side, one of his runs takes him at least ten yards beyond the last defender. He turns and runs back, even as the ball comes flying forward, achieving an onside position but only as the ball arrives. Up goes my flag as soon as he plays the ball. The referee’s whistle shrills and play comes to a halt. To a man, every player looks in my direction with expressions ranging from puzzlement to downright bewilderment (and one or two showing plain amusement). I was surprised that, at this level, they could not comprehend what had happened and used my left hand in the universally recognised signal to show that the player had come back from an offside position. “But, Lino”, howled the aggrieved sub. “You can’t be offside from a throw-in!!” Throw-in? I had been so intent on the forward’s movement, I had missed the ball going out on the far side and the Fulham player grabbing it and taking a quick throw...Doh!! The referee had then reacted to my flag before he could catch himself and overrule.
I really did not look forward to my next run past the Fulham bench and yes, they quite understandably - if surprisingly restrainedly - let me know what they thought.
Regards. Mike Coen ------
Tandridge Youth League: I will be trying to appoint assistant referees for as many of our cup semi-finals as possible. These will be Sunday games with kick-offs between 10:30am and 1:00pm and over a range of areas. There may be the occasional one that our members can get to, so if anyone is interested in the occasional assistant role, please let me know of your availability and the distance you are prepared to travel. Thanks. Alan Donovan 01737 551077
DON’T FORGET!! Sunday 8th January, 2012 Surrey & Sussex Inter-Society 5-a-Side Haywards Heath Sports Center - K.O. 3pm Lifts can be arranged - First Come First Served Please contact Simeon if you want to take part. 8 Charging for going for promotion I was very surprised to receive an Email from Surrey County Football Association (below) in regard to promotion for 2012/13 informing me that, if I wanted to go for promotion, I would have to pay £25. I understand from Mark Wood that this is new and is designed to discourage those people not really committed from going for promotion and to offset some of the cost. I have no objection to something which will discourage referees from going for promotion if they are not prepared to do all that is necessary and drop out part way through. My concern is that if County charge referees £25 to go for promotion, is this the best way of encouraging referees or is it possible that keen referees may decide not to apply? Would it not be better to still charge £25 but to refund this money to the referee when he has carried out all the obligations; i.e. has refereed the required number of games, sent games in for watching, attended IST and passed exam?
Alan Donovan
From: [email protected] Date: Thu, 1 Dec 2011 15:18:48 +0000 Subject: Application For Promotion - Season 2012-13 PROMOTION APPLICATION Dear Colleague You are currently a Level 7 or Level 6 Surrey FA referee. In order to be considered for promotion from your current level you must apply in writing by completing the R5 form. The form has been attached to this e-mail. It can also be found on our web-site. If you wish to attain promotion from your current level, you MUST return the enclosed promotion application form, having read and understood all of the criteria, to me at the County Office. Your promotion application must be accompanied by a payment of £25. This payment will partially cover your assessments, promotion examination, and administration, along with FA funding. It is vitally important that you read and understand the criteria before applying for promotion · You must have been a registered referee for at least one season · You must referee a minimum of 20 games in one registration period before applying for promotion. · You must attend the Promotion Candidates IST · You must successfully complete a written exam on the Laws of the Game · You must referee on adult football to be considered for promotion. Some competition games at over 16 years old may be considered but the majority of games must be in open aged football. · You must referee a minimum of 20 11-a-side games in a recognised competition during the promotion season. Full details are in the County Handbook and on the County web-site www.surreyfa.com Before entering the promotion scheme it is vitally important that you are able to commit the time and effort that is required of you. We want you to succeed with your promotion and you should only undertake the promotion when you are able to fully commit to it and you are able to give yourself the best possible chance of success. The promotion marking season starts on 1st March 2012 until 28th February 2013. Please return your application as soon as possible. Consider refereeing as many matches as possible in March and April this season to get you ahead of the game. Some referees may miss out on promotion this season as they are trying to complete their 20 matches and 3 assessments in January and February with the poor weather. Continued on Page 10...
9 ...Continued from Page 9
From: Alan Donovan [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: 01 December 2011 15:41 To: Mark Wood Subject: RE: Application For Promotion - Season 2012-13
Mark
Having just received your e mail re promotion for next season I was surprised to see that a £25.00 payment is due Having not gone for promotion in recent seasons this was new to me . Has this always been there or is it new. If new I am concerned that it may put referees off going for promotion. I am also very surprised that with what Surrey F A has done and is doing to promote the development of referees they feel it is necessary to make this sort of charge I would understand if you were making this charge but on the understanding that it would be refunded to referees on completion of there assessments to prevent referees applying and taking up the assessment officiers and assessors time without taking it seriously but as said I am surprised that the county feel it necessary to put this sort of charge in relation to referee development and promotion. I also want to say it is not the amount which I accept is less than one match fee but the princple that I have concern over Regards
Alan
From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Date: Thu, 1 Dec 2011 15:58:44 +0000 Subject: RE: Application For Promotion - Season 2012-13 Alan The fee is new this season and is designed to discourage those people who are not really committed from going for promotion. Last season we had over 20 people who returned forms and started the process but dropped out. The fee will go a small way towards the cost of going for promotion, the assessments and promotional IST. What you may not be aware of is that after many seasons of not receiving any real payment, referees tutors will be receiving an hourly rate for basic training courses and IST's. So as you can see there is an extra cost to us for someone going for promotion. There is also the assessors who have for several season's received a £10 subsistence fee and expenses.
Several other County FA's already charge a fee for promotion and it has had a very positive effect on those going for promotion, which I hope it will have on our candidates.
Regards Mark
Mark Wood | Referees and Competition Manager Surrey County Football Association
“When they play, the ball looks round. With some teams, it looks square!” Glenn Hoddle, on Barcelona - 2009 10 FA Disciplinary Procedures: Can I ask if the FA changing all adult football suspensions to a match day basis will encourage players out on the park to abuse referees? Under the old system - and the system still used at youth level - a player using offensive, abusive or insulting language to a match official would likely be suspended for 35 days. If he played Saturday and Sunday, this would be a possible 10 games and might at least make him think about it. Under the new system, a player committing the same offence would be suspended for 2 games. If, after coming back from that suspension, he did it again, he would get 3 games, with it continuing to be extended each time by 1 game. What deterrent is this? If you have cautioned a player in a game and later in the game he starts to give you dissent which you would caution him for, he would get a 1 game suspension for 2 cautions. If. on the other hand, he called you all the names he liked - from ‘Cheat’ to every abusive word he could think of - he would miss 2 games. I suggest that once players realise this, they will think, ‘Well! If I am going to miss one game, I may as well get my money’s worth and at least make it worth it, as I can say what I like and only miss 2 games.’ Is abusing a referee only twice as bad as 2 cautions in a game or preventing a goal scoring opportunity? Is this really the FA encouraging respect and supporting referees?
Alan Donovan
…and on a similar subject: Is the Wayne Rooney, appeal, by the FA, a good thing or a bad thing (FA putting major appeal together involving lawyers etc. to appeal against the 3-match suspension for his sending off in the last qualifying game, as it will mean his missing all the group games in Ukraine in 2012)? As the standard appeal for violent conduct is three matches, does our FA’s appealing to get it reduced set a bad example and send out the wrong message regarding their attitude to disciplinary matters? I understand why they are doing it but would it not have been better for them to say the player was stupid to do it and just accept the punishment? Alan Donovan …and finally: After watching Gareth Bale in the game on Saturday, can I ask - following his touching tribute to Gary Speed, when he took off his boot with Gary Speed’s name on it - will this lead to players removing their boots instead of shirts in future to save themselves getting cautioned? If a player takes his boot off and is not in his own half when he puts his boot back on and ties it up, could he be cautioned for delaying a restart? Alan Donovan 11 Having seen Manchester United's penalty against Crystal Palace (Carling Cup Qtr Final), Neil Sitch requested clarification on "the precise rules on players, feinting/slowing down, stumbling, tripping or using the wrong foot on penalty taking".
As always, the members were happy to advise: Mike Coen "didn't see the game" but advises: "A player is allowed to walk/run/pause/ scratch- backside, etc. as much as he likes during the run-up. However, at the point he is actually shaping to kick the ball, any further pause (normally to try to get the keeper to dive early) is seen as unsporting behaviour and should result in a caution and a retake. It is advisable to delay the whistle just in case his kick goes wide, in which case don't give him another go." Alan Donovan was of similar mind, suggesting "that it is fine to do what the Man Utd player did - i.e. stop or slow down during the run up - but you cannot stop at the end of the run up." Peter Watson also "didn't see it" so "can't comment" on that particular instance but adds: ”Players must not break their run - i.e. stop - when taking a penalty kick. Feinting is allowed; even using the wrong foot is ok but any action to unfairly distract the goalkeeper could be deemed unsporting." Daniel Rukstelis sums up, feeling that the text as written in the Laws of the Game (see below from the FIFA.com website) says all that needs to be said:
Feinting in the run-up to take a penalty kick to confuse opponents is permitted as part of football. However, feinting to kick the ball once the player has completed his run-up is considered an infringement of Law 14 and an act of unsporting behaviour for which the player must be cautioned.
As you consult your assistant over an off-the-ball incident, players crowd around trying to hear. As you ask them to back off, you are shocked to hear your assistant shouting at them using foul and aggressive language. What do you do?
David Laughton is emphatic in his decision, saying: "Tell him to get off the pitch and replace him with the fourth official. If there is no fourth, take him away from the players and advise him to calm down and that Respect is a two-way approach." Peter Watson agrees: "There is a real danger here of loss of credibility if you are seen not to act. How can you be expected to control offensive language by players when your assistant utters similar? The assistant's services should be dispensed with and a report sent to the appropriate authority." and Simeon Potter also has no time for such behaviour, advising: "Ask him to stand down from his duties and report him to the County for his actions." Neil Sitch also says: "I'm afraid that I would have to ask the assistant to leave the field of play and look towards the 4th official or a suitably qualified member of the club to take his place. Ask the assistant to retire to the dressing room and then speak to him afterwards. I would then contact Mark Wood or Tim Lawrence to seek their guidance and file a misconduct report as necessary." I think he echoes all our thoughts when he adds: "Not something I am hoping I would ever witness." Continued on Page 13... 12 …Continued from Page 12 Daniel Rukstelis adds: "'Shocked to hear' is right. I guess we all have a nightmare day now and again and for me (the referee) things just turned into a catastrophe!! After a moment to allow things to cool down, I would replace the assistant with the 4th official; I would then still have to deal with the original off-the-ball incident.” Alan Donovan feels that "without having more detailed information as to what was said and by whom, it is difficult to give a clear answer." However, he adds: "If you considered what was said to be serious enough, you would have to have the assistant relieved of his duties and report it to the appropriate authorities. I think you would have no option but to do this if you were to be sending players off for abusive language during the same incident. If you felt that he was being heavily abused / threatened by the number of players surrounding him and had said, for example, ‘f*** off’ and nothing else, you may decide to advise him not to make such comments but not to report it." Alan then puts on his referees' secretary's hat when he says: "I can understand the intense pressure officials are under when they have players or spectators surrounding them shouting and I have had referees report to me in the past where they have incorrectly said something to a player or manager when that person has had a go at them. I have advised the referee that they should report the incident to the County, reporting the person but also report to the Referee Department / County Secretary that, in the heat of the moment, they said something that was wrong to say." Mike Coen "appreciates the pressure that officials are sometimes subjected to but appreciates even more the need for a calm head under all such circumstances. Officials must never ever lose control on the field of play. If a player goes too far with his comments, we have the ultimate sanction and can enforce their removal. If a whole team have crossed too many boundaries, the game can be abandoned. As soon as an official himself crosses the line, he cannot continue to be a credible part of the game. The assistant must be relieved of his duties and should leave the area of the pitch. A club assistant would need to be appointed (if competition rules allow) unless some other suitably qualified person were available.” Ryan O'Sullivan advises: ”Obviously find out what happened for him calling you over and deal with that incident. Then ask him not to interact with players anymore for the duration of the match and let him know that you will be reporting him. Nothing else you can do really! If it is that bad and a player did that to you, then you would take the necessary disciplinary action."
Keith Hackett says: “He has put you an impossible position. However high-pressure a situation is, you and your officials have to stay calm and keep a lid on your emotions. As it is, you now have no choice but to dispense with his services and ask him to leave the field of play. Arrange for the fourth official to take over the line and organise a fourth official replacement. Afterwards report the incident to the authorities.”
A striker jinks past the keeper and prepares to slot the ball into the unguarded net. But suddenly he is sent flying by a chasing defender who has tripped over his own keeper. It's a clear accident. What do you do?
Alan Donovan is the first to respond, saying: "Not easy this one but, as I thought intent was taken out of the laws sometime back except for hand ball, it would be unfortunate but I would have to award a penalty and send the defender off for preventing a goal scoring opportunity." Continued on Page 14... 13 ...Continued from page 13 Mike Coen agrees, advising: "Intent only applies for handball offences. He may not have meant it but the defender has been careless in his actions which have resulted in the forward being fouled. Penalty kick and the defender is sent off for DOGSO." Neil Sitch says that "it looks like a foul to me and I would award a penalty. We've all had a situation where someone says, 'but it was an accident'. He has equally denied a goal scoring opportunity but a sending off sound harsh in this instance. Hopefully I could keep my cards in my pocket and pray that they convert the spot kick. Wouldn't it be nice if the keeper stepped to one side?!” Tom Ellams keeps it short and sweet: "The word 'intent' is not in the Laws of the Game (other than for hand ball) - penalty and red card." As does Grant Sheavyn with: "I would award a penalty kick and show a red card as it was a goal scoring opportunity." Simeon Potter adds: "Regardless of it being accidental, it's also 'Careless'. I'm afraid it's a Penalty and a DOGSO so the player has to go.....!! Only question is, does the Keeper also have to go as it was a combined foul?……....Only Joking!" Brian Donnelly thinks "that as he denied the attacker a clear goal scoring opportunity, the law is clear: a penalty kick and a sending off. It's just unlucky." David Laughton also thinks: "Penalty - not the striker's fault. The defender could have planned the accident with the keeper. Red Card." Daniel Rukstelis is also clear on the law in this situation: "I would award a penalty kick and issue a red card to the defender for denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity. The goalkeeper and defender were there to defend their goal. If they make a meal-of-it and collide, that is not my concern (they need more training by their coach). They fact is the defender fouled the striker while he was about to 'slot the ball into the unguarded net' and, as the referee, that is my concern." Peter Watson has the sole dissenting voice, saying: "It's an accident, so there's no offence, so no need to stop play unless there's an injury. Just hope that the ball is trickling towards goal!"
Keith Hackett says: “It's a tough one, but you need to apply the law consistently. The striker has been denied an obvious goalscoring opportunity and, while the defender's challenge was not deliberate, it was careless. Award a penalty and show the defender a red card.”
Due to crowd violence, the match you are refereeing is being played behind closed doors. A striker, already on a yellow card, scores and rips his shirt off in celebration. Do you intervene?
Alan Donovan recognises that 'consistency' is not always black and white as he says: "Caution and send off for second yellow is the simple answer. From a practical point of view, it may depend on the temperature of the game and how the player had been during the game. I started with what I believe to be the correct answer but, in practice, I may just warn the player rather than giving him a second yellow. The main point is that whether the game is behind closed doors should not make any difference." Daniel Rukstelis says: "Yes! I would book the striker with his second yellow card and then a red card. Whether a full or empty stadium, the striker made an unsporting goal celebration which is a 14 mandatory booking." Continued on Page 15… …Continued from Page 14 Mike Coen thinks that: "The fact that the match is 'behind closed doors' indicates that we are not talking about parks football here. This is a high enough level of football that no player can be excused for not knowing the basic laws. Issue the second caution and send the player off. It's just possible that he may remember not to do it next time." Neil Sitch gives short shrift: "Tough! Red card after a second yellow. Rules is rules!” Tom Ellams also has no time for such shenanigans: "Yes! it's unsporting behaviour irrespective of who's watching.” Simeon Potter shows there is no room for Christmas spirit when refereeing as he asks and answers: "What's the difference between behind closed with no fans or a Sunday morning game with no fans? Nothing! Second Yellow Card for me and off he goes.... Bah, humbug.!!“ and Grant Sheavyn also takes a firm stance, saying: "Yes! The laws remain the same irrespective of the number of spectators. Therefore a second yellow followed by a red.” Peter Watson has no doubts, with: "Absolutely! Second yellow and off he goes. Consistent application of law required." and Brian Donnelly agrees: "Yes. He should have a yellow card and a red as it's his second yellow. The law must be applied regardless of the size/absence of the crowd.“ with David Laughton having the last word, also advising: "Caution, followed by red card."
Keith Hackett says: “Show him a second yellow for removing his shirt to celebrate a goal, followed by a red. Again, you need to apply the laws of the game consistently. In any case, if the stadium has a history of crowd trouble, his instinct to celebrate goals in a crowd-inciting way really needs to be stamped out.”
Don’t Forget - Original YATR scenarios may be found every Friday on the Guardian website, showing the questions that will appear in the Observer the following Sunday. The answers then appear on the Monday. www.guardian.co.uk/football/you-are-the-ref
“I would buy some bad players, get the sack and then retire to Cornwall.” Neil Warnock (when manager of Sheffield Utd) on what he would do if he were manager of rivals Wednesday.
“I’ve read David’s autobiography from cover to cover. It’s got some nice pictures!” Victoria Beckham
15 An Eventful Sunday (or ‘A Day in the Life of a Sunday Referee’) - by Alan Donovan
I had an Under-15 cup game and an Under-16 Cup Quarter Final scheduled for the Sunday. Went to bed on Saturday with calf and hamstrings feeling tight and still feeling them on Sunday morning. First decision: Do I go and do both games or just the second game, as it was the more important? In the end, decide to do both and drive over with ice pack under leg. It obviously worked because I had no problems during the game (although not sure if I may have been subconsciously holding back in the early part of the first game). Anyway, driving to the game, the fog was very heavy so I was thinking about what I may find. Arrived at the ground at 9.30 for a 10.00 kick-off with fog so dense, I can barely see the pitch. Discussions with home team and groundsmen saw the latest time we could start agreed as 11.00 at the latest. Both teams keen to play, so we agree to delay kick off until 10.30, by which time it was still not perfect but we could at least see from one end to the other. The game started and all going well. I have a word with one of the away team players for a couple of fouls, hear the away team managers discussing substituting the player and think, 'good sensible managing'. About five minutes later, the same player fouls a player from behind. I caution the player and they then substitute him (I suppose better late than never). With the home team attacking, I saw a player fouled and pointed to the penalty spot. The attacker then came to me and said he was happy to take the penalty but the foul was outside the area. I normally ignore players in these circumstances (e.g. if they tell me it was a goal kick when I have awarded a corner) but, on this occasion, I changed my mind and awarded a direct free kick outside the area. In future, even if visibility and lines are not perfect, I must be sure before awarding a penalty. The game comes to its conclusion and I have had to caution one other player for a late tackle.
Into the second game, with the fog now fully lifted. A highly competitive game played in good spirit with no cautions necessary, just a brief word with a couple of players. With the score at one each, an away-team player shoots from a very acute angle and, although I did not see the ball enter the goal, it is in the back of the net. I point towards the center spot but, as I go towards the goal, the home side inform me it did not go in but went through the side netting. I checked the side netting and it was quite possible that what they were saying was true, as it was loose. I disallowed the goal and awarded a goal kick. Even after the game, the away team asked why I had changed my mind but did not say I had disallowed a perfectly good goal. I was happy that I had come to the correct decision but I was annoyed with myself that I had not checked that the nets were firmly fixed to prevent such a thing occurring. Lesson learnt the hard way. I always check nets etc. before the game but I do remember not checking between the games and, thinking back prior to the first game, was I more concerned about the visibility than the goal nets and had I not checked as thoroughly as usual? At the end of extra time, with the score still at one each and the away team about to take a goal kick, they asked me how much longer to play and I said, 'about twenty seconds'. I had the watch out, ready to blow for time as they took the goal kick and attacked. No sooner had I blown for the end of the game than they scored. I immediately informed them that the goal was scored after the 16 Continued on Page 17… …Continued from Page 16 whistle and so was disallowed. I was then surrounded by the manager and players informing me that I should not have blown as they were about to score, reminding me about Clive Thomas and World Cups and telling me I was spoiling the game and that, even if I was right, it was not in the spirit of the game. Whilst I was prepared to allow a little frustration I had to send one player off for abusive language. I then informed the home side that they would have to take one of their players off before the penalty shoot out only to then have this manager arguing that that was unfair and asking why he should have to send a player off just because the other team had. I tried to explain but he was in such a state I did not get the opportunity. It was the first time this has happened and I think if it ever happens again, I need to explain the reason first before asking them to send a player off the field. During the penalties, the first fourteen were all scored. When the fifteenth penalty was saved by the home-team goalie, the away-team goalie shouted that he had moved before the ball was kicked. I was certain that he did not make any substantial movement but, thinking afterwards, I was not sure whether subconsciously my tolerance level at seven-all on penalties was exactly the same as at the first kick…I think it was but maybe not! After the penalties, the away manager came up to me again, complaining about me stopping the game before they scored. He then said I had 'cheated them out of the game', at which point I asked for his name, telling him that I would be reporting him for saying I cheated. He then said he had not said that. I said that was a matter of opinion.
Specific points
• Check visibility and decide how long you will delay games.
• Get crucial decisions correct - including whether offence was inside or outside the box.
• Check nets are firmly fixed before all games.
• Be firm regarding decisions - including the end of the game (I will be sending a note to all teams [Alan is Ref Secretary for the Tandridge League - Ed] as it is something I am finding teams constantly moan about).
• Explain clearly the reason for a team having to take a player off at a penalty shoot out.
• Never allow a player or manager to insinuate that you cheated.
“After I scored six against Northampton, I hung back…I didn’t want to score any more. It was getting embarrassing.”
George Best 17 Check the Net !!! Snippets pulled from the World Wide Web
Football Club Sells Trophy Cabinet Spotted by Neil Sitch on Eurosport.com - 3rd Nov, 2011
After 20 years without silverware, non-league club Cambridge United have taken the extreme step of selling off their trophy cabinet on eBay. The wall unit is being flogged as part of a boardroom refurbishment at the club, with proceeds going to the U's long-suffering fans and a local charity. The eBay listing says: "This is a quality piece of furniture which would look great in anyone's home - and on top of that you will be owning a piece of unique sporting history." The cabinet measures 14ft by 7ft, boasts a glass front and lights and features extensive display shelving space. However, the team's fortunes on the pitch befit a rather more modest sideboard. Cambridge won the Division Three title in 1990/91, plus Division Four in 1976/77, two Southern League Premier Division titles and a Southern League Cup. The cabinet also contained an award for serving "the best bacon sandwich" in English football. The U's currently lie fifth in the Conference National, and are pushing for a return to the Football League. World of Sport suspects the auction has been targeted either by vandals or extremely keen Cambridge fans. On Thursday morning, the highest of 92 bids came in at a cool £3 million.
18 Pedantic Ref shows Bizarre Red Card Spotted by Simeon Potter on the Eurosport.com - 3rd Nov, 2011
A referee in Ukraine has come up with a As he trotted towards the touchline, he removed contender for the most pedantic red card of all- his shirt and was prevented from shaking sub time during a Premier League match between Evgeniy Shakhov's hand by the fourth official. Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk and Karpaty Lviv. The Ghanaian turned around to see referee Oleg Derevinskiy brandishing a second yellow card, then a red. As the substitution had not been completed, Dnipro were reduced to 10 men, but still held on to win 2-0. Dnipro manager Juande Ramos had little sympathy for his player, saying: "Samuel was already on a yellow card, and we know if you take your shirt off on the field you'll be shown a yellow card. Dnipro's Samuel Inkoom had already been "It was an unforgivable mistake on the part of booked when he was substituted in the 61st our player. A professional can't allow himself to minute. make such mistakes."
Intimate Piercing earns Melbourne Player Red Card Spotted by Neil Sitch in Metro.co.uk
An amateur footballer received a red card during a match in Melbourne, Australia, for failing to prove to the referee that he'd removed an intimate body piercing. Old Hill Wanderers player Aaron Eccleston received a second yellow card during the match with Swinburne University reserves at the weekend after he refused to show the ref he had removed his piercing as instructed. A statement on Old Hill Wanderers website declared: 'During the first half, our player was struck in the groin by the ball, and left the field to receive attention. 'At this point the referee became aware that he had a body piercing. 'He subsequently received two yellow cards, firstly for re-entering the field of play without the referee's permission, and secondly for privacy reasons - being unable to prove that he had removed the piercing.' However, the statement rejected claims Eccleston had 'exposed himself to the referee or to other players'. The team said it was satisfied with the conduct of both the referee and its player, accepting that the two yellow cards were in accordance with the laws of football. A video of the incident has since emerged on YouTube, showing the referee taking Eccleston into the changing rooms and later sending him off for not proving he had removed the piercing. 19 Fan dons Estonia TracksuitXxxxxxxxx to sneak into Ireland match Spotted by John Leonard of XL on Eurosport.com - 17thYyyyyyyyyy Nov, 2011
Irish football fan Conor Cunningham snuck into Ireland's Euro 2012 qualifier against Estonia simply by donning an Estonia tracksuit. And the 27-year-old from Cork ended up sitting next to Estonia's manager in the dugout after his extraordinary display of nerve in Tallinn. He ended up watching most of the match from one of the best seats in the house, and even joined in the Ireland team's post-match celebrations on the pitch after the 4-0 victory. "I was just determined to see the match - 11 of us arrived in Tallin for the game and we were being quoted €600 for tickets," Cunningham told the Irish Independent. Without the money to pay a tout, Cunningham tried to blag his way in as a security guard - but when that failed, he decided to try his luck by slipping into an unlocked and unguarded door at the side of the stadium.
"It was a corridor and a dead end. But I did see a bag of footballs and, when I picked them up, spotted an Estonian tracksuit underneath them," he explains. He quickly popped the disguise on over his Ireland shirt and jeans then headed back to the main entrance with the bag of footballs over his shoulder, where security staff calmly waved him through. Having got into the stadium, however, he decided to carry on playing the part of one of the Estonia backroom staff. "I didn't know what to do, to be honest, so I thought I'd better go into the Estonian dug-out. No one said anything to me and then I realised I was sitting beside their manager," he added. "It was about 10 or 15 minutes into the match when a UEFA official got suspicious of me. He came over and, after talking to me, told me I had to move." Rather than being thrown out, Cunningham was merely directed to the stands, where he stood next to a TV cameraman. After a quarter of an hour, however, it looked like the game was up when he was approached by a steward - but this time he was merely shown into an empty seat just six rows back from the pitch side. From there he watched Ireland demolish the hosts to all-but-guarantee their place at Euro 2012 - they confirmed their qualification with a 1-1 draw in the return match a few days later - and he couldn't resist celebrating with his idols. "When the match was over and Ireland had qualified, I said I'd chance my arm and I walked out on to the pitch. I celebrated with the players, shook hands with them all and even asked a few if I could have their jerseys," he said, while the video taken by one of his friends from the stand shows him revealing the Ireland shirt under his tracksuit to some of the Irish stars. "They were all really nice - they apologised and said they'd already promised the jerseys to friends 20 Continued on Page 21… …Continued from Page 20 and family. But Keith Andrews said I could have his - though I didn't get to see him again after they went into the dressing room." That was the point at which he'd gone too far, however, with one of the Estonian team staff wondering why one of their number was celebrating with the Irish players. She eventually caught up with him just after he had snuck into some of the post-match interviews. "She came over to me and started talking to me and just said I had to bring the bag of footballs back," Conor said, adding that he was not the only one of his 11 cash- strapped friends to get into the ground without a ticket. "It's one of the most amazing experiences of my life. In the end, 10 of us got into the stadium - but I definitely got the best story and photos."
Injured Lanner Ref at Centre of Abandonment Row Spotted by Mal Davies on ThisisCornwall.co.uk
[The following article is included as an example of why it is essential to be familiar with the rules of the competition in which you are officiating - Ed] LANNER referee Martin Ault was unwittingly at the centre of a situation from which Cornish football came out with little credit at St Austell's Poltair Park on Saturday. The Carlsberg South West Peninsula League premier division game between the home side and Lieskeard, which was nicely poised at 1-1 after a lively 45 minutes, was abandoned by Mr Ault after confusion and disagreements over how the second half should be officiated. In the end, the Peninsula League issued an apology on Saturday evening to supporters who had attended the match, after league secretary Phil Hiscox had carried out a commendably swift investigation with all parties concerned. Here is what did happen, to the best of my knowledge, given that referee Mr Ault said he was not allowed to talk to the press, and the fact that confusion reigned all around Poltair: 1. The referee suffered a recurrence of a hamstring strain during the first half and during the half- time break he decided he could not continue. 2. The assistant referees went to knock on the dressing room doors of the two teams to inform the managers of the referee's predicament. 3. St Austell said there was a Level 6 official from Somerset, on his holiday, in the crowd, who had offered to run one of the lines to allow the senior assistant referee to take charge in the middle. 4. Both teams took to the field but the officials did not appear. Eventually Mr Ault was seen limping out on to the pitch to talk to Liskeard player-manager Darren Edwards. 5. Edwards was unhappy about the senior assistant referee taking over and a replacement linesman standing in, and Mr Ault decided to abandon the game. Guidelines And here is what should have happened, according to league guidelines: 1. The senior assistant, John Reid of Hayle, should have been the referee for the second half.
Continued on Page 22... 21 …Continued from Page 21 2. The host club, St Austell, should have provided a person to be club linesman, qualified or not, with that person running the line against his own defenders' backs. 3. In response to what did happen, St Austell could and should have phoned league secretary Phil Hiscox. 4. The referee could have read the rule book or phoned Mr Hiscox. 5. Liskeard manager Darren Edwards should have been told by the referee what the procedure was and to get on with the game, rather than asking him if he was okay with it.
On Saturday evening, Mr Hiscox, on behalf of the league, issued the following statement: "The result does not stand and the match will be re-scheduled. "The circumstances of the matter have been investigated and I have this evening spoken to both club secretaries and the match referee. "The matchday referee was unable to continue due to injury and it was agreed that the senior assistant referee would replace him. The matter then became confused with the choice of linesman to replace the assistant referee. "St Austell nominated a person, the referee wrongly under rules, but in good faith, offered Liskeard the option of accepting this replacement or not, Liskeard believing it was their right to refuse, did so. Contact "The host club did not contact me at the critical time and as such the matter could not be resolved while all were still in attendance at the ground. "In summary it could be suggested that all three parties did not fully follow the relevant rules, and appropriate guidance will be issued. The league wishes to apologise to all spectators that attended Poltair this afternoon." Steven Craven 'shocked and disappointed' at lifetime ban from refereeing Spotted by Brian Donnelly on Sports.stv.tv - 9th Nov, 2011
The one-time linesman has failed in an appeal His suspension meant he was unable to referee to be allowed to referee at amateur level. even at amateur level, a decision Craven challenged at Hampden on Wednesday. The SFA though have upheld the original ruling of the referee's association Craven was registered to, rendering him ineligible to officiate at any level of the game. A statement read by his lawyer said: "The SFA Former top flight assistant Steven Craven today rejected Steven's appeal. My client is Craven, known for his involvement in the shocked and disappointed by the SFA's infamous 'Dougie, Dougie' incident at decision. Tannadice last year, was banned by the "My client maintains that the original decision of Glasgow Referee's Association for speaking out the Glasgow Referee's Association to subject against referee Dougie McDonald. him to a lifetime refereeing ban was wholly 22 disproportionate. Continued on Page 23... …Continued from Page 22 "In particular, my client believes the decision making processes of the Glasgow Referee's Association were fundamentally flawed, rendering their original decision unsafe. "My client will now all explore all his options with his legal team." In the Tannadice fixture, Craven appeared to be consulted by McDonald after Celtic striker Gary Hooper went down under a challenge from Dundee United keeper Dusan Pernis. McDonald immediately pointed to the spot but then approached Craven. It later transpired, in an interview in the Sunday Mail, that the referee had instead approached his linesman of his own accord and stated: "I think I've f***** up." Craven claims that, in the dressing room after the game, McDonald suggested their version of events when told to referee supervisor Jim McBurnie should be that Craven had summoned McDonald to question the decision. "I went along with it because I wanted to be supportive of Dougie. But then Neil Lennon came in after the game and asked Dougie why he hadn't given the penalty kick. "We told Neil [Lennon, Celtic boss] the version that was a lie. It was wrong to lie. And I'm not proud that I went along with Dougie's suggestion."
NFL referee Ron Winter buried in 'bundle’ Spotted by Neil Sitch on BBC.co.uk - 21st Nov, 2011
[We may despair of players not knowing the most basic laws, dissent and the like but spare a thought for referees who face very different hazards as they officiate in their own sports - Ed]
Referee Ron Winter is buried underneath a pile of players during the third quarter of the The Baltimore Ravens's 31-24 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, surviving the 'bundle' unscathed. 23 Just for Laughs
Not quite football but the following 12 of the finest (unintentional) double-entendres ever aired on British TV and radio were submitted by Tim Lawrence at County Office and anything with a sporting link that makes me laugh out loud in the office just has to make it in:
1. Ted Walsh - Horse Racing Commentator - 'This is really a lovely horse. I once rode her mother.'
2. New Zealand Rugby Commentator - 'Andrew Mehrtens loves it when Daryl Gibson comes inside of him.'
3. Pat Glenn, weightlifting commentator - 'And this is Gregoriava from Bulgaria .. I saw her snatch this morning and it was amazing!'
4. Harry Carpenter at the Oxford-Cambridge boat race 1977 - 'Ah, isn't that nice. The wife of the Cambridge President is kissing the Cox of the Oxford crew.'
5. US PGA Commentator - 'One of the reasons Arnie (Arnold Palmer) is playing so well is that, before each tee shot, his wife takes out his balls and kisses them. Oh my God!! What have I just said??'
6. Carenza Lewis about finding food in the Middle Ages on 'Time Team Live' said: 'You'd eat beaver if you could get it.'
7. A female news anchor who, the day after it was supposed to have snowed and didn't, turned to the weatherman and asked, 'So Bob, where's that eight inches you promised me last night?' Not only did HE have to leave the set, but half the crew did too, because they were laughing so hard!
8. Steve Ryder covering the US Masters: 'Ballesteros felt much better today after a 69 yesterday.'
9. Clair Frisby talking about a jumbo hot dog on 'Look North' said: 'There's nothing like a big hot sausage inside you on a cold night like this. '
10 Mike Hallett discussing missed snooker shots on 'Sky Sports': 'Stephen Hendry jumps on Steve Davis's misses every chance he gets.'
11. Michael Buerk on watching Philippa Forrester cuddle up to a male astronomer for warmth during BBC1's UK eclipse coverage remarked: 'They seem cold out there. They're rubbing each other and he's only come in his shorts.'
12. Ken Brown commentating on golfer Nick Faldo and his caddie Fanny Sunneson lining-up shots at the Scottish Open: 'Some weeks Nick likes to use Fanny; other weeks he prefers to do it by himself.' 24 19 Keith Hackett - Dealing with Dissent (Spotted by Mal Davies - in the Keith Hackett Column on Totalfootballmag.com) There is no doubt that if allowed to go unchecked in a game, dissent will undermine your authority and will lead you on a path to a loss of respect and control if you are weak. At the first sign of dissent by word or action take this opportunity to assert your authority. I would advise you to take the player to one side and, if appropriate, issue a public warning that you will not tolerate this type of behaviour. Players and spectators alike will be in hearing distance and your verbal warning will permeate across both sets of players. If the dissent is open and public then of course you can act immediately by issuing a caution (yellow card). If the player is guilty of using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures then a red card and dismissal is the appropriate course of action to take. Mass dissent The piece of art, drawn by world famous artist Paul Trevillion, shows the type of mass dissent which can put you under pressure and even create some doubt in your mind about the decision that you have made that has caused this unacceptable behaviour.
Remain confident and demonstrate courage along with concentration.
If a group of players are heading for you to dispute your decision then hold your ground and lean forward and be firm. The player leading the pack should be shown the yellow card and I would certainly look to show a second player a yellow card to re-assert your authority. This should make a clear statement to everyone that this behaviour of mass dissent will not be tolerated. In addition to your report to the authorities, detailing your cautions, I would recommend that you give details of this mass action by players in an additional report. So do not let anyone spoil your enjoyment. Be firm and fair and remember to stamp out the first sign of dissent. 25 Society Members on the Park
Sutton Society members Simeon Potter (Referee) and Matt Westlake (Reserve Official) at the U18 Midweek final - 2009 - between Sutton Utd and Carshalton. Assistants are Jim de Rennes (Kingston) and Tim Bone (Redhill)
Sutton Society members Peter Critchlow (Referee) and Mike Coen (Assistant – red flag) at the Combined Counties Premier Division game between Epsom & Ewell and Horley Town. 26 NOTES
27 RA Delegates’ Report Meeting of November 28th, 2011
FIVE -A-SIDE Will be held at Haywards Heath on 18/01/2012.
R.A. CHAIRMAN Chairman has resigned, so Colin Harris will be acting chairman until A.G.M.
KEN LONGHURST TROPHY Trophy was won by Kingston RA, who increased membership by 9.
R.A. CONFERENCE Conference dates are 13th to 15th July, 2012.
FA EVENT Have Your Say event is on 27th Febuary, 2012. Invites to be sent out by County. Guest speaker: Kevin Friend.
CLOSED DATES Just a reminder to close dates with County by email to Mark Wood.
RECRUITMENT Brian Fish has somebody who will to go to every referees’ course to promote the RA. MEMBERSHIP At last the figures are out. Nationally down by 88. Surrey down by 39. Suggested that Societies could offer new referees a discount in their first year (e.g. £4 for RA. membership - to make sure they are insured - and £5 pyshio cover).
PROMOTION from next season anyone appling for promotion will be chared £25 this hopefully cut down on time watsing
COUNTY DVD DVD is now available to view on YouTube.
SURREY REFEREES EVENT Attended by 134. A great success. Surrey have passed on their thanks to Mike Mullarkey & Darren Cann.
MENTORS Surrey now has 101 mentors and 13 more referees have expressed interest.
LEAGUE APPOINTMENTS Some leagues have been using non-registered referees, so all leagues have been asked to tighten up procedure.
NEXT MEETING will be on 30/01/2012
28 CONTACTS - 2011/2012
President Grant Sheavyn
Vice President John Kasey 020 8394 2968
Vice President Peter Watson 020 8393 9989
Chairman Barrie Gale 020 8644 3825
Vice Chairman David Laughton 020 8288 9275
Hon. Secretary Simeon Potter 020 8661 1555
Hon. Treasurer Keith Rodger 020 8786 7410
Training Officers Peter Watson 020 8393 9989
John Ryan 020 8337 6248
John Martin 020 8641 0501
R.A. Delegates John Kasey 020 8394 2968
Keith Glover 020 8786 0545
Events Coordinator David Laughton 020 8288 9275
Magazine Editor Mike Coen 020 8715 4678
Supplies Officer Mike Ewing 020 8644 7225
Retention Officer Neil Sitch [email protected]
Committee Member Charles Jeffery 020 8641 2611
Sutton United Liaison officer Barrie Gale 020 8644 3825
Hon. Auditors TBA
29 Sutton & District Referee Society Minutes of April Meeting that took place on 9th November, 2011 at Sutton Utd FC
Chairman Barrie opened the meeting and welcome all members and guest to the evening.
Apologies for Absence Received from Peter Watson, John Martin, Keith Slaughter, Charles Jeffery, Tom Ellams, Mike Coen, Keith Roger and Phil Gilmore.
Minutes of Previous Meeting All present were asked if there were any matters arising from last meeting’s minutes. None were raised. This was proposed by John Kasey and seconded by Grant Sheavyn.
Hon Secretary`s Report/Correspondence The Secretary made the following mention of corres : · ‘Did everyone receive the Surrey County "Referee" newsletter?’ is one of the initiatives to come out of the meeting held by Brian Fish with all the County RAs. This was sent out not only to all referees within the county but to all clubs as well. Hopefully this will encourage people to enrol for a course. Also encourage referees to join a Society. · Also in the "Referee" newsletter, everyone to be aware that the county are now using Match Based Discipline. It is imperative that caution and misconduct reports are submitted in a timely manner; preferably within 48 hours of any game. · Can all referees double-check their caution and misconduct forms before submitting, as there are still too many mistakes on the forms. · Good news: County Cup Appointments are generally being accepted first time by referees. Mark and Rod Wood would like to thank all. · More good news. All 4 county referees who are 2b and above have been appointed to games in the 1st Round of the FA Cup. Our very own Craig Hicks will be running the line at Swindon Town vs Huddersfield Town. Look out for him on Match of the Day. · Referee numbers in Levels 1 to 8 within the county are up by around 50. · All those Level 9 referees who qualified last season - but did not manage to complete their 6 games - can still register with the county for this season and continue to do their games as required. · Encourage members to join the RA Physiotherapy scheme. For £5 they can get four lots of physio per injury and this can happen four times in the season. Therefore 16 sessions for £5. A bargain.
Hon Treasurer Sutton & District Referees Society Treasurer's Report as at 5 November 2011: Opening balance at 1 April 2011 £1,634.76 Income since annual report £1,721.75 Expenditure since annual report £1,628.28 Society's Balance at end of period, 5/11/11 £1,728.23 Notes: The only major item of expenditure for the period was membership fees to the RA of £58.00 Membership: Stands at 62 members (of which 8 are youth members)
Training Officers Report All training officers were in attendance at the Exam night but Peter provided the following report: Of the 9 candidates, 5 passed. 2 have since resat the exam and also passed. One is due to resit the exam when our next group take theirs’ and one other is yet to get back to Tim Lawrence to tell him when she will retake it. Our next group will have 11 candidates and is due to start 31st October with exam scheduled 23rd November. We're having teething problems with IT at the new venue which may mean a renegotiation of the terms of the hire, especially as the County FA have paid up front.
Supplies Officer Current Stock £144.41 Cash £22.10 with a balance of £166.51 Continued on Page 31...
30 …Continued from Page 30
Magazine Editor Mike sent his apologies but gave the following report: Plenty of input this month - thanks for that - (even if I didn't understand all of the captions!!) Probably the fullest super-refs page to date. Please Keep it coming!
R A Delegates Report Keith had nothing to report and the next meeting is on 28th November.
Retention Officer Report Neil had little to report but was happy with his work so far and this is shown in the increased numbers.
Events officer report: Not present. Simeon mentioned that the 5-A-Side is likely to take place on Sunday 8th Jan, 2012.
Any Other Business None
Meeting closed: 20:30
DATE CHAIRMAN
31 Dates for the Diary
December, 2011
Wed 14th @ 7:30pm Sutton Society Meeting @ Sutton Utd FC Quiz Night
January, 2012
Sun 8th @ 3pm Referee Inter-Society 5-a-Side @ Haywards Heath Spts Center Wed 11th @ 7:30pm Sutton Society Meeting @ Sutton Utd FC Guest Speaker: Gary Willard: ex-Premier and FIFA Referee (currently Premier League Assessor and coach)
February, 2012
Wed 8th @ 7:30pm Sutton Society Meeting @ Sutton Utd FC
March, 2012
Wed 14th @ 7:30pm Sutton Society Meeting @ Sutton Utd FC
April, 2012
Wed 11th @ 7:30pm Sutton Society Meeting @ Sutton Utd FC AGM