Subject: refs
Hi
Good News,
Referee
recruitment has increased this season by 45% with over 5000 new recruits. Well
done to John Newson’s team as they must have recruited a large amount of
those.. Referee levels are now over 25,500 .A few more and perhaps some of us
older ones can put our feet up
GOOD NEWS.
The respect
program seems to be working .Grassroots cautions and misconduct down by 9%;
dissent down by 6%; assaults down by 26%. So next time someone uses dissent,
abuses you or assaults you at Luton Rec you can be sure you are one of a
diminishing number.
Who Ate All The
Pies.
Many championship, league 1&2 refs and assistants would top the ‘fray
bentos’ lists of fat refs. There are no fat refs in the premiership but in the
first division many are built like the Tele-tubbies, As their waistlines
increase so do their mistakes. Let "x" be the number of pies
eaten; let "y" be the number of ‘what the hell was that decision
for’. You have only got to look at your chairman to see where he stands in the
‘x y’ status.
Membership Fees 2010/2011.
I would remind all members that membership fees for
2010/2011 are due on the 1 April 2010. The fees will remain at £23.00 (£12.50
under 18) for the 3rd year running. Should you not be attending the branch meeting in the next
few months membership fees can be paid by cheque, made payable to Medway KRA,
and forwarded to my home address, 296 The Tideway, Rochester, Kent ME1 3PS.
Peter Curran, Treasurer.
Branch Quiz/Social. Special thanks to all the
members and guests who attended the branch quiz/Social on Monday 25 January
2010. A special thanks also to our chairman, John Poulton, and his wife Terry
for arranging the quiz and keeping the score. Seven teams took part with
once again the winners were the Green Street Gang with a score of 97 from a
maximum of 110.
The other teams were:
2nd - Medway News Youth League 93 points 3rd - Medway Messenger SFL 91 points 4th - I Don’t Know (F. Woollett) 84 points 5th - Bossies Bashers (KYL 1) 80 points 6th - Goodness Nose (P. Curran) 78 points 7th - RESPECT (KYL 2) 75 points.
THE RENEGADE IN MUNICH LESSON ONE
After 51 years circling the sun every day mostly
in England
- there are certain things that you come to accept as Gospel because you keep
hearing them day after day or in this case winter after winter. Currently in London and the Home Counties we’ve been
suffering with some fairly interesting wintry conditions. (For my foreign
subscribers the Home Counties surround London
the stuff you learn from this newsletter!) Which those of us who live in Britain will tell you means that the television
news is filled with the arctic conditions ravaging the UK. It doesn’t
matter that the north has been under snow since last July as soon as it hits London it fills the
screens.Every commentator will carp on about how London grinds to a halt for a drop of snow whilst our
cousins in Europe function correctly even when
they have 10ft of snow falling in 2 hours and the temperature dropping to -25°C
with the wind chill factor making it feel like -50°C! Don’t believe everything
you hear on the television.Yesterday evening (Wednesday) we sat on the
tarmac of MunichAirport on the easy Jet flight back to
Gatwick for 3 hours because 2cms of snow had closed the runway! Now this should
have been a shock to me - but by then myvision of German efficiency had been shattered.
Why? Let me tell you. Yesterday morning (Wednesday) we’d come out of our hotel
on Dachauer Strasse to catch the #20 or #21 tram to the town centre to find
these had been cancelled I presume down to frozen tracks! So we jumped another
tram #12 that took us to Rotkreuzplatz wherewe caught the U1 to Hauptbahnhof. Then yesterday
afternoon (Wednesday) we took the S8 train to the airport only to find it was
delayed by 3 mins. I know only 3 minutes but in Germany this doesn’t bode well for
the state of the infrastructure. Incredible a bit of snow and Munich grinds to a halt. (Incidentally easy Jet didn’t charge us rent for
sitting on the aircraft I guess Stelios hasn’t thought of that one yet.)
THE RENEGADE IN MUNICH LESSON TWO
On the flight back last night Jack and I sat next
to guy in his 30’s who had multiple piercings in what looked likeevery facial
orifice! He was pierced through the eyebrows, the nose, his ears and his lips.
My first impression of him was not that he was a charming, witty, intelligent,
humorous and warm human being. This guy designs skateboarding shoes and for the
4½ hours we sat on the plane I enjoyed his company. This led me to think if he
is/was a referee how would he be greeted by teams that did not know him? When
they got to know him they’d know what is style of officiating is and would
adjust their game to him. I know that some don’t but that’s because they’re
thick! However, how would they react when he turned up the first time? You know where this is leading, don’t you? How
are you perceived when you turn up at a ground? Do you turn up looking like you’re every inch a
professional and you’re there to do a great job? Or do you stroll through the
football club as if you own it, running rough shod over their clubhouse rules? Or
do you turn up as a guest and treat their home with the respect it deserves? If
you’re not sure how you’re perceived ask someone close to you and unless you
get the answer Steve you’re perfect seek to make the improvements necessary.
Those improvements will prove a sound investment in your enjoyment of your
refereeing.
THE RENEGADE IN MUNICH LESSON THREE
This is a stretch to call this a Munich lesson but it is aligned to the
weather last week we spoke about playing games because we’ve been idle for
weeks. This week if you’re called upon to inspect a pitch you have to still ask
yourself can I guarantee to the players that the field is safe to play on? I’m
sorry but the question does not get watered down because we’ve been struggling
to officiate for the last 10 weeks. Remember the players who tell you: before the
game its okay referee we’ll take it easy will disappear with ease or worse
still will join in the condemnation ofyou for playing the match. In two weeks time a
group of committed referees will be meeting in London near Victoria Railway station to
exchange ideas and hopefully improve their officiating. PS Remember we know
it’s tough telling enthused footballers they cannot play for another week its
even tougher telling them they’re out for 3 months.
(Reprinted from the Eccles Informer)
Congratulations
– Well Done.
To
all referees, whether members of the branch or not, who have gained promotion
or been appointed to a county cup final. Keep
up the good work. The game needs officials of this quality to continue to make
progress for the benefit of all who take part in this ‘beautiful’ sport.
