Reuben Watt
New Member
A player I refereed the other day has asked to be my friend on Facebook, do you think it's okay to accept or just leave it?
Accepting Facebook requests
- Thread starter Reuben Watt
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Facebook or Grinder.?.... there's a big difference,
Padfoot
The Persecuted One
What's the worst that can happen?
The player sends you loads of abuse, which you screenshot and forward to your CFA discipline department, resulting in a nice charge for the player, a fine and probably a ban.
Then you get the satisfaction of blocking them....win/win if you ask me.
The player sends you loads of abuse, which you screenshot and forward to your CFA discipline department, resulting in a nice charge for the player, a fine and probably a ban.
Then you get the satisfaction of blocking them....win/win if you ask me.
Really? Bit melodramatic.
If you're really too worried, just change your surname on your Facebook to your middle name / a close (but not too close) resemblance of your surname. If you have Twitter/Instagram, just lock your account.
It more came from the seminar my thinking behind it. It seemed to be quite an issue, I've been twice now and it was raised both times.
I have other personal reasons as to why i might want to do it as well.
What I've picked up from seminars is more the way you conduct yourself on social media, not the need to change your name.
Who am I to judge what you do though. Even more so if you have personal reasons to do it.
I have many many friends on FB, managers, players, I get many private messages asking questions and law advice. Get some great City banter on FB too, if you are too sensitive then you're in the wrong game, be respectful, be informative, be honest, be humble, embrace it, use it positively and they all know that there is a line you don't cross! Easy to bin someone too!!!
That seems to be the message but I get the impression they'd rather you just didnt have it
PP62
Well-Known Member
It's not an issue at all. It's just that at the seminars they try to make it one. Yes, there have been referees getting into trouble because of what they have said on social media but as long as you don't post anything like naming problem teams, players, leagues etc then there will be no problems. I know lots of referees who check in on facebook when they get to the ground for their games and there is no issue with it; that's what social media is for. If you have other issues with facebook or the other sites then it's your decision what to do not the FA's.
@Reuben Watt just delete the friend request.
The problem is that some referees don't think before they post, and giving them Facebook or Twitter is akin to giving a monkey a machine gun. They end up posting something that is inflammatory, offensive, insulting, etc, someone reports them and they end up getting suspended even if it has nothing at all to do with refereeing. I remember seeing one L3 post that he had won money on a football bet, very ill advised given that L3s aren't allowed to bet on any football.
If you think before you post there is no need to delete your accounts
Nothing worse than them commenting on when you appear in a Non League paper in your not so finest moment RR
I'm not sure that this crowd may not know what i'm blathering about! Maybe you need to remind us!!! 
there are always colleagues who you thought were friends willing to stab you in the back it happened to me, think very hard before you post anything
Padfoot
The Persecuted One
Isn't that more indicative of the ridicuously outdated ideals of the FA rather than a reflection on the referee?
If I chose to post an opinion on my FB that someone finds offensive, which is nothing to do with football, what possible right do a group of stuffed shirts from the 1950's have to make any judgement on my refereeing capability?
And I am making an assumption that we are not talking something racist, sexist, homophobic etc.......plenty of ways to offend people without resorting to the nuclear options.
Just mission creep from the FA who believe they have the right to police every aspect of your life just because you are a referee.
Not really, because lots of people have also been fired from their (non-football related) employment for Facebook and Twitter comments. I work for a FTSE 100 company and people there have found themselves in all kinds of problems around social media posts, so much so that we now all have to undergo quarterly training on appropriate use of social media.
Padfoot
The Persecuted One
Likewise the ridiculous attitude extends to employers who believe they can police every aspect of your life.
Just another attempt at forcing people into becoming clones without any original or dissenting thoughts.
Cheshire Ref
RefChat Addict
@Padfoot are you being controversial just for the sake of it again???
Employers will police social media because they will want to protect the image of the company and not have it brought into disrepute, the FA are no different. "Not been to sleep all weekend, what a mad one. Seriously what did we get up to?" Is that acceptable? Would you be impressed if a) that was a member of your staff or b) that was a member of staff of a company you were considering doing business with.
I think if anyone is being archaic here then that would be you.
The FA have every right to police social media. If a referee begins to reach the upper echelons of the game do they really want your social media past being brought up in the press, because someone somewhere will find that post about you getting off your nut.
zarathustra
RefChat Addict
If I were to post of Facebook that I went out at the weekend and got off my nut there is nothing my employer can do about it, unless I then called in sick on the Monday.
Yes, people need to be careful about what they post, but an employer would be hard pressed to take formal action against you unless you posted something which could constitute gross misconduct or similar.
The problem with refereeing and social media, aside from people in the upper echelons of the FA still living in the 50s, is that there are lots of people (including fellow referees) who will try and score points off you for the smallest things.
If people want to progress then they need to play the game
Yes, people need to be careful about what they post, but an employer would be hard pressed to take formal action against you unless you posted something which could constitute gross misconduct or similar.
The problem with refereeing and social media, aside from people in the upper echelons of the FA still living in the 50s, is that there are lots of people (including fellow referees) who will try and score points off you for the smallest things.
If people want to progress then they need to play the game