Had my first real difficulties with a manager today. U15s match - a couple of the boys had a few minor "everything is against us, ref!" type comments but I felt that I brought this under my control with a chat or two - and in the main the players were fine for the rest of the game.
However their manager just couldn't let it go. Similar comments and frustrated gestures were constantly coming from the sideline.
We had a chat at halftime and his frustration was clear. I explained that I am making the best decisions that I can and always act fairly to both teams. I also added the context that his team were actually winning fairly comfortably at this point, and finally I asked him to encourage/demonstrate good conduct to his players from now on.
But then, start of the 2nd half the ball is in play and I hear him talking to one of his players on the FOP: "Yeah, this ref hasn't got a clue". This riled me for two reasons:
Being a new ref - this incident, his behaviour and reaction towards me has been playing on my mind since. I'm struggling to think how I should act differently next time something similar starts to boil?
However their manager just couldn't let it go. Similar comments and frustrated gestures were constantly coming from the sideline.
We had a chat at halftime and his frustration was clear. I explained that I am making the best decisions that I can and always act fairly to both teams. I also added the context that his team were actually winning fairly comfortably at this point, and finally I asked him to encourage/demonstrate good conduct to his players from now on.
But then, start of the 2nd half the ball is in play and I hear him talking to one of his players on the FOP: "Yeah, this ref hasn't got a clue". This riled me for two reasons:
- He was questioning both my ability and integrity as a referee
- He was setting a very bad example of conduct to impressionable 14/15yo boys
Being a new ref - this incident, his behaviour and reaction towards me has been playing on my mind since. I'm struggling to think how I should act differently next time something similar starts to boil?