Very interesting to read here about the trouble and strife for referees at friendlies.
Sunday finally convinced me to resign from my OA leagues on Saturday and Sundays after 20 years.
There was no violence which can often be the catalyst for a knee jerk resignation but I believe my personal reservoir of patience and tolerance is empty. In a pre-season friendly if I cannot control my emotions and stress levels with players and managers that do not even know the Laws from previous seasons and the new Laws are causing on going arguments between me and players I simply cannot be bothered any more.
In one particular incident the manager from the offending team (the Home team were excellent) became the CAR. He flagged for offside from a goal kick and said in all his years of playing he had no idea and that was because he had been a forward! I despair.
I awarded a penalty for shirt pulling which everyone denied seeing. At the end of the match the manager said his team had been robbed and I had it in for them. A couple of his players said they had seen the incident and the offending player admitted he had grabbed the attacker, but had then let him go! Still the manager blasted me saying no other referee gives them. This is a small selection of the constant petty bickering that was going on.
Apparently this team could not get a referee from their league and now I know why.
So there it is, I am sick to the back teeth of players and managers sucking the enjoyment out of what I have been doing for a long time now. Players knowledge of the LOTG has not got better over the years and that had made it worse for me as my enthusiasm and tolerance erodes further year after year. The matches more often make me miserable rather than happy or content and I return home under a cloud. Why continue to do something that makes you sad. If it was a marriage I would have got divorced years ago.
So for me I will play more tennis which normally puts a smile on my face but I will visit this forum still and offer my support to those brave soldiers that continue to turn out week after week and I sincerely hope it is many many years before your enthusiasm wanes and you have the life blood drained out of you and you wonder if you can face another season or even the next match.
If I could have had my time again I would have issued more cards to enforce control rather than trying to be friends with everyone. I believed I was doing the right thing but with hindsight I should have been stronger/tougher.
Sunday finally convinced me to resign from my OA leagues on Saturday and Sundays after 20 years.
There was no violence which can often be the catalyst for a knee jerk resignation but I believe my personal reservoir of patience and tolerance is empty. In a pre-season friendly if I cannot control my emotions and stress levels with players and managers that do not even know the Laws from previous seasons and the new Laws are causing on going arguments between me and players I simply cannot be bothered any more.
In one particular incident the manager from the offending team (the Home team were excellent) became the CAR. He flagged for offside from a goal kick and said in all his years of playing he had no idea and that was because he had been a forward! I despair.
I awarded a penalty for shirt pulling which everyone denied seeing. At the end of the match the manager said his team had been robbed and I had it in for them. A couple of his players said they had seen the incident and the offending player admitted he had grabbed the attacker, but had then let him go! Still the manager blasted me saying no other referee gives them. This is a small selection of the constant petty bickering that was going on.
Apparently this team could not get a referee from their league and now I know why.
So there it is, I am sick to the back teeth of players and managers sucking the enjoyment out of what I have been doing for a long time now. Players knowledge of the LOTG has not got better over the years and that had made it worse for me as my enthusiasm and tolerance erodes further year after year. The matches more often make me miserable rather than happy or content and I return home under a cloud. Why continue to do something that makes you sad. If it was a marriage I would have got divorced years ago.
So for me I will play more tennis which normally puts a smile on my face but I will visit this forum still and offer my support to those brave soldiers that continue to turn out week after week and I sincerely hope it is many many years before your enthusiasm wanes and you have the life blood drained out of you and you wonder if you can face another season or even the next match.
If I could have had my time again I would have issued more cards to enforce control rather than trying to be friends with everyone. I believed I was doing the right thing but with hindsight I should have been stronger/tougher.
