How/why did you get in to refereeing?

[xPositor]

Having joined this forum after getting bored of another about 18 months ago, I can definitely say that we're a mixed bunch! I thought it would be interesting to understand how others got in to refereeing...

For me, I got my L1 coaches badge when my son went up to U6's in mini-soccer, and after a couple of seasons found myself enjoying the refereeing element more than being a coach (as I described it at the time, you only got grief during the game, not everyday of the week from other parents). So I decided to take the course, and then got more and more involved in refereeing rather than the coaching side - although I am still the fallback ref for my son's side (now U15's) and other teams at his club (amongst a couple of other coaches that have subsequently been convinced to come to the dark side).
I did do some open age, but could only do Sunday mornings - this conflicted both with my son's matches, and I also decided I wanted to enjoy the game and the verbals from OA weren't worth the hassle. I now just enjoy refereeing youth games, with a bit of vets thrown in from time to time, whilst trying to balance my son's games with other matches in the league (where I don't have to worry about the perception of bias).
What got you in to refereeing?

 

[PP62]

I occasionally got roped in to referee games for both of my sons' teams. Eventually I decided to go for it, did the course and never looked back. Within 10 years I had made it to level 4 (twice) and am still active now I've dropped down to 5 again.

 

[CO. DOWN REF]

Love football, but what a truly player I was.

 

[TheRef]

My dads a referee, as was his father in law. Following on the family tradition I guess....

 

[holbeach ref]

Love football absolutely awful player but wanted to be involved. I wasn't really interested in coaching, so decided on refereeing my PE teacher saw an ad in the local paper for the next course and gave me the details.

 

[deusex]

After months of declaring how sh*t the 70 year old referees in our league were and how much better I could do I finally put my money where my mouth was.
Turns out I was right.
I still see "Sh*t Irish ref" (what we called him) on the Sunday circuit some 10 years after he contributed to my taking up the whistle.

 

[Charlie Jones]

played for Romford's youth team until I was 14, fell out of favour with a few players so left and decided to follow in my mums uncles footsteps of being a referee (youngest on my course!) did 3 seasons, quit due to work - decided to play again when I was 21, did 2 seasons and realised I was only a good player because I was faster, fitter, slimmer, and more agile (good attributes for a winger) so decided to take up the whistle again

 

[DB]

Current player in Cornwall. Fed up with seeing so many games postponed without referees. Took it upon myself to get in contact with every club in Junior football down here, got 10 through a course in october. Got another 15-20 on a course in April.

I now referee when my team hasn't got a game.

 

[Mooseybaby]

My son started football training at the age of 6, then eventually they had enough players of the same school age turning up every week to form an under 8s team. Their referee was the daughter of the team secretary. I was talking to coach after training one week and he said they were a bit stuck as the usual referee was away and no one else was willing to do it. Surrounded by a bunch of 7 year olds, led by my son and a desperate coach, I was "persuaded" to referee their game at 24 hours notice.

That night gave myself a crash course on the laws of the game and the mini-soccer laws. First game went ok, no major dramas. For some bizarre reason they kept asking me to do it. Eventually decided to go official, paid my fee, did the course, loved every minute of it... Must enjoy the punishment!

 

[Tealeaf]

By accident! My uni (first time around) offered the course for £2, so I thought I'd learn the rules and find out what I could get away with. First lesson? Laws, not rules!

 

[Ade Willoughby]

@xPositor im the same as you. Started off as a parent on the sidelines watching in frustration while my sons u7 team lost week in week out. Took over after my Level 1 and the team never looked back. Took the team to U12's then became GK coach for the club. Decided after that to take up ref'ing. I enjoy doing adult games more than youth ones. Less grief, believe it or not

 

[santa sangria]

1. My dad refereed a few times when I was captain of the school team at age 8 (before my height ceased to be an advantage!). He looked slack and I always wondered about doing it properly. (sorry, dad!)
2. Local shortage of refs. Experience of dismal refereeing playing in local licensed amateur leagues.
3. Ten years ago, while waiting for our next match, watched as a team in our div got three reds after pushing, spitting and swearing at their ref. No ARs. 150 yds from the national FA HQ. He became catatonic and collapsed. We called an ambulance. He was OK. It made me want to be a professional referee.
(4. Great support and advice from our regional referee coaches and lots of good people to work with from dozens of nationalities, from the off.)

 

[SM]

Really wanted to be back involved with football after stopping playing due to injuries. Wish I'd started earlier

 

[LC]

Granddad was a referee for 35 years and was the person who got me into football. When I was younger he always told me storys from his matches which inspired me to become a referee. Just wish he didn't make me support such a rubbish team

 

[jack.prescott]

Stopped playing football after leaving Notts County development centre. Met Howard Webb when I was a ballboy at Wembley in 2012 and decided that was what I wanted to do.

 

[jofusref]

serial referee abuser watching my team somebody said you cant know all the rules duh so i took the referee course 23 years ago, learned so much met so many great people

 

[zarathustra]

I'm just in it for the ladies, chicks dig a man with his own whistle.

 

[Brian Hamilton]

Son's team stepping up from 7 a side to 11 a side, league told them they needed a qualified ref. Me and a mate went to do the course. Nigel Bannister led it in a working men's club in a pit village. We sat in a room drinking pints while the co-tutor got drunk and smoked his way through half a pack of cigs each week.

Finished the course 15 years ago, son gave up football, me and his mum split up and then I got as call from a university team. Did some games for them, moved house started in a local league and the rest is history.

 

[zarathustra]

Serious answer, I am absolutely not the best at playing football, but still wanted to be involved in the game.

Decided that refereeing was the answer

 

[Russell Jones]

Interesting that the most common answer being given is the 'son playing youth football' one, which was indeed my case. So I qualified only three years ago but hoping to get my Level 5 in March. Interesting one for all the RDOs to consider. Quite right to have a focus on young referees as they have the greatest chance to progress all the way to the top but more active recruitment of those at 'parent' age could be both a way of keeping up overall numbers and also getting those with more life experience involved ..