A&H

If you could...

B

Brian Hamilton

RefChat Addict
Observer/Tutor
...go back in time and give yourself some advice before your very first game, what would it be?

For me, it would be to be a lot closer when I decided to issue my 4th caution, as I might have decided to send the player off.
 
The Referee Store
"Don't do it!" :D

Thinking back my first ever game was incident free, had it been a mare, probably would never have done it again! :confused:

If I could go back, would definitely tell myself to pick up the whistle at a younger age when I was a lot fitter and didn't have to live with 2 dodgy knees (one as a result of a serious skiing accident) and a temperamental ankle (again a result of ligament injury playing football 6 years ago).

Probably would tell myself to not hold back reporting a few more individuals/teams as well. There were a few occasions in the early couple of years I didn't want to create problems for my son due to his team being involved. :mad:
 
I shouldn't have played the day before, I refereed 90% of the team I played against the day before, Saturday game was brutal/spiteful, no matter what I did it was wrong with them on the Sunday.

I stopped playing at the end of that season, oil and water, they don't mix Brian, playing and refereeing
 
It's only been 3 years for me but I think my advice would be to ensure you're selective in who you listen to, some people were trying to help and some people are just pure poison and will destroy you for their fun.
If I wasn't as supported by family as I was I would have given it up in my first season, I sent away from the playing area a coach and a spectator (parent) and reported it accordingly. For my trouble my younger brother, who played for a different age group at the club in question, was suspended from the club as I should have dealt with it "in house" and I got some nasty emails from the club chairman after the initial hearing. I forwarded them to county and they did sort it very nicely. But at 14 years old it was horrible to go through and I felt terrible for my brother.
 
Find Cleve School in Hull, not Cleve Park School in Hull (and not end up suspended after the stupidity that followed...)
 
My first ever game was due to be a county cup game at Cleve School. Looked on the map, could not find Cleve School anywhere. I could however find Cleve Park School. In the absence of alternatives, I decided this must be a typo. Mistake 1.

Bear in mind this is late 1999 or early 2000; so no Google Maps, and email hasn't yet become the method of choice. County FAs are run by volunteers, not staff. To top it off in this area, teams were not obliged to contact you beforehand.

I get to the School, and there are two teams waiting for a referee. They must be mine, right? There is no one else. Do the game, and it's a corker, (including an 11 year old who scores a George Weah vs Verona-esque goal).

Happy after this and go back to the Uni hall. A few days later a letter arrives asking me why I did not attend my game. I use the email (mistake 2; see above re email). Hear nothing, perfectly happy.

10 days later a second letter comes - telling me I will be fined £15 for not answering correspondence if I do not reply with 5 working days. I write this time. Nothing further comes of it, so I'm in the clear.... Mistake 3.

I graduate and go home, start refereeing Men's football at home. January 2002, late on a Friday someone from the Northants FA rings me to say I won't be on the game tomorrow. "Postponed because of the weather?" I ask. "No, you're suspended." Cue shock. "We'll look into it and see what we can find out for you."

Now casting no aspersions but I get no answer from anybody until July 2002, when I'm advised to contact the ERCFA direct. Email goes unanswered so I end up ringing them. The reason for the suspension? Non-payment of a £15 fine. We have a lengthy discussion that goes through all of the points above and ends up with me having to pay the fine anyway, no appeal etc. I do and that's the end of the matter, suspension is lifted and I'm free to carry on.

Thankfully County FAs now have permanent staff so this kind of thing is a relic of a bygone age. A catalogue of errors from start to finish, with both sides equally culpable IMO. The support new referees get now is phenomenal. Had I had a mentor or someone at that time, the whole mess would have been avoided.
 
Tealeaf said:
My first ever game was due to be a county cup game at Cleve School. Looked on the map, could not find Cleve School anywhere. I could however find Cleve Park School. In the absence of alternatives, I decided this must be a typo. Mistake 1.

Bear in mind this is late 1999 or early 2000; so no Google Maps, and email hasn't yet become the method of choice. County FAs are run by volunteers, not staff. To top it off in this area, teams were not obliged to contact you beforehand.

I get to the School, and there are two teams waiting for a referee. They must be mine, right? There is no one else. Do the game, and it's a corker, (including an 11 year old who scores a George Weah vs Verona-esque goal).

Happy after this and go back to the Uni hall. A few days later a letter arrives asking me why I did not attend my game. I use the email (mistake 2; see above re email). Hear nothing, perfectly happy.

10 days later a second letter comes - telling me I will be fined £15 for not answering correspondence if I do not reply with 5 working days. I write this time. Nothing further comes of it, so I'm in the clear.... Mistake 3.

I graduate and go home, start refereeing Men's football at home. January 2002, late on a Friday someone from the Northants FA rings me to say I won't be on the game tomorrow. "Postponed because of the weather?" I ask. "No, you're suspended." Cue shock. "We'll look into it and see what we can find out for you."

Now casting no aspersions but I get no answer from anybody until July 2002, when I'm advised to contact the ERCFA direct. Email goes unanswered so I end up ringing them. The reason for the suspension? Non-payment of a £15 fine. We have a lengthy discussion that goes through all of the points above and ends up with me having to pay the fine anyway, no appeal etc. I do and that's the end of the matter, suspension is lifted and I'm free to carry on.

Thankfully County FAs now have permanent staff so this kind of thing is a relic of a bygone age. A catalogue of errors from start to finish, with both sides equally culpable IMO. The support new referees get now is phenomenal. Had I had a mentor or someone at that time, the whole mess would have been avoided.
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What a brilliant story! You see new referees these days really do have it easy ;)
 
Mike said:
Remember to start my watch cause trying to guess half an hour is quite difficult!
Thank God it was a friendly...
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I have done that so many times haha. Thank God I've started writing down what time I start the game now
 
My second ever game was a week after I qualified. I had done a Sunday Morning friendly at Hackney Marshes the week before for the same team, which was my first ever game. I got a call on Friday confirming the Sunday game from 'Jonesy'. Saturday night I get a call from 'Jonesy' to say he'll pick me up as the ground is difficult to find and I'm on his way. No bother, picks me up, ref the game and get dropped home. Later that after 'Jonsey' calls and asks where were you this morning? Cue the explanation. Turns out his brother, who plays for a the second team (didn't know they had a seconds) nabbed me for his game. Luckily all saw the funny side.
 
Given that my first proper 11-a-side game was probably my third worst of all time (inexplicable decision on hand ball for penalty and a dodgy indirect free kick inside the penalty area for impedance), I'd be saying to expect much better with growing maturity. I had a minor breakdown at half time, and the best decision of my six-year experience of youth football to date was to referee that second half!
 
Relax, expect the unexpected, makes notes on the really odd rules you think you might not remember in the heat of the moment, so you remember the really odd rules in the heat of the moment, communicate clearly and openly with the captains before the game, don't rush anything...
 
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