Andre Marriner travelled 1,101 miles in seven days during festive period - is it any wonder Premier League referees made mistakes? - The Telegraph
https://apple.news/AR5TF04y-QSe_R92TEHEHhg
https://apple.news/AR5TF04y-QSe_R92TEHEHhg
Interesting read
- Thread starter WilliamD
- Start date
Ciley Myrus
RefChat Addict
Its a subject that is forgotten when managers or players wine about amount of game in so many days and so on.
Players get luxury coach, train, even plane, the best recovery techniques known to man, can be subbed with 15 mins to go to get them ready for the next game, some players touch the ball less than 20 times in a game, and on average, the midfielders (the engine rooms) run around 7 miles a game, whereas the referee, sometimes a guy in his 50s? runs around 11 miles, drive home at all hours, still buzzing, wakes up to adverse publicity, then has to repack the kit bag and head off to the next game, driving whilst tired and still mentally occupied with the last game then has to be at the ground apx 2 hour before the game and go through it all again, all for less salary per year than most of the players will get in a year
there is no real recovery time, no chance to replace lost fluids, eat the right things, and probably just as important if needed, reflect and learn from the previous game,
there should certainly be uppermost thought involved in locality for festive fixtures, for example, Mike Dean could easy have done Liverpool Everton tonight instead of Madley and Marriner is Birmimgham? So why cant he get, West Brom, either or both Manchester teams at home and Leiceseter or Stoke, rather than Newcastle!!
Throw in (although they am sure they are happy to make the sacrifice) that its Xmas and a family time and yes, it could be managed better
Players get luxury coach, train, even plane, the best recovery techniques known to man, can be subbed with 15 mins to go to get them ready for the next game, some players touch the ball less than 20 times in a game, and on average, the midfielders (the engine rooms) run around 7 miles a game, whereas the referee, sometimes a guy in his 50s? runs around 11 miles, drive home at all hours, still buzzing, wakes up to adverse publicity, then has to repack the kit bag and head off to the next game, driving whilst tired and still mentally occupied with the last game then has to be at the ground apx 2 hour before the game and go through it all again, all for less salary per year than most of the players will get in a year
there is no real recovery time, no chance to replace lost fluids, eat the right things, and probably just as important if needed, reflect and learn from the previous game,
there should certainly be uppermost thought involved in locality for festive fixtures, for example, Mike Dean could easy have done Liverpool Everton tonight instead of Madley and Marriner is Birmimgham? So why cant he get, West Brom, either or both Manchester teams at home and Leiceseter or Stoke, rather than Newcastle!!
Throw in (although they am sure they are happy to make the sacrifice) that its Xmas and a family time and yes, it could be managed better
They shut all STFU, they’re well paid, get on with it. They’ll be weeks when it’s 1/3 of that, they don’t ask for more then do they!
PinnerPaul
RefChat Addict
Article ever so slightly undermined by the line describing him blowing his whistle after completing his 4th official duties!
It is difficult, as has been said the referees don't get private jets or luxury coaches, they often just drive themselves. The run the same distance as the players, so if it is claimed the players are exhausted it stands to reason the referees will be.
It's worse at the levels below though where they aren't full time. Many a time I'd have to leave work at 2pm to get home, get the car, then get to places like Salisbury and Eastleigh. Get home at 1 or 2am on the morning, then up at 6am to get into work early to make up the lost hours from the previous day. It really is exhausting, and it took me missing 4 months after knee surgery to realise how much better, relaxed and awake I was at work without doing that. Made the decision for me, I quit just a month after coming back from the injury.
Typical Tuesday for me if I had a reasonably local Conference game would be ...
- up at 6am to get the train to work for around 7.30
- leave work around 2.30 to go home and get the car
- 3.30pm - set off the ground, referees typically wanted you there for 5.30pm for midweek games, so with London traffic needed to leave a lot of time
- 9.45pm - game finished and back in changing room.
- 10:30pm - all officials changed and observed finished debrief
- 11pm - officials leave ground
- 12pm to 2am - get home and go to bed
- 6am - alarm goes to get back into work
Don't get me wrong, I loved it and I would have done the same again even knowing how tiring it is. But match officials effectively having 18-20 hour days are going to make mistakes, that is just inevitable.
It's worse at the levels below though where they aren't full time. Many a time I'd have to leave work at 2pm to get home, get the car, then get to places like Salisbury and Eastleigh. Get home at 1 or 2am on the morning, then up at 6am to get into work early to make up the lost hours from the previous day. It really is exhausting, and it took me missing 4 months after knee surgery to realise how much better, relaxed and awake I was at work without doing that. Made the decision for me, I quit just a month after coming back from the injury.
Typical Tuesday for me if I had a reasonably local Conference game would be ...
- up at 6am to get the train to work for around 7.30
- leave work around 2.30 to go home and get the car
- 3.30pm - set off the ground, referees typically wanted you there for 5.30pm for midweek games, so with London traffic needed to leave a lot of time
- 9.45pm - game finished and back in changing room.
- 10:30pm - all officials changed and observed finished debrief
- 11pm - officials leave ground
- 12pm to 2am - get home and go to bed
- 6am - alarm goes to get back into work
Don't get me wrong, I loved it and I would have done the same again even knowing how tiring it is. But match officials effectively having 18-20 hour days are going to make mistakes, that is just inevitable.