The Ref Stop

Sort of became last weeks ref on Sunday...

H

Hartlepool_ref

Active Member
The team I reffed for on Sunday I've done many times and often do their home games and I would like to start by saying they are genuinely one of the best behaved teams I've had the pleasure to referee for - the managers are all really nice guys and the team are good as gold...
Anyways, I got to the ground on Sunday and was having a brief chat with the manager and he said he'd signed a new player. He looked like a thug and his dad looked like he'd just come out of jail that day. But I try not to judge a book and all that so the game went on...
All the way through he (the dad) whined about everything dispite warnings from the home managers. Then in the second half their striker had a shot and the away defender held his arms up to cover his face in the box and it hit his arms but if his hands weren't there it would have smashed his face so, of course, no penalty. Que the dad in question spitting his dummy out and saying "that's f**king lazy refereeing". I sent him to the car park.

After the game the home manager was deeply apologetic and I told him not to worry - its not fair that one bad apple spoils the reputation of a nice club and I wouldn't be sending in a report which is something I always do if I have to send a parent away...
He did assure me that anymore conduct like that and he would just get rid of the kid who's dad it was because the club doesn't need it. I have no reason to doubt him because he's the sort of man who you feel you can trust.

Was this the right thing to do ?
 
The Ref Stop
Technically, I suppose no. Morally? for me, yes. :D
The general idea behind the RESPECT protocol of sending in a report about something like that is that clubs who have a discipline problem can be brought to the attention of the local CFA and gripped for it. Based on what you say about this club, that isn't the case. All you'd be doing is notifying the CFA of action you took on the day. You've given the club (and therefore this individual) the chance to put it right now. If there is a repeat performance then you'll (or next week's ref) have no choice but to send in a report about him. It'd be doing the club and the manager a favour by then too. ;) :)
Rightly or wrongly, I'd have done the same. :cool:
 
I'm presuming this was youth football?

No...it wasn't the right thing to do. Once the parent crossed the line enough for you to decide to bin him, the report HAS to follow, no matter how apologetic the manager was.

Once the report is received and a charge issued, the club welfare officer will become aware of the incident (highly unlikely that the manger will raise it with them) and the club can then review the incident and decide upon an appropriate course of action following the disciplinary case. This can range from simple words of advice to removal from the club.

But by not reporting it, you are denying the club the opportunity to deal with it.
If the manager kicks the kid out because of the incident it will be harshly unfair on the kid....he will be punished for the actions of his parent and the game may lose a player unnecessarily.

As a club welfare officer I have had to deal with similar incidents, and have always managed to keep the kid playing whilst mum or dad have a break from the touchline.
 
as much as this may pain me to say it! lol I agree with @Padfoot - all id have done is mention in the report out apologetic the club was and that they had already stated themselves that another incident like that would mean the family being asked to leave the club.

if their record really is as good as you say then the CFA wouldn't impose any sort of punishment on them, and be more of a 'lets nip this in the bud and make sure it doesn't arise again' type of talking too - this would also help the manager as he could ultimately pass the buck onto you for reporting it rather then him being 'mr bad guy' and stopping his kid playing - it would be taken out of his hands
 
As both a referee and a club secretary of a youth club, I have to agree with @Padfoot on this one. If you've binned him, you report him; the club as a whole simply doesn't get to hear about it otherwise. It also takes the pressure off the team manager, because now it is the "committee" that deals with it potentially, rather than him having to face off with the parent.
 
Yeah I can see where you's are coming from and I actually didn't realise the FAs can be lenient - I assumed it was black and white - report goes in, club gets punished regardless. But if they're willing to be "nice" to the club involved that generally have a good reputation then next time I'll be reporting it.
 
The very fact that you're questioning what you did should tell you the answer here.

When you have a parent removed, ALWAYS report it, regardless of whether it's a first time etc etc. Learn from it and move on to the next one.
 
Report it, you have a duty to.

Reports should always be the same, fact only.

By all means report the facts about sending him to the car park, but also report the fact the manager behaved in the correct way and worked with you, and it is unusual for that team. They're all facts too.
 
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