YOU MUST BE
JOKING REF!!!
THE CHESHUNT REFEREES’CLUB MAGAZINE
February 2012
CHESHUNT REFEREES’ CLUB
PRESIDENT: GARY EVETTSLIFE VICE PRESIDENTS: JOHN BACON AND
LISTER NEWCOMBE
COMMITTE AND CONTACT LIST 2011 – 2012
Chairman / David Bacon39 Woodland Mount, Hertford SG13 7JD / 01992 504473
Secretary / Mark Morris
115 Bentley Road, Hertford SG14 2HJ / 01992 410890
Treasurer / Kevin Doherty
133 Lammasmead, Broxbourne EN10 6PG / 01992 426210
County Rep / Tony Andrews
25 Ware Road, Tonwell, Ware SG120HN / 01920 463648
Supplies / Bob Brand
18 Elderbek Close, Cheshunt EN7 6HS / 01992 425933
Training Officer / Len Wilcock
87 Lincoln Crescent, Enfield EN1 1JZ / 0208 3669815
Recruitment & Retention / David Baker
10 Gibbs Close, Cheshunt EN8 9RX / 01992 628597
Magazine Editor / Mark Morris
As above / 01992 410890
The opinions contained with the Magazine are those of the author and not necessarily (unless otherwise stated) reflect the views of this publication’s Editorial Team, Club or the Referees’ Association. Permission is given to anyone to copy original material, subject to acknowledgement.
The next Meeting of the Society will be held at the usual venue: -
THE GREEN DRAGON PUBLIC HOUSE
CHURCHGATE
CHESHUNT
MONDAY 20 February 2012
All meetings commence at 7.45pm and finish at 10.00pm
Guest speakers will appear from time to time and notification of such guests will appear in this magazine in advance. Should any member require a particular topic to be raised at any meeting, or wish to address the meeting on any subject of interest to members, he or she should contact the Chairman.
All original material for publication should be sent to the Editorial Team Leader. Material may not be used in the current issue, but may be stored and used in further issues. Letters and press cuttings are also welcomed. They can also be e-mailed to .
Message from the Chairman
It’s been a frustrating month for me, and I guess for most of you, as the weather has caused the postponement of many of our matches.
If you attended the last meeting you would have got loads of top tips for pitch inspections which are really key at this time of year. As I keep saying if you are keen to pick up new ideas and improve your refereeing it is vital you attend our meetings.
I am sure that if you, as a referee, have an issue on a match day that somebody else at the meeting will have had a similar issue and could offer some advice should that come up again in the future. Its your Referees Club so please come along and attend the meetings.
We still have the £100 open the box raffle prize so you could even be better financially as well as improving your refereeing!!
See you all on Monday.
Don’t forget to check out our website -
Minutes of the meeting of the Cheshunt Referee’s Club held at the Green Dragon, Cheshunt on 16th January 2012.
Apologies: Len Wilcox, John Bacon
Attendance: David Bacon, Paul Englefield, Gary Herbert, Mark Morris, Cameron Neal, Anthony Sharp, Scott Sharp, A Parkes, A Andrews
Chairman’s report – Dave welcomed everyone
Secretary’s report – No Report
Treasurer’s report - None
County RA reps’s report - None
Training report – Len is running a course at St Albans
Recruitment and Retention –Cameron has only got 2 games in so far out of the 11 required with some being affected by the weather
Next meeting is on 20th February 2012
Players need to make referees' lives easier, not harder!
By Graham Poll
Last updated at 12:52 AM on 6th February 2012
If Peter Odemwingie or Tim Howard were referees they would have been completely mauled by post match comments.
The West Bromwich Albion striker blazed a good chance to equalise over the bar and the Everton keeper was completely fooled by a deflected shot to let in a comedy goal, against Swansea and Wigan respectively.
In their defence, the incidents probably looked easier than they were; rather like refereeing decisions, made at full speed and from only one angle.
One good example from the weekend is the penalty which League leaders Manchester City were awarded on Saturday evening.
Adam Johnson jinked his way into the Fulham area, beat one defender and then appeared to be tripped by Chris Baird’s outstretched right leg.
But there was something odd about the way Johnson went down, not just easily but at a strange angle.
Referee Mike Dean understandably gave the spot kick but replays from some angles suggested that it was Johnson who threw his right leg out to draw contact from Baird.
Martin Jol, Fulham’s manager, said it was perhaps the best dive he had ever seen - but then conceded that it was a penalty!
I have watched it 20 times and come to different conclusions on each viewing. The point is that players make referees' decision-making harder than it should be.
Martin O'Neil’s Sunderland showed another way that referees' lives are made more difficult. After Robert Huth had fouled David Meyler, referee Martin Atkinson was charged at and surrounded by Sunderland players demanding Huth should be dismissed.
Three or four years ago referees had to report if such action made them feel intimidated or harassed, but that was changed when the FA launched the respect programme.
To counter balance the right for a captain to approach a referee for clarification it became an offence for three or more players to surround a referee.
Their intentions do not matter, just a plain rule which was said would lead to a charge.
As the FA has not followed up on this regulation the situation has got steadily worse and undermines their attempts to produce respect for match officials.
Stoke boss Tony Pulis cited the reaction of players and put some blame on Meyler for staying down after Huth's tackle, but I think he picked on the wrong player, who later in the game made no fuss when being crudely fouled by Ricardo Fuller.
It should have been a red card but, perhaps thanks to Meyler’s actions, Fuller got away with the challenge.
Credit also to young James McLean who despite being fouled by Ryan Shawcross, stayed on his feet and was rewarded with a goal.
Refereeing is a very tough job and if players want to see an improvement in decision-making then they have their part to play.
Good week for...
Michael Oliver, the young referee who has continually impressed since his elevation to the select group. His reward is a high profile live game on Monday between Liverpool and Tottenham. It is a well deserved appointment and I hope the players do not make his job too tough.
Bad week for...
Nike, the Premier League ball provider. Whilst their yellow winter ball was visible when watching in the stadium the TV viewer was struggling in the snowy air to follow its flight. Where were the hi-visibility orange balls that always used to be available in such conditions?
Referees jump in with both feet... and players see red
By Graham Poll
‘If you commit to a tackle at speed and with intensity, typically with both feet off the ground, then you put yourself at risk of being sent off.’
Such were the words of Professional Game Match Officials general manager Mike Riley in response to managers’ requests for clarity from referees, and a consistent approach to dangerous tackling.
What he didn’t say was that with this shift in policy to positive action there will be some very harsh dismissals, which is inevitable if Riley does not want any dangerous tackles missed.
Riley will be pleased his referees responded with strong and generally positive action this weekend . . .
CLEAR CUT CASE
Saturday started really well for Riley as select group referee Mike Jones was forced into action in only the ninth minute of the lunchtime TV game at Upton Park. West Ham’s Kevin Nolan committed a two-footed tackle with force on Millwall’s Jack Smith.
Hammers boss Sam Allardyce predictably defended Nolan, but it was as clear a red-card challenge as you will see. Mind you, just as clear was the foul on Millwall’s goalkeeper in the build-up to West Ham’s winner with which Allardyce seemed happy.
TACKLING THE ISSUE
Andre Marriner was well placed and absolutely correct to dismiss Blackburn’s Gael Givet at the Emirates for his poor tackle on Robin van Persie. To his credit, Givet appeared to realise his lack of control and apologised for the tackle afterwards.
HANDS-OFF WARNING
At Loftus Road, Mark Clattenburg had a routine decision to make when dismissing Djibril Cisse for violent conduct.
Wolves’ Roger Johnson flew into a tackle on the QPR forward, who reacted by first pushing Johnson and then grabbing his throat. Johnson was rightly cautioned for the tackle and Cisse dismissed, as all players are when raising hands to an opponent’s head. It was not violent but everyone seems to accept this is a dismissal: including the striker, who apologised.
HIGH-SPEED OFFENCE
Martin Atkinson, however, did not enjoy such an easy day at the Britannia Stadium. He saw Robert Huth go into a tackle at speed and with intensity, causing David Meyler to fly high into the air. Atkinson is known to ‘go strong’ so a red card was no surprise.
Replays showed Huth had tried to pull out of the tackle but could not and caught Meyler with his knee; Huth certainly put himself at risk and more tackles like this will see red unless there is a successful Stoke appeal. However, that, in turn, will cause hesitation from referees.
The most disappointing thing was the Sunderland players’ reaction in demanding a red card. Stoke were lucky not to go down to nine when Ricardo Fuller made a worse challenge on Meyler, but Atkinson missed this one. So much for consistency!