Football Ref

[High Fielder]

What are the solutions? Every game we now have referees been abused

Put the focus on the clubs. Fine teams without mercy for abuse of referees. Punish clubs for not providing referees.

This is a voluntary organisation. Get a grip with your fines and punishments. Clown

[Don Draper]

What are the solutions? Every game we now have referees been abused

Put the focus on the clubs. Fine teams without mercy for abuse of referees. Punish clubs for not providing referees.

This is a voluntary organisation. Get a grip with your fines and punishments. Clown

And this is why we'll never have nice things.

Less of the name calling as well. I could call you names too if thats how you wish to proceed.

Clubs need to be forced into bringing their teams and supporters into line. Abuse of referees is out of control and the main reason we don't have ex players going into the role. Stop the abuse, and more will take the job.

But you keep calling names there, that'll help matters.

[High Fielder]

I and many others have taken enough of your bile not to worry about what you call us.

Forced. Fines. Punishments. Seriously? What if nobody has the time or inclination to be a referee? What then?

For what it's worth, abuse these days is criticism. He has been criticised, not abused. We all get that in our daily working lives. Let's not get too soft centred here

[Don Draper]

I and many others have taken enough of your bile not to worry about what you call us.

Forced. Fines. Punishments. Seriously? What if nobody has the time or inclination to be a referee? What then?

For what it's worth, abuse these days is criticism. He has been criticised, not abused. We all get that in our daily working lives. Let's not get too soft centred here

What else is a fine execept forced? And I am referring to abuse not criticism. Calling a referee and f**king w**ker, a bollocks, chasing onto the field after him, following him to his car, thats not criticism and happens regularly on the pitches of Laois.

And I am serious, I'm serious about sorting out refereeing in this county. Punishing the clubs is the only way forward. The measures are already in place, and have been threatened repeatedly, its time to drop the hammer.

If nobody has the time or inclination to referee, then our games are finished. We should make it more hospitable for them to do so.

Abuse is criticism, f**king hell, we're at f**king nothing with that attitude.

[clonadmad]

this needs a two if not three pronged approach

I know in 1 neighboring County in the last 10 years,which faced a similar crisis as regards shortage of Refs,each club was given 18 months to have a ref or else they wouldn't be allowed enter any Competition.


The abuse and treatment of refs in Laois is getting worse year on year,Other Counties looking in at us are shocked by a lot of what has been let go and what continues on to be let go,it wouldn't go on in other counties what is let go on here.Tipperary has of late started to dish out hefty fines to clubs as regards behavior of mentors and Players.

We could do with 10/12 more refs across both codes in the county,at the minute there's no refs to ref u11 games and we are rapidly reaching the point where there wont be refs to ref u13 games,we will be soon enough at the point where there wont be enough to ref u15 games.

its that stark

[High Fielder]

There's an undercurrent to your posts that doesn't sit well with me. It assumes that everything a ref does is sacrosanct. That isn't right either.

We're talking about yesterday's game and I have yet to see any abuse of Mick Tarpey on here. If there is, point it out to me, or else stop the waffling

[Don Draper]

There's an undercurrent to your posts that doesn't sit well with me. It assumes that everything a ref does is sacrosanct. That isn't right either.

We're talking about yesterday's game and I have yet to see any abuse of Mick Tarpey on here. If there is, point it out to me, or else stop the waffling

You're talking online abuse.

I am not.

[The PRO]

Some clubs never provide a ref and its not good enough anymore.
Mountmellick, Rosenallis, Arles Killeen to name just three.
Then you have Port supplying Ward, McCann, Bracken and the second Ward lad.

[Neutralobserver]

are other counties in the same boat or how does it work with them, is the fee set or do individual county boards set the fees.

[Joeythelips]

They should try and make it more attractive, free family tickets to all games in Laois and O'Moore Park. Refs who get county finals get All Ireland final tickets or somethings like that to incentivise the role. People only ref nowadays to help keep to thing going and a bit of self pride as the money is hardly outstanding and the abuse is at times disgraceful.

A player can have a bad game and basically gets an arm around the shoulder or a pat on the back, a ref has a bad game and a mob are after him with pitch forks.

[the sash]

the abuse is probably worse now than it ever was, but this is down to frustration on players part, club players put in so much effort nowadays and give up so much of their lives that when a contentious decision goes against them, so they lash  out physicality and verbally, club players nowadays train like county teams did ten years ago. better pay and conditions would improve the standards

[Don Draper]

the abuse is probably worse now than it ever was, but this is down to frustration on players part, club players put in so much effort nowadays and give up so much of their lives that when a contentious decision goes against them, so they lash  out physicality and verbally, club players nowadays train like county teams did ten years ago. better pay and conditions would improve the standards

Or maybe the players are more privileged nowadays.

[Blow-in]

The guys who have quit this year must be coaxed back for 2020 someway anyways

[Neutralobserver]

Common sense from referees also goes along way not to irate players and officials. Saying that without the referees we would have no games and if a few fixtures fell by the wayside due to lack of referees then clubs might stand up and take note

[Keyser Söze]

Nobody wants to talk about it but there is another issue in the background here.

The county board have lost control of referees. This doesn't matter in the case of most referees as they are decent skins who are in it for the sake of giving something back or for the sake of a few quid (nothing wrong with this).
However, there are a handful of individuals (one in particular in each code) who have taken control of refereeing. They have serious influence over appointments, fitness tests, assessments etc.

There are referees who submit reports & then make contact with the CB to suggest what the punishment should be for incidents mentioned in their report. This is entirely beyond their remit and an abuse of power. Attempting to be the investigating officer, main witness, judge & jury.

The behaviour of a small number of officials during and after games has been downright disgraceful.
We had a prominent hurling referee who attempted to physically interfere with the referee after last years SHC final. The same man ended up at the door of the winners dressing room a few years ago calling a player out. He was an official at neither game. According to reports on here he tried to go boxing in the COE carpark after this years SHC QF.
His club mate spent several weeks on Facebook last year attacking the referee.

There is an element of "celebrity" here as was mentioned earlier. I would use other words too.
Unfortunately, in both codes, you are either in the clique or you are not.

I am aware that there is a shortage of referees and that 90% of them are doing their best in difficult circumstances. But the obvious problems pointed out on this thread already are the tip of the iceberg.
There is something rotten in the state of Laois refereeing.
Give respect and get respect is right!