Full-time refs not the answer

Yet again we hear the cry ‘let’s get professional referees into the game, it will make things so much better’ But will it? I don’t think so.

When you look at the way our game has progressed over the years - there have been so many advances and football is more exciting than ever. But there are exceptions. The average person in the street must be able to associate their lives with those they watch, or it becomes no longer a reality. Players at the highest level are now on so much money and have become so powerful, they do not even talk to their own managers, let alone the media - they let their agents do it - such is their separation from the common people. They have become so out of touch.

Blame the referee

The target for the abuse and finger-pointing is, as ever, the poor old referee. Every week we hear of the bad decisions, the loss of points, the crowd behaviour, all down to the referee. ‘Let’s see professional referees, that will make the game better’. I still don’t think so ...

You will have heard all the old arguments in favour: decisions will be more consistent, referees will be fitter, they will spend more time talking to the managers and players to see how the game should be run. My experience of football players, managers and even commentators at the highest level is they haven’t got a clue half the time. You will always see a replay when it is to make a point to their advantage, but they don’t bother to prove the referee right. You merely get comments like ‘that was a close call’ or a ‘tight decision by the assistant’, never ‘what a good advantage’ or ‘what an excellent decision’.

Professional referees no novelty

It may surprise many of our readers to know that professional referees have been around for some time, because all referees are professional, even Sunday League referees get a fee, And certain Premier League referees are actually full-time professional - they do not have a full-time job outside of football. Theirs is a full time refereeing career. Has this made those three or four referees any better? They still seem to get the same stick in the press.

The example of professional players?

I look at the so-called professional players and ask a simple question - Are they any better for all the money they are paid? I read in the paper that Tim Sherwood played for Blackburn at 3-00 p.m. in London, caught a taxi to Heathrow to catch a Concorde flight to America and then raced across New York to see Prince Naseem fight for the World Championship that same night. If a referee did the same, wouldn’t his ability to concentrate on his match be questioned? I think it probably would and with some justification.

Still, it has been calculated that, on average, a player only plays the ball for about two minutes in a game, whereas the referee is directly involved for the whole of the 90 minutes plus. And for him the evening brings thoughts of where he could have improved. The player can easily forget a poor two minute contribution and look forward to a cheque for, maybe. £20,000 next week.

Stay free from fear or favour

I would always prefer a committed referee who wants to be there and trains and gives his best is one who has to be there to get his mortgage paid. There is surely enough pressure already on top officials without having the additional worry that, if you don’t please the media and the managers, then your livelihood is at risk. If you are there through choice, it is so much easier to referee without fear or favour.

John Moore

© J Moore 1998

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