Referees can seldom do anything without being criticised. As we often say, when you make a decision, there’s always going to be one side who will agree with you and one side who won’t.
How many times have we heard in post match interviews one manager agreeing with the referee’s decision whilst the other denounces it? These differences can sometimes flare up as we saw at the Manchester City v Everton match recently, needing the referee to intervene.
Even Arsenal manager, Arsène Wenger is another manager who can get heated and be quick to point the finger of blame when things haven’t gone right for his team but one of his recent complaints is somewhat different. He accused referees of being too friendly with players. It stems from
a game which he watched on television. He must have good lip-reading skills for when he saw Wayne Rooney getting a dressing down from referee Alan Wiley; he claimed that he was calling him ‘Wazza’. ‘Referees,’ Wenger said, ‘must keep their distance from players and managers’.
There is no doubt that as a referee, you must be careful what you say. Mark Clattenburg, after having cautioned Craig Bellamy in the first half of the game earlier this season, is alleged to have said to a Manchester City coach, ‘I don’t know how you work with him all week’. Mark Hughes, who was City manager at the time, said afterwards, ‘I don’t appreciate a referee going out for the second half and making comments about which of my players he does or doesn’t like.
When Reading went up into the Premiership, much was made by Royals supporters and players that the referees seemed to be friendlier with the players of established Premiership clubs, calling them by their first names. It was also thought that because they were better known they got more favourable treatment.
I’m sure that isn’t true but at almost what ever level you are refereeing, you are bound to come across the same teams and same players a number of times and it is difficult not to strike up some form of relationship, good or bad. It is likewise difficult not to have opinions about certain players but it is probably wise not to air them to the clubs.
Alternatively, it can be awkward to turn up to a match where one team start calling you by your first name. They are only being friendly but if you have to take tough decisions against the other team, your motive may be misconstrued. A lot of referees start the toss up ceremony by asking both captains their names and introducing themselves and their assistants by their first names just to create a friendly, even atmosphere.
The FA has long recognised this problem of over- friendliness and has advised referees
against drinking with players after the game. When I refereed in senior football, players generally congregated after the game in the bar, where you would also go for a drink, although some clubs would entertain you separately. I remember Wycombe Wanderers, for instance, always invited the referee and his two linesmen into the boardroom for a drink with the board members.
Many times, however, we drank in the bar with the players and it could be beneficial. If players approached me to talk about an incident in the game, I always agreed but with the golden rule that I would explain any decision but I wouldn’t get into an argument about it. This was seldom abused and the players got a greater understanding of why certain things happened and often finished up offering to buy me another drink.
If Arsène Wenger’s lip reading was right, I suppose that Alan Wiley dressing down of Wayne Rooney proved that referees can be on first name terms and yet still take appropriate action when required.
Dick Sawdon Smith
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