This is the first in a series of articles outlining why unpaid volunteer workforces in Non League Football deserve more respect.
The face of despair: Selby Town chairman Ralph Pearse is unhappy with some referees, who he believes should show more respect.
Selby Town chairman Ralph Pearse believes there are a small minority of referees who are arrogant and need to show more respect to clubs and their volunteers.
Mr Pearse points to a few examples to outline his argument. He highlights a situation that has happened a few times where the officials haven’t bought a raffle ticket before the game, but accepted free drinks and food.
Mr Pearse told Non League Yorkshire: “Sometimes when our volunteer raffle ticket man goes up to the three officials, you either get ‘take it out of the expenses’ or ‘I’ve got no money on me’.
“We’ve even had a case where it has been said: ‘we’ll get one after the game’. Well we draw it at half-time.
“I think referees should show more respect and be a bit more enthusiastic. They should come in and say ‘hi Ralph, how are you, we’ll have a coffee and are you selling raffle tickets’?
“To me, they should try and help the club. It is a case of everyone is in it together and then you can’t say that referees aren’t putting anything back into the game. Referees get drinks before the game and we feed them well after so why can’t they put a pound in.
“Referees are the biggest expense at this level, but you can’t do without them. They get expenses anywhere they go. Myself and our volunteers go home and away and we don’t get anything.
“You also get a few arrogant ones who you can’t talk to. You ask a polite question about a decision and you get ‘no comment’ off a lot of them. Spectators pay their money and they help finance their expenses so why not answer them if they’re polite?
“Then there’s some who will have their meal and just go. Some don’t even say ‘thank you’ and to me that’s totally out of order because there is people who have slaved away in the kitchen for hours to make the food.
“They do it for the love of the game, whereas referees are taking quite a bit of money home.”
He also recalls a game last season when an assistant referee tried to persuade the referee that a perfectly playable pitch was waterlogged. The midweek match was played, but not after some aggro.
“Rather than the referee taking control and saying ‘we’re playing it’, we had a linesman chipping in saying it is a bit wet over here where he was going to be running,” Mr Pearse added.
“I don’t see how a linesman can use that argument because surely the referee should turn round and say ‘I’ll put my linesmen on the other wings’. Surely you use common sense because I don’t see how you can call a game off because one linesman might get wet?
“Fortunately that was resolved and the ref said: ‘we’re playing’. Then the assessor arrives at 7pm and says to the ref: ‘are you playing this game because it looks a bit wet to me’.
“So they carried out another pitch inspection. We did play and it ended up been a good game.
“I don’t understand why there was so much fuss, but the point is that the whole thing was unfair on the players, managers, volunteers, spectators.”
Fair comments but personally I’d rather have consistent referees who approach the game WITHOUT the “it’s all about me” attitude.Truly appalled by some of their inaccuracies wether my team wins loses or draws,how some of them qualify for their ‘badge’ is bewildering.A root and branch overhaul of reffereeing standards needs to be looked at.Poor refereeing leads to frustration.
I understand his point and he’s making it in good faith but should match officials be buying raffle tickets at all? Imagine a vital end of season game where a ref won a bottle of wine at half time and then gave a dodgy penalty to the home side towards the end of the match.
Most referees turn up to games with no money whatsoever. Which would explain the comment “take it out of my fee”
I totally agree with the last comment regarding what would happen if the referee won the prize.
Aren’t referees at that level forbidden from buying raffles tickets before the match?! I agree that it is ridiculous but perhaps you should get your facts straight and do your homework before slandering referees. I also appreciate that comment about referees being ‘well’ paid, but don’t forget, a lot of referees travel a long way on Saturday and Tuesday nights. It isn’t just the 90 minutes that they are being remunerated for.
Somebody must be buying plenty of raffle tickets with the amount of signings selby have made!
Yep, match officials aren’t permitted to partake in any sort of ‘betting’ activities, which includes the half time raffle. It would be great if clubs contacted The FA for guidance rather than making slanderous comments on something they don’t have the full picture on.
I refereed at this level for 8 years and would always introduce myself and the refereeing team before the game over a cup of tea. The raffle as mentioned shouldn’t be bought by referees FA ruling.
Also Ralph speaks of respect and then calls assistant referees ( linesmen) this is disrespectful as linesmen were there to give ball in and out , in the modern game assistants do a hell of a lot more than that and their input is valid at pitch inspections , some assistants will have more years experience than many referees. As regards the pay it’s not a good wage for the hours that are put in.
I also refereed at that level for 12 years and have to say that I was not aware of any ruling saying I couldn’t buy tickets in a club raffle, that seems to me to be a myth that has been passed on by word of mouth, I never saw anything in writing. Most clubs give the match officials a free programme so it wouldn’t be wrong to buy a raffle ticket. As for speaking to club officials, I would remind anyone that the manner in which you speak to someone is likely to determine the tone of any reply.
Couple of belated points….
Imagine Selby are playing away and the opposition get a dubious 89th min pen which they convert, meaning they win 1-0. Later, Chairman P finds out the ref won a bottle of whisky in the half time raffle. I’m certain no comment would be made, would it?
Can someone do some fact checking? If it really is an FA rule that refs can’t buy raffle tickets then it would be the easiest thing to tell everyone this, then there’s no argument.
If folk think officials are paid too much and it’s easy money, then (a) bring forward a motion at the AGM to reduce payments and (b) train up yourself as a ref and join the gravy train!
I do appreciate how hard it is to keep going on gates of around 70 or so and yes, volunteers are priceless – but having a go at officials is never classy.