Toolstation NCEL Division One
Harrogate Railway manager Mick O’Connell says refereeing standards need to improve at all levels.
Controversy is following match officials around at the moment, with glaring errors happening at Premier League level and various levels of Non League Football.
Many managers are growing frustrated and O’Connell is one of them.
“I think referees should be fitter as half of them are turning up overweight and I think the standard of refereeing is poor,” O’Connell told Non League Yorkshire.
“That’s right across the board – not just in this league but from the Premier League downwards.
“I think they are too well-protected.
“You can’t say anything to a referee.
“We have to put reports in after every game but it is a waste of time writing them out.
“They don’t take any heed of them.
“The amount of mistakes being made at all levels at the moment is huge.
“I think it has to be addressed and the FA really need to something about it.
“I think they need to put more courses on (to recruit more referees).
“But it is a difficult job and I know the difficulties they have in recruiting referees because who wants to stand out there and get shouted at.”
Couldn’t agree more…hes spot on…
Answered his own question at the end.
Who wants to Referee and receive the dog S@“r abuse every week?
Local leagues up and down the country are struggling to fulfill fixtures because there are too few available referees. This situation will eventually filter up in to the pyramid and then where will we be.
Match officials are football fans and really do want to enjoy the game however they are not allowed to because the vast majority of matchday dugouts set themselves up to terrorise them from start to finish, aggressively questioning every decision whether it’s right or wrong.
Nobody is going to take this level of abuse so perhaps all those who desire an improvement in the refereeing standard should let them get on with the job on the pitch and accept a bit of human error (a bit like in rugby), then maybe more people would be willing to pick up the whistle.
Or keep up the constant abuse and criticism which in turn will reduce the standard and it wont be long before the game we all enjoy will grind to a halt.!
I think all members of dugouts should look at their own actions within the technical area and apply theirself’s accordingly before questioning the perceived inabilitys of referees and assistants.