TOUCHLINESTOUCHLINESThe Magazine of the Sutton Referees’ Society

www.suttonreferees.co.uk February 2011

Simeon says…

C o n t e n t s2 Simeon Says…

3 Editor’s Notes

3 From the Chair

4 Sutton’s Super Refs

5 Captions Please!

6 ..in the Referee’s OpinionYour thoughts, questions and comments.

12 County RA Meeting Report

13 January Guest Speaker – Gordon HarrisonA couple of pictures from the evening.

14 Injured Player – How do you TellArticle on judging serious injury

15 Inter-Society 5-a-SideSome pictures of Sutton refs in action.

16 No Gray AreaMike Coen’s take on the Andy Gray furore

17 Charity Race NightDetails of the Mini Refs hosted event in March

18 Check the NetSnippets from the World Wide Web.

20 The Wisdom of WattsKingston RA’s Jim de Rennes on their recentevening with specialist assistant referee AdamWatts.

21 Referees’ Golf DayDetails of this forthcoming national event.

22 Society Contacts

23 MinutesFrom the Meeting of November 10th, 2010

24 Dates for Your DiaryUpcoming Events.

Dear All,A great turn out for last month's meeting. We hadGordon Harrison presenting a most interesting andinformative topic of Assessing. This was put across inhis own certain style which I and others found veryintriguing. Hopefully it will encourage more people toapply for promotion and I know a couple of members arenow interested in the assessing side as well. All in all, apretty good evening.

Remember! All those wishing to apply for promotionhave to submit the R5 form into Surrey FA by the end ofFebruary.

Unfortunately I was unable to attend the Inter County 5-A-Side; I hear the "A" team were very unlucky not toqualify for the later stages. More details of this will befound elsewhere in TL's.

As you know we have lost a lot of games due to theextreme weather, which will lead to fixture congestionproblems, particularly at our local leagues. It's importantyou keep your respective referee secretaries informed ofyour availability, especially where County Cup ties takepreference over the following week's appointment if notplayed the prior week.

This month's guest speaker will be Vince Penfold. Vinceis a very highly respected trainer within the county and Ibelieve also a lead Tutor with the FA. As we are comingto the business end of season, hopefully a few of ourmembers will be appointed to semi-finals and finals, notonly in your respective leagues but also County Cups. Ifyou are lucky enough to receive one of theseappointments, it may be as an assistant referee. Vinceis going to show a presentation in the art of "AssistantRefereeing". I'm sure there will be a few tips to pick uphere, even for the most experienced Referee.

I look forward to seeing you all on the 9th February atGander Green Lane.

SimeonTOUCHLINES is published by the Sutton Referees’ Society.Editor: Mike CoenEmail: mikecoen@blueyonder.co.uk

The reproduction of articles and news is welcomed by the Society.They would, however, like to receive a copy of those publicationswhich reproduce any of our articles, either in whole or in part.

The opinions expressed in TOUCHLINES merely reflect the viewsof the authors and are not binding in any way on the editor orany official.

Front cover photo: Craig Hicks in action for Sutton ‘A’ Team – Inter-Society 5-a-Side at Woking

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3

Hello Everyone!!

Plenty of games on the agenda atthe moment - both middles and lines- so it looks as though the worst ofthe cold and wet may be behindus…cue a new Ice Age!!

Enough decent games wereavailable to allow a third assessmentas I attempt to reach level 5. It wentpretty well, so fingers crossed forthat letter at the end of February!!

The 5-a-side was the usual fun event.Our ‘A’ team doing well and onlynarrowly failing to make the semi-finals and our mighty ‘B’s smashinglast year’s record by achieving both apoint (in a 0-0 draw) and a goal (in a5-1 defeat…albeit against a team of4 players!!). There are a fewpictures from the event later in thisissue.

By the comments on the RA website,I’ll be in a minority when I say that I’llmiss Andy Gray’s player perspectivewhen commentating on Sky. It’sunfortunate that he couldn’t couplehis enthusiasm for the game with abit more knowledge of law and, itseems, a lot less testosterone-fuelled sexism. Hopefully MsMassey doesn’t find herself thesubject of too much press attentionfor too long and is able to focus onwhat she clearly excels at.

See you on the park,or at Gander GreenLane.

M i k e .

Editor’s Notes From the ChairDear Colleagues,It was great to see such a good attendance at our Januarymeeting. Those who did come along were entertained byGordon Harrison who conveyed his thoughts relating torefereeing, assessing and all things football. I thoroughlyenjoyed the meeting and hope you did too.

Since the last meeting we have also had the referees' 5-a-side tournament. The "A" Team were a little unfortunatenot to get through to the semi-finals; they went out on goaldifference, or goals scored, or whatever the criteria isnowadays. The "B" Team started brightly, with a 0-0 drawin their first game, but, after a couple of thumpings, had toplay four-man Farnham, who administered anotherbeating. Oh well!! There's always next year.

The weather seems to have taken a turn for the better atpresent so hopefully some of those games that you lost tothe weather will find their way back to you when they arere-arranged.

It is very nearly that time of the season when promotionsand cup finals are awarded. So if you are fortunateenough to be appointed to a final, or receive a letterconfirming a step up the ladder, please do let Mike Coenknow as we all like to bask in reflected glory from time totime.

Just recently we have had the "linogate" saga and, asusual, the media pundits thought they could say what everthey liked about match officials without recourse but, asthey found to their cost, you cannot cross the race /gender line as if you do you will find little support from themasses (only the racist and sexist element of thecommunity). I think there may be a modern day parallelhere on what is now considered to be foul and abusivecomment on the football field.

I am enjoying my time back in "park" football. It wassomething I did not envisage doing but to my surprise Ihave found the vast majority of the players at this level tobe well disciplined and easy to get on with. I will probablyhave a total mare next Sunday and I will wonder why Iever went back to it but at the moment all is peace andharmony.

Do please get along if you can on the 9th as it is alwaysnice to see some new faces and a few of the old ones aswell.

Kindest regards,

B a r r i e (The Chair)

SuttonSutton’’s Super Refss Super RefsSimeon PotterBlue Square Conference South Dartford -v- Hampton & Richmond (Assistant)Surrey Senior Cup - Round 2 Colliers Wood Utd -v- AFC Wimbledon (Assistant) Wed 26th JanSurrey Senior Cup Tooting & Mitcham Utd -v- Godalming Town (Assistant) Wed 2nd Feb

David LaughtonAFA Intermediate Cup Qtr Final Civil Service (res) -v- Economicals FC (res) Sat 29th JanAFA U17s Cup - Semi Final Junior Bromlieans -v- Winchmore Hill Sun 23rd Jan

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CAPTIONS PLEASE !!!

This month’s picture provided by Tim Lawrence:

Have you an an amusing caption for the picture?

Email your thoughts to me and I’ll put the best efforts in the next issue.

5

Mike Coen- He farted…Yes, it was definitely him!!!

Simeon Potter:- In a silly woman's voice... "she did it, she did, she did it"....then rising to a man voice… “He did it,he did it, he did it.” (Life of Brian)- Both Spurs and Arsenal players point out the player after the crowd start to chant, "Who's the@*@*@* with the perm?"

…and Last Month’s Offerings

.…in the Referee’s Opinion….Your Thoughts, Questions and Comments

At a recent AFC Premier game, one of my assistants called to say he was going to be late. Ratherthan get someone else to run the line, I suggested to the other experienced AR that we officiatewith the two-referee system. After a crash five-minute course, we took to the field of play andofficiated for 30 minutes until the other AR arrived.

Both teams soon got into the way the game was run and appreciated when two whistles sounded,indicating that both officials had seen an incident or when one whistle sounded for an infringementthat was out of sight to the other official.

Some years ago JK and I did a whole match at Hampton and Richmond when our 3rd memberfailed to show. Has anyone else ever used this method of officiating?

Regards

John Martin

I have joined the new RESPECT FC club, you may have heard of this and we are endeavouring toclean up football at grassroots football.

I wrote a comment on their website which has been published nationally and I am meeting withtheir founder as we are arranging to produce a slot with the BBC to hopefully get a slot on MOTDto show a video of grass roots football and the impact referees are experiencing week in week out.http://www.respectfootballclub.com/2011/01/investing-in-respect/comment-page-5/#comment-408

David Laughton

Posted January 24, 2011 at 9:27 am | Permalink

RESPECT FC, I salute you for taking the opportunity to re-unite RESPECT Campaign introducedby FA.

Do you all remember when it first game out and the national press played their part by supportingReferees for almost 2 weeks and sadly it went very quiet after??

Someone has to start the journey to clean up the game and I like many others hoped it would startfrom top - down, this stills needs to be ignited and would make a huge difference to endorse frombottom up, our children watch the professionals as see these icons as role models.

I believe we should judge the pros on the field of play and not what they do in their personal lives,as a grassroots coach and referee I ask for RESPECT at matches and on field of play, I am notthere to judge players when they go home etc.

If coaches and referees set the example it will be the right start and you will see a ripple through toparents, players etc.

Lets not knock RESPECT, winds of change always take time.

"its a start"

David Laughton

Surrey,AFA Referee & Coach

6

You are the Ref (by Keith Hackett and Paul Trevilion):

The goalkeeper goes up for a cross - but, as he does so, a strikernext to him - and jumping legally - is deliberately pushed in theback by a defender.

The striker collides with the goalkeeper, who lands in the net stillholding the ball. Do you award a penalty kick, a goal kick or a freekick to the defending side?

Keith Glover starts an almost unanimous set of penalty awards when he says: “Award the penaltyas the push is the first offence”.

Peter Watson agrees with: “Penalty Kick”,

as does Peter Sullivan who says: “I would award a penalty, for the foul on the striker.”

While Simeon Potter explains: “I would award a Penalty as the first offence was the push by thedefender. If the push did not take place then the keeper, I’m assuming, would have caught the ball.Therefore you cannot play advantage as the attacking team did not have possession of the ball.”

Alan Donovan concurs: “Penalty kick - as push on the striker caused him to collide with keeper.”

and Neil Sitch takes things a little further, advising: “Sounds like a penalty, as the striker has beenfouled in the box. Book the defender or consider sending off dependent on the extent of the foul”.

John Martin settles himself comfortably on the fence, before offering: “How about a goal butprobably a penalty. I think this is a situation you need to see rather than read as it will depend a loton your position as to the decision you give”.

Tom Ellams has a totally different outlook, with: “I would usually give a defensive free kick in asituation like this, as it’s the easiest decision to make. If the push in the back by the defender isreally blatant though, I would probably award a penalty. On the basis that the striker was foulingthe goalkeeper (although through no fault of his own), I can't give the goal, so I'd go back to theoriginal foul which was by the defender.”

Daniel Rukstelis (Kingston RA) is the only responder to agree with Keith Hackett’s official answer:“I would award a goal to the striker's team. The striker jumped legally and committed no foul on thegoalkeeper. The defender caused his goalkeeper to fall into net while holding the ball. To me, itwould be an own goal by the defending team. This would be no different to where the goalkeeperand his two central defenders went up for a ball; they all collided, and then fell into net while theball bounced into the goal. Also, as I awarded the goal, I do not have to consider any possibleDOGSO offence by the defender's actions. But, I could still caution the defender for unsportingbehaviour depending on my view of the push.”

Keith Hackett says: “Award a goal. The attacker made contact with the goalkeeper as a result ofthe push by the defender. He hasn’t committed an offence.

Don’t Forget - Original YATR scenarios may be foundevery Friday on the Guardian website, showing thequestions that will appear in the Observer the followingSunday. The answers then appear on the Monday.

www.guardian.co.uk/football/you-are-the-ref7

There appears to be a fair bit of agreement that this is something that a competent assistant wouldnot have allowed to happen: Alan Donovan says: “I would want to know why the assistant waiteduntil the game was restarted and whether he was a club or neutral assistant.” Peter Watsonsuggests that you may “firstly, go over to the assistant referee and tell him ‘Thanks for dropping mein it you b*******’!!” While John Martin feels even more strongly about it, starting his response with:“Once the assistant gets up after you have chinned him…” but then takes his tongue out of hischeek and advises that: “The initial action would not be professional, so be more subtle.”

Having got that off their chests…

Alan Donovan adds: “Shame you have restarted prior to being told (if you have not restartedwould disallow the goal and restart with a free kick after player has left the field). As it is, the goalstays. Have the player leave the field, award an indirect free kick and report facts to Competitionwho may decide to replay the game.”

Peter Watson says:“a) Get the ‘spare’ player off the field, having cautioned him first.b) Under "normal" conditions, no, as the game has been restarted. But, the ‘goal’ was scoredunfairly in exceptional circumstances as informed by your so-called ‘assistant’, so yes, reverse thedecision.c) Indirect free-kick to the defending side at the point where the ‘spare’ came on the field.If the moment at which the spare player entered was unknown, abandon the match.”

John Martin advises that you would: “caution the sub for entering the field of play without yourconsent (something else to thank the assistant for, as the player is bound to say that “he said itwas OK”). Ensure there are now eleven per side (assuming no send offs) and restart with anindirect free kick. Unfortunately as the law stands so does the goal, as play had restarted.”

Simeon Potter ticks off the three points with:“a) You first caution the player for entering the field of play with permission and ask him to leavethe field of play.b) Only if you have not restarted the game can you change the decision and award an indirect freekick.c) Restart with an indirect free kick where the player who you cautioned entered the field of play.”

as does Neil Sitch who offers:“a) Book the player for entering the field of play without your permission. Ask him to leave the fieldand come on properly next time.

Continued on page 9...

You are the Ref (by Keith Hackett and Paul Trevilion):

In the last seconds of a cup tie, the away team score adramatic last-gasp equalizer from a corner kick. You give thegoal and play restarts. But then one of your assistantsinforms you that the away side had 12 men on the pitch whenthe goal was scored – one of their subs had come onunnoticed seconds earlier.

a) What do you do with the spare player?

b) Can you retrospectively rule out the goal?

c) How do you restart?

8

Almost everyone got this one with no trouble at all.

Daniel Rukstelis gets the responses underway in textbook style with: “Law 16 - The Goal Kickstates, "A goal may be scored directly from a goal kick, but only against the opposing team." A goalkeeperor defender cannot score a goal directly from a goal kick into their own goal. Therefore, the ballhas gone out of play over the goal line and a corner kick would be awarded to the opposition.”

Alan Donovan agrees, saying: “Going back to the days I used to do quizzes, I think corner, as theball has left the penalty area.”

continued on page 10...

You are the Ref (by Keith Hackett and Paul Trevilion):

In blustery conditions, a young keeper takes a goal kick into the wind. Hemiskicks it; it loops high into the air, leaving the penalty area, but is thenblown back by the wind, straight over the keeper’s head and into the net.

There is uproar in the ground.

Is it a goal, a goal-kick, a corner kick or a drop-ball?

9

…continued from page 8

b) The goal stands as you have restarted play. You would need to tell the league (and don't expectto be reffing in the Premiership the next week). Always a good reminder that a player should leavethe field of play before a sub enters but I suspect that most of us don't have the benefit of neutralassistant refs…male or female!c) Restart? Well I don't know where play had stopped; drop ball from wherever the ball was whenyou cautioned the sub I suppose…or from where the ball went dead.”

and Peter Sullivan with:“a) Issue him a yellow card for entering the field of play without permission and ask him to leavethe field of play.b) As the game has already re-started, no you can't.c) Drop Ball.”

and also Daniel Rukstelis who tells us:“a) I would stop play and I would caution the extra player for ‘enters the field of play without thepermission of the referee.’ The extra player would have to leave the pitch, but he could returnobserving the proper substitution procedure.b) The incident stated, ‘You give the goal and play restarts’, so you must allow the goal as play wasretarted with a kick-off.c) As I stopped play to caution the extra player, then the restart would be an indirect free kick to theopposing team from where the ball was when I stopped play.”

Keith Hackett says: “If the ball was in play when you were informed by your assistant, then stopplay, caution the spare player for coming onto the field without your permission and ask him toleave the field.You must allow the goal to stand as play had been restarted.Restart play with an indirect free kick to the opposition from where the ball was when you stoppedplay. Otherwise, restart play in the appropriate manner if you were informed when the ball was outof play.Report the facts to the appropriate Competition.”

He also adds: “This is poor officiating because the extra player should have been noticed beforeplay had restarted”.

…continued from page 9

and John Martin is in like mind with: “The ball is in play, as it left the penalty area, but a goalcannot be scored from a goal kick; therefore the restart would be a corner kick.”

Peter Watson also says “Corner kick, as a goal can only be scored directly from a goal kick intothe opponents' goal.”

as does Phil Gilmore with: “It’s a corner kick.”

Simeon Potter first wants to be sure: “Determine did the ball leave the penalty area? If it did notthen you would award a retake of the goal kick. If it did leave the area then you would have toaward a corner kick as you can’t score direct from a goal kick only a fly kick...I think?”

and Neil Sitch accepts that “It can't be a goal as you can only score at the other end, a-la PatJennings, so I think it must be a corner.” but thinks that he may react differently if refereeing boys’football: “I think in the younger age group I would just ask the keeper to take it again.... A bit likewhen a throw doesn't come into play,” since “…it's our job to ensure fair play.”

Peter Sullivan correctly advises “No goal…as a goal cannot be scored into the defending teamsgoal from a goal kick” but thinks that the correct follow-up action would be for the “goal kick to beretaken”.

while Keith Glover has a momentary lapse and advises: “It’s a goal as ball in play once out of thearea.”…Cue pandemonium!!

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Simeon Potter almost had an incident in a recent game, which promptedthe following:

You’re coming to the dying seconds of a cup tie in extra time. Thereis an injury to a player (a striker who has scored a hat trick..!!) whoreceives treatment and therefore has to leave the field of play. Theinjured player receives more treatment then asks to return to thefield of play but the ball is in the same vicinity, so you don’t allowhim to do so. The ball is then kicked up field and you blow yourwhistle for full time without allowing the player to return to the fieldof play.

Question is: Can this player then proceed in the taking of penaltykicks to determine the result of the game?

Simeon answers his own question by saying that the player may not take part: “The law states thatif, at the beginning of kicks from the penalty mark, one side has more players on the pitch than theother, then the side with more players must select an appropriate number of players who will nottake part. For example, if Team A has eleven players but Team B only has ten, then Team A willchoose one player who will not take part. Players deselected cannot play any part in the procedure,so a goalkeeper cannot be deselected from kicking but retained for saving. This applies whetherplayers are absent through injury or being sent off. The rule was introduced by the IFAB inFebruary 2000 because previously an eleventh kick would be taken by the eleventh (i.e. weakest)player of a full-strength team and the first (i.e. strongest) player of a sub-strength team.”

continued on page 11...

Keith Hackett advises: “A corner kick. Break the decision down into stages: first, the ball hasgone out of the penalty area, so it is in play: second, while it is true that you can score a goal directfrom a goal-kick, you can only score into your opponents’ net. Therefore, in this case, the ball haseffectively been kicked out over the goal line by a member of the defending team, so it’s a corner”.

…continued from page 10

Daniel Rukstelis is in full agreement, backing up his answer with: “LOTG (pg 50), ‘only playerswho are on the field of play at the end of the match, which includes extra time where appropriate,are eligible to take kicks from the penalty mark.‘ Now the referee, (not naming any names) has notallowed the injured player to return before the final whistle. Therefore, he would not be eligible totake part in the penalty kicks.

In addition, the opposition would have to take one of their players off. LOTG (pg 51), ‘If, at the endof the match and before the kicks start to be taken from the penalty mark, one team has a greaternumber of players than its opponents, it must reduce its numbers to equate with that of itsopponents and the team captain must inform the referee of the name and number of each playerexcluded’.”

Keith Glover disagrees, saying: “Player is allowed, as he was only off for treatment; not a sub.”

as does John Martin who thinks that “Simeon is playing devil’s advocate as the law says onlyplayers on the field of play at the end of the game can take part in the penalty kicks. Although offthe field of play he must be considered as a player for the penalty kicks.”

Alan Donovan agrees with Keith and John, saying: “My opinion is yes, as he is still a player whowas only temporary off the field having treatment”

as does Grant Sheavyn who asks if he can “answer in one word?...YES!”

Tom Ellams is not quite so sure, admitting: “I honestly don't know in law! I would let him take apenalty kick but I think the best way to go about it is not to make a big deal about letting him backonto the FoP, as you don't want to draw attention to it (as there is an argument for him not to beallowed back on). The chances are that no one would say anything if he was allowed to take apenalty anyway, as I don't think it would occur to players/managers that he might not be allowedback on to take one.”

Peter Watson was at first “not sure about this one, as the referee has clearly had the signal thatthe player wishes to return but the occasion had not presented itself to allow him to do so.According to the letter of the Law, only players on the field at the end of the game/extra-time cantake part in the penalty kicks to decide the result of the match and as this player wasn't, he can'ttake part, so the opponents must reduce their number by one - assuming that there were 21players on the field at the final whistle.

One can imagine the scenario, if the referee decides to apply sportsmanship and allow the playerto come onto the field, only then to incur the displeasure of the opponents who can rightly state thathe was off the field when the referee blew the final whistle! Especially as he was particularly goodat scoring goals - but then many forwards have missed penalties.”

Having thought about it, Peter advised: “If you don't mind, I'm reserving my judgement on this oneand seeking further advice!”

Said further advice was duly forthcoming and Peter was able to add: “I've had further advice on thisone from Tim Lawrence who deems that, in the spirit of the Law, the player may take part in thepenalty kicks. Players who have been sent off, substituted or a substitute not yet used may nottake part in the penalty kicks.”

Mike Coen is of the opinion that a referee has slipped up if he finds himself in this position: “Youknow that the player is waiting to rejoin and have deliberately (correctly) prevented him from doingso because the ball is in his immediate vicinity. You know that time is up and penalty kicks willhave to be taken. Delay that final whistle until the ball is played away, at which point immediately

Continued on page 12… 11

…continued from page 11

signal his return and then blow for time as soon as he has stepped onto the field. If, of course, hethen decides to take his own sweet time, don’t delay further as a quick goal could be scored andthen you would have a whole different set of problems.

If you have not done this - and the game ends with the player still off the pitch - allowing him totake part in the penalty kicks would open the gate for a genuine appeal against the result (shouldhis team go on to win). So you could not allow him to do so and you would just have to braceyourself for the deserved flak that would undoubtedly come your way. You would also need toensure that the opposition removed a player (assuming that the number of players were otherwisethe same).”

COUNTY R.A. MEETING REPORTSecretaries' / Chairmans' Forum: will now be held next season

Society Rules: Suggested that a copy of all society rules be sent to County RA so can be verified.

Membership: As new referees are now associate members, members from other counties shouldnow be known as affiliated members.

RA Leaflet: Suggested new flier telling new refs what you do & don't get from membership.Trainees should be taken to a society meeting.

Forms from RA: to be returned after AGM to RA Head Office.

Promotion: Anyone wishing to go for promotion should apply now.

County Cup Finals: Any referee lucky enough to get an appointment will be required to attend ameeting on 11th March.

Long Service Awards: will be presented at Ember Court in July.

County Supper: will be opened up to societies this year, by invitation. Cost: £27.50 Date: 15/04/2011 Venue: Reigate Manor Hotel.

Inter Society 5-a-Side Football: Winners: Brighton 'A’. Runners Up: Brighton 'B’. There were 4yellows and 1 red card (all from Sussex).

Cup Final Tickets: As yet no news.

CRB and Safeguarding Children: No change at present. but County say best practice to renew.

RA Conference: To be held at the Hinkley Arms Hotel (Leicestershire) on weekend 15th &16thJuly; guest speaker: Howard Webb.

RA Quiz: Regional final for Anglia & SE to be held at Leatherhead on 20th March - 2pm start.Teams of 4 can be from one society or several. Winners and runners-up to National Finals.

Membership: Total to date is 10,467; down 240 on last year.

County Registration: From next season will be £20. This increase has been set by the FA.

“I will never forget my first game for England at the World Cup. It was against Turkey….No! I mean Tunisia.”

David Seaman, BBC, 2009.

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January Guest Speaker January Guest Speaker –– Gordon Harrison Gordon HarrisonAssessment & PromotionAssessment & Promotion

Our guest speaker for January was Surrey Assessor Gordon Harrison. Gordon gaveus a most entertaining and illuminating presentation on the benefits of going forpromotion and the thought processes of an assessor.

At the end of the evening, John Kasey presented Gordon with a Sutton Society Tie.13

This article is copied from the IndependentNewspaper (June 2006) written by Dr FredKavalier, entitled “How to tell if they’re reallyinjured”. It formed part of a larger article byJames Lawton who wrote about cheating byplayers, highlighting the particular antics of acertain T. Henry in the 2006 World Cup gameSpain v France. Not that M. Henry was alone inhis squalor as there were a few othershameless players in that tournament guilty ofsimilar crimes against sportsmanship.

Is the player moving?

Injured Player - How do you Tell?Injured Player - How do you Tell?From Peter Watson (originally from the Independent, June 2006)

Did the offending player’s studs makecontact?

Broken bones and joint injuries will usuallycause the player to stop moving entirely, both toavoid the pain and protect the injury. So, theclassic roll past the referee is in fact a fairlyreliable sign that no serious damage has beendone. Likewise, if a player is hugging his knee,or even bending it in order to rub it, he isunlikely to be seriously injured.

Does the player’s face look pale and grey?

A bad injury will have an immediate effect onthe body’s blood circulation. Blood will bediverted to the site of the injury, causing animmediate change in complexion. If the playerlooks pale and grey in the face, he’ll need thestretcher. If he’s nice and pink he’ll most likelybe up and about as soon as his team-mateshave caught their breath and had a quick drink. (Complexion changes in a black player could be difficult to detect – PW)

A fairly strong kick may cause no more thanbruising, but studs are much more dangerous.Even a light blow from a set of fast-movingstuds can gash muscles and injure or teartendons.

Did an ankle or knee move the wrong way?

A small movement in the wrong direction cancause a major internal injury to a joint – ashappened to Michael Owen when he rupturedhis anterior cruciate knee ligament. They oftenlook minor at first, but replays should identifyany twists. (Replays! – PW)

Did they arch their back?

Neck and back injuries are more common inrugby than in football. Although a nudge from adefender may leave the victim archingbackwards on the floor, or pressing his handsinto the small of the back, a player with aserious spinal injury will be flat out, probably notmoving. (Think about whiplash injuries to theneck – PW)

Is the blood really serious?Cuts are rarely the sign of lasting damage.Even a minor cut on the scalp will bleedprofusely. But a player with head injury thatcauses concussion probably won’t bleed at all.(Look for changes in the dilation of the pupils –PW)14

Inter-Society 5-a-SideInter-Society 5-a-SideSunday 16Sunday 16thth January at January at WokingWoking Leisure Centre Leisure Centre

15

So Andy Gray has left Sky, followedclosely by his co-presenter RichardKeys. His footballing credentials areimpressive - he scored goals at thehighest level, including one in an FA CupFinal - and his understanding of tacticsand the mentality of players is hardly in

No Gray AreaNo Gray Area Mike Coen

beautiful game.

Sian Massey is clearly a top official. Youdon’t achieve a role as a PremiershipAssistant Referee just because someonewants women to have a higher profile infootball.

I have some sympathy with Keys, whosecomments may well have been intendedas banter and not have reflected anydeep-felt beliefs and even more for thepitch-side technician caught up in thefurore, whose only ‘crime’ seems to havebeen to note that Ms Massey wasapparently ‘a bit of a looker’ without inany way indicating that that would affecther performance.

But Gray showed, during bothconversations inadvertently caught ontape, that he firmly believes

Andy Gray & Richard Keys in happier times

Sian Massey

doubt.

His blind spot would appearto have been match officials.With a mindset firmly rootedin the past, he was thesubject of many a rant on theRA chatboards with hisunwillingness to understandmany of the nuances of lawsas diverse as offside andhandball.

Now, it seems, his dinosaur-like thought-processes arenot limited to the laws of our

that women have no place anywherenear a football pitch, regardless of theirability.

If views such as Gray’s were to beexpressed based on race or sexualorientation, then public outrage wouldhave demanded his instant dismissal, as

Ron Atkinson found to his cost sometime ago.

For a global corporation such as Sky,such attitudes cannot be seen to prevail,so it can be no great surprise that henow finds himself out of thecommentator’s chair.

16

17

Check the Net !!!Check the Net !!!Snippets pulled from the World Wide WebSnippets pulled from the World Wide Web

Referees canReferees can’’t be consistent - Theyt be consistent - They’’re Humanre HumanSpotted at www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog by Mal Davies - 3rd Jan, 2011

You can't trust humans. What do they know? Humans watch the X Factor, laugh at jokes by JamesCorden and let Piers Morgan take over from Larry King on CNN. It's fair to say that, as a species,we've made some pretty grave errors over the years. So why do we expect referees to be immunefrom making blunders in their day job? When a beaten manager or player feels their side has beenrobbed by a refereeing error, a familiar line is trotted out. “All we want is consistency”, they'll say,going to great lengths to make it seem like this plaintive request is perfectly reasonable. It certainlydoes the trick. Pundits parrot the line and now consistency has become a primary goal. It willforever be out of reach, unless anyone truly believes human error can be cured.

During Manchester United's game against West Bromwich Albion, Gary Neville somehow managedto avoid conceding a penalty and being sent off when he hauled down Graham Dorrans, who wasthrough on goal. It was blatant but inexplicably Chris Foy waved the appeals away, prompting theusual accusations that he was biased in favour of United. In the Sky studio at half-time, GordonStrachan's analysis summed up the incident best. "Well it's a penalty, isn't it, there's no pointtalking about it," he said blankly. Quite.

On Twitter the Arsenal goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczesny was just as blunt. "How can you not getfrustrated with decitions (sic) like that going ALWAYS Man Utd’s way?!" he wrote. "Its a clear penand sending off!" Presumably the Pole had missed Lee Bowyer's last-minute equaliser againstUnited four days earlier, a goal that was only possible thanks to Nikola Zigic handling the ball andfouling Rio Ferdinand in the build-up. And during the second half against West Brom, United couldhave had a penalty of their own when Jerome Thomas appeared to handle the ball in the area.There were no cries of bias then, or when Robin van Persie got away with an apparent handball inthe area during the victory over Birmingham.

Earlier in the week Cesc Fábregas launched his own Twitter complaint about referees after Arsenalwere denied a penalty for a handball by James McArthur during their draw with Wigan. "What's thedifference between this handball and my one versus Spurs?" he asked. "Referees don't want us tocomplain about them but they make life difficult for themselves. I'm not complaining at all, I'm justsaying why on the same thing some refs say it's a penalty and some not. Is it a rule or just whatthey feel?"

To an extent, Fábregas had a point, because there was no difference between his handball againstTottenham, which was penalised, and McArthur's, which wasn't. Mostly, though, his query wasdisingenuous because the two incidents occurred in two different matches officiated by twodifferent referees at different times and in different places. It can be hard to understand howreferees get something wrong just as it can be puzzling when a Premier League footballer missesan open goal from three yards out. But a referee's capacity to err is entirely plausible. They'rehuman, and if one referee is good at his job, it doesn't necessarily follow that one of his colleagueswill be too. If mistakes are to be eradicated, video evidence is the only solution, football's very ownindustrial revolution. Let the machines take the slack.

“My dad used to referee me when I was a kid. I remember him bookingme – and asking my name!!”

Kevin Kyle, Coventry & Scotland, BBC, 2006.18

The Blue Square South team wereplaying away to Havant on Saturdaywhen with nine minutes left the homeside kicked the ball off the field soBoreham Wood's injured player SamPearce could receive treatment.

The Wood's Mario Noto received the ballfrom the resulting throw-in and kicked itback to the opposing goalkeeper fromaround the halfway line.

Team Praised for letting Opponents ScoreTeam Praised for letting Opponents Scorehttp://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/world-of-sport/article/29220/

Boreham Wood FC have been praised for their immaculate sportsmanship afterallowing an opposing team to score against them during a league match.

But there was a problem: Noto made contact a little too well, and his 'pass-back' flewstraight into the goal.

The strike had levelled the scores, so Boreham Wood manager Ian Allinson - aformer Arsenal star - decided that for justice to be done he must order his men to letthe opposition score unopposed from the kick-off.

Wes Fogden was the lucky Havant player who was able to walk the ball upfield andkick it into the net as Boreham Wood's players stood by.

Havant finished 2-1 winners thanks to what their manager Shaun Gale called "agreat gesture", and Boreham Wood's boss had no regrets about his decision.

"I'd rather lose the correct way," said Allinson, whose honourable actions have beenhailed throughout the world of football.

“If I lose control of these multi-millionaires in the ManchesterUnited dressing room, then I’m dead. So I never lose control.

If anyone steps out of my control, that’s them dead!”

Sir Alex Ferguson, on his management style, during a lecture to students at Dublin’sTrinity College, BBC, 2010.

19

The Wisdom of WattsThe Wisdom of WattsJim de Rennes (Kingston RS)

Adam Watts, one of the ten Specialist Assistant Referees currently operating on theSelect Group of Assistants, was a welcome visitor to a recent meeting of KingstonRS. His workshop was entitled "One for All and All for One: the Art of Assisting" andthe focus was on the ways in which successful teamwork can be achieved. Thefollowing are some of the development points that emerged.

• Never think or say, "I'm only on the line today". Such an attitude is potentiallydangerous because it suggests that the assistant is not as fully committed as hewould be if he'd been in the middle. The assistant's job is as vital as the referee's.All three match officials play a key role in the success of the team.

• The AR's role is to add value to the decisions of the team of which he is anessential member. To assist, not insist.

• Eye contact with the referee is essential for successful teamwork.

• Posture and facial expressions convey an impression of confidence.

• The flag is the equivalent of the whistle for the AR. All signalling must be strong,clear and confident.

• Variations in the vigour of flagging can convey the degree of seriousness in a foul.

• Unlike the referee, the AR must always be in exactly the right place to make offsidejudgements. There's no room for error in positioning.

• ‘Walking the Dog’ - holding the flag with a straight arm angled towards the groundas you run down the line - shows clearly that no offence has been committed in tightoffside situations; this should be channelled to appropriate situations as overusedilutes impact.

• It is not the AR's job to play advantage. Flag on the move for the foul and let thereferee make the decision.

• The AR must prioritise his focus. For example, by keeping an eye on two playerson the ground after a tackle rather than following the ball.

•Always the AR should ask himself, "Do I need to get involved?" Only contribute toassist or support the referee.

20

Referees Golf Day 2011

Wednesday 1st June

at

Staverton Park Golf Club, Northants

Join in our Referees Golf Day.

The competition is open to all golfers who are registered referees, employees or assessors with the PGMOL, FA, an RA or County FA.

Cost of Entry : £35-00 per head.

Coffee on arrival, 18 holes of golf, and a buffet meal / prize presentation with trophies and over £250 of prizes.

Maximum no of Places is ‘80’ across twenty tee times starting at 9:30 – 11:30 ( booking is strictly 1st

come first served). An official CONGU handicap is very much preferred but not essential. Please do not reserve a place if your personal golf ability is likely to embarrass you, PGMOL, Refereeing or the Course management.

There will be a Raffle on the Day for the benefit of Bob Hamers - Aid International Charity. Anyone who can donate a raffle prize it will be greatly received.

The Day will be a Stableford format and all Competition rules will be issued in advance of the Golf Day. If you wish to participate a cheque deposit of £15-00 is required immediately to reserve your place. Cheques payable to : Andrew Newell - 1 Chaffinch Close, Thornton Cleveleys, Lancashire FY5 2UR.

Please advise your “Official Congu Handicap” when you pay your Deposit. No deposit – No reservation.

Any questions email / phone 07971 955380 or get me on acnewell@btinternet.com

______________________________________________________________________________

Name : __________________________________________

No of place Reserved : __________

Cheque Enclosed Value at £15-00 Deposit per player : ________________

Official Congu Handicap of all Players : _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

Preferred Tee Time : ____________

21

CONTACTS - 2010/2011

President Grant Sheavyn

Vice President John Kasey 020 8394 2968

Vice President Peter Watson 020 8393 9989

Chairman Barrie Gale 020 8644 3825

Vice Chairman David Laughton 020 8288 9275

Hon. Secretary Simeon Potter 020 8661 1555

Hon. Treasurer Keith Rodger 020 8786 7410

Training Officers Peter Watson 020 8393 9989

John Ryan 020 8337 6248

John Martin 020 8641 0501

R.A. Delegates John Kasey 020 8394 2968

Keith Glover 020 8786 0545

Events Coordinator David Laughton 020 8288 9275

Magazine Editor Mike Coen 020 8715 4678

Supplies Officer Mike Ewing 020 8644 7225

Retention Officer John Ryan 020 8337 6248

Committee Member Charles Jeffery 020 8641 2611

Sutton United Liaison officer Barrie Gale 020 8644 3825

Hon. Auditors TBA

22

Sutton & District Referee SocietyMinutes of December Meeting that took place on 12th January 2011 at Sutton Utd FC

24 members and 3 guests present

ChairmanBarrie Gale welcomed everyone to the meeting and was pleased with the attendance.

Apologies for AbsenceReceived from Keith Slaughter, Robert Pizzy, Ryan O'Sullivan, Chris Vagg, Keith Rodger. Wayne Ingram and RichardHarvey.

Minutes of Previous MeetingAll present were asked if there were any matters arising from last month's minutes. None were raised.This was proposed by John Ryan and seconded by Neil Stich.

Hon Secretary`s Report/CorrespondenceThe Secretary made the following mention of corres:

• Discipline Road Show - Monday 7th February, 2011 at Meadow Sports FC, Loop Road, Woking. GU22 9BQ. TheEvent is to give referees a better understanding of what it is like at a commission and what is expected of you. ContactTim Lawrence at the County Office if you wish to attend.

• Veterans Football - Any wishing to referee this type of football please contact Rod Wood (rod.wood@sky.com).

• A reminder from Fiona Cheesman - Discipline manager at County office - Please submit all reports within 2 days ofgame.

• Message from Rod Wood - County Appointment officer - Reminder to let your league know of your availability. If youhave not closed your dates with your respective leagues, they may put you forward for County Cup Appointments.

• Also, with the bad weather we are having, any County Cup postponed will be re-arranged for the following week andyou will stay on the game; so again please advise your respective leagues’ referee secretaries of your non-availabilitythat week.

• 5-A-Side: Society has been granted 2 sides in this 5-A-Side to be held at Woking Leisure Centre on the 16th January,2011. We need a minimum of 14 players; so far I have 10, so need some more to come forward.

• Pitch Inspections: The decision as to the fitness of the pitch is the responsibility of the referee who MUST NOT beinfluenced by the opinions of others.

Hon TreasurerKeith sent his apologies but provided the report below:

Sutton & District Referees Society Treasurer's Report as at 1st January, 2011

Opening balance at 1 April, 2010 £1,434.34Income since annual report £1,513.50Expenditure since annual report £1,268.83Society's Balance at end of period, 01/01/11 £1,679.01

Notes: Only major item of expenditure over last month was: -- Quiz Night Prizes of £55.48

Membership: Stands at 53 x full members of which 9 are youth members

continued on page 24… 23

…continued from page 23

Training Officers ReportPeter W stated the training officers were still looking for alternative venues for next season.

Supplies OfficerCurrent Stock £146.41 Cash £20.10 with a balance of £116.51

Mick said that there are 34 Society Ties available.

Magazine EditorMike once again thanked everyone for their input and asked that they keep it coming.

RA Delegates ReportJohn K confirmed that there will be a Select Premiership Referee for the Joint Society Meeting on 17th March; as yet noname can be put forward by the FA due to appointments not being known.

Retention Officer ReportJohn R was chasing up last years members for renewal. He had also been given details of all persons passing thisyears courses, to investigate.

Events officer report:Not present.

Any Other BusinessNone.

The meeting closed at 20:35

DATE CHAIRMAN

Dates for the DiaryDates for the DiaryFebruary, 2011

Wed 9th @ 7:30pm Sutton Society Meeting @ Sutton Utd FC

March, 2011

*Thur 17th @ 7:30pm Joint Society Meeting @ Sutton Utd FCGuest Speaker will be a Premiership Referee

April, 2011

Wed 13th @ 7:30pm Sutton Society Meeting @ Sutton Utd FC