07 Nov 2023 15:38:46
Fantastic tweet from Karl Henry here,
I've been coaching grassroots football in Birmingham for the past 3 years. Let me tell you, the level of officiating is disgusting.

In my experience, 80% of grassroots refs are power hungry do-gooders who are either intent on showing everybody who the boss is for 90 mins or are completely incompetent and unfit for the job.

From the Premier League down to grassroots, an overhaul is needed. The criteria for young refs at grassroots level needs to be higher. If the standard was higher, refs would command more respect.

At the top of the game, it's exactly the same. Refs provide a service. If the service is poor, expect criticism. The level of mistakes in the Premier League by PGMOL refs is, as Arteta said, embarrassing!

I've always been a huge advocate for former players being involved. Too many refs lack the understanding of nuanced situations on a pitch. Of course, some get some unfair stick but in the best league of the biggest sport in the world, the standards need to be higher.

Retrospective apologies from the PGMOL are worthless. Do better!

Solutions:

1. Get former players in to help educate referees. Yes, 'educate' them. When you have played professional football for 10 plus years, you have an understanding of the game far beyond somebody who hasn't.

2. Create a panel to independently review the performances of referees. This must be independent of the PGMOL. This panel would be made up of former refs, managers and players and would be responsible for promoting and demoting referees on a weekly basis.

3. Raise the bar for referees at grassroots level rather than simply protecting their incompetence. Millions of pounds of investment would be required from the FA to go into better educating young referees and reviewing their performances. Make it mandatory that any team recording a match send a copy to the league for possible referee review.

4. Start a national referee Academy for those serious about become professional refs. Football clubs pump millions into producing young players via their Academies. The FA could do the same for young referees. Select the best young refs in the country to go into full time scholarship programmes at 16 where they're developed as referees to hopefully become the next batch of professionals.

The PGMOL is an old boys club who are somehow pulling the strings in the best league in the world.

It's time for a change.

And by the way, going back to grassroots football. the other 20% of referees I've experienced have been excellent! Firm, but fair, great communication throughout games, authoritative figures who commanded respect and had a good understanding of the game. Unfortunately, they are tarred with the same brush as the completely incompetent 80%.

1.) 07 Nov 2023
07 Nov 2023 19:20:04
Interestingly Rated our favourite ref Anthony Taylor has been up to his tricks again awarding a soft and therefore controversial penalty in the PNE v Coventry game.

I think he believes ANY contact in the box is a penalty. Needless to say some of the comments on X (Twitter in old money) are rife and non too complementary. Most people now feeling sorry for teams in League one ?

2.) 07 Nov 2023
07 Nov 2023 22:03:18
Yup and his reward is being ref for city v chelsea match, that'll teach him like.

3.) 08 Nov 2023
08 Nov 2023 06:29:02
Great Post Rated.
I have spent time with a few Premier League Referees at various Social Events and the thing that strikes me is how "star-struck" many of them are. Talking more about how well they get on with certain big names etc. Rather than giving the impression how detached they are from Clubs and Players.
Not healthy from my limited exposure to these guys.
A radical shakeup needed!

4.) 08 Nov 2023
08 Nov 2023 08:23:49
Refs while getting decisions so wrong in real time need to be able to have a VAR system that actually works properly, this is where the problem is open to bend the rules and allow corruption, both decisions the last 2 weeks should have been ruled out, if the var refs are not competent to do their job properly theu should be removed, until this is done as Henry pointed out, Egos will rule, its clear to see we seem.to be punished more regular when we speak out time for the bias and boys club to be ran out of football, as good fans are starting to give up on the game with its constants corrupt ways

5.) 08 Nov 2023
08 Nov 2023 09:28:09
I would suggest that VAR should have a game manager who has no connection with anyone involved in the game that is being played and he can over rule the ref. He would have a ref and the technical expert and a x pro to call on to help him and he would be the only one to have contact with the match ref, or an alternative each team get two reviews one in each half and can ask the ref to review his decision by going to the monitor, just a couple of suggestions. I would like to hear what other posters think.

6.) 08 Nov 2023
08 Nov 2023 15:12:54
Baza, I want them to have an open mic like in Rugby so we can hear what they are saying. I also think that the Ref should go to the monitor each time there is a decision other than a clear cut offside so he can have another look at his decision.

7.) 08 Nov 2023
08 Nov 2023 17:17:15
The VAR official's should be totally separate to the referees in a sense that existing refs don't do VAR. There is a tendency to protect their college as confirmed by Mike Dean. If they were a totally different entity then this would help. Also needs a complete independent body to oversee both parts and major errors are pointed out then those officials removed until further training undertaken.

8.) 08 Nov 2023
08 Nov 2023 17:34:45
You took the words out of my mouth VB, it happens in Rugby but on the big screen for all to see.

It should be a routine visit to help make the decision, especially for things like penalties.

9.) 08 Nov 2023
08 Nov 2023 17:48:06
Vbwolf let's see it on big screen and hear the pros and cons from ref and VAR. It is too easy to hide dodgy decisions that favour the big clubs. FA and Eufa want the big clubs to win through to ensure gates and TV revenues.