Just a general thought on the matter really, but how do you become one? I.e. what are the courses and training actually like? Is anyone already one and would it be something that anyone who has done this sort of thing recommend? Its not something I would neccessarily be thinking about doing, rather every now and then there are often reports of declining numbers of participants etc. So I was just wondering what the rigours of being a ref are, particularly at the grass roots/lower end of the spectrum and whether the abuse refs recieve is the main issue?
I'm a friend of Michael Oliver. He was refereeing from a young age, but it was basically a case of who you know. He was put through refereeing courses provided by the premier league, he then did a UEFA badge followed by a FIFA badge, which then entitled him to go professional. They were pretty intense, fitness wise and decision wise. He got based on many academy games, it takes up a lot of your time apparently. It's a quite remarkable story as he is only in his mid-twenties, when most referees are in their forties, and he has now been added to the UEFA list entitling him to referee in the champions league and the Euros, and Howard Webb has decided to use him as a fourth official in Poland/Ukraine. The odd parent shouting at you on a Sunday would be well worth it in the long run, his lifestyle is unbelievable.
I have a lot of respect for referees, the only more thankless jobs I can think of off the top of my head are tax collecting, and grave digging.
Entirely agree about how thankless the job is, but my friend, A sunderland supporter from Hertfordshire is a grave digger. He likes the job, All mechanical these days with a wide range of types of graves to be dug, and it's mainly outdoors with lots of freedom, and fair pay with overtime at odd times. better a grave digger than a car worker? perhaps
graeme poll's my sporting life on talksport told everyone what you have to do to be a ref you can listen to it free online http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/sporting-life/blog/2012-03-12/my-sporting-life-graham-poll
Refs were always respected and decisions accepted until Sky came along and used up to 8 cameras/angles to analyse what refs had got wrong. As I recall Andy Grey turned down a few chances to referee friendly games so he could better understand refereeing problems. After than SAF took over.
