UEFA: Key reminders to referees UEFA's referee course week in Antalya concluded with a series of important messages being reiterated to the European game's leading match officials ahead of tough spring tests. UEFA has repeated a series of key messages to its top referees as they prepare for a testing spring with the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. At the end of the referee course week in Antalya, Turkey, the referees were asked to protect players, nurture football's image, conduct themselves in the appropriate manner as UEFA ambassadors, and report to UEFA any attempted corruption or match-fixing that they may witness â or if they are a target for such practices. Additionally, the delegates were reminded by UEFA referee officer Hugh Dallas of guidelines that UEFA issued at the start of the season. Strict action should be taken in the event of players crowding or mobbing match officials, as well as against reckless challenges and serious foul play. "Show professionalism at all times," said Dallas. "You are representing UEFA and your national association, and you are also representing yourself and your family â make sure that you are professional on and off the field. You never know who may be sitting behind you on a plane. You are easily identified â be very careful travelling through airports if you're wearing your association's uniform. Dallas also spoke to UEFA.com about the aims of the winter course which has now been completed. "We're running two different courses, one for elite referees, and one for new international referees who are being introduced to the UEFA family," he said. "We are trying to remind our referees of a consistent approach, which the clubs and the coaches and players expect, and it's also good to show the new referees of the standards that are required. Top football needs top referees â and the future generation of top referees has been here. "I think courses like this mean that we can learn from each other and learn from experience," he added. "The young referees can learn from the experienced referees, while the experienced referees can also offer guidance â and provide a path that the young referees should follow." http://refereeingworld.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/uefa-key-reminders-to-referees.html
No wonder, they're always hanging about braiding people's hair and eating lentils I heard one of them singing some protest song about waterholes.