It's not all black for our referees in Scotland..

Published on Tuesday 27 October 2009 08:46

IT WAS revealed earlier this month that 500 referees each year decide to give up officiating matches in Scotland – but that problem does not extend to amateur football in Edinburgh and the Lothians.

The end of the October week is an annual nuisance to organisers of matches in the Lothian & Edinburgh Amateur Football Association (LEAFA). At the weekend, 18 matches were called off due to match officials taking holidays.

Unlike in many leagues around the country, however, the scenario of multiple postponements over a weekend was purely a one-off in local amateur football and the reason for call-offs of an altogether different nature. Referees remain keen to take charge of LEAFA matches and the evident on-field rapport between players and referees is notable for its contrast to often-strained relationships in the senior game and the subsequent dearth of match officials further down the football pyramid.

Paul Reid, secretary of the Edinburgh & District arm of the national referees' organisation, explains the continued attraction of officiating at amateur level.

"For most guys, it's about being involved and giving something back to the game," he says. "If your Saturday has been about playing football every week for ten to 15 years, there's a gap to be filled once you stop playing.

"There are always isolated incidents at amateur level but, on the whole, clubs are supportive and there is a mutual respect between clubs and referees. Generally, match officials enjoy doing it."

LEAFA president Charles Gallacher explains that a mutual appreciation between officials and players helps his association retain the use of referees.

"Our members' clubs are strongly disciplined and our good standing with referees lies with our good discipline," he says. "We expect a lot from our membership and I think referees appreciate that. As well as that, we find that once referees come to us, we very rarely lose them to another association.

"We also have many referees who have played in the association. A lot of referees start in their late teens or early 20s and perhaps don't understand a lot of situations. The guys who have played the game have a different perspective.

"You don't get many ex-players nationally who become referees, and here's why – you get the average player who, at 35, stops playing and the people at senior level would say they're too old to become a referee at that age – the top senior referees have to retire at 45. I strongly disagree with that, because a footballer by his nature is a competitive person and would want to do as well as they could to get to the top of the tree in those ten years."

Frustrations may boil over both on the field and from the sidelines, and in any competitive sport this is deemed natural. It's how that pent-up dissatisfaction is contained or vented that defines the respect shown by players and supporters to match officials. The president of the Scottish Amateur Football Association, Angus Mackay, says it's because referees at amateur level are better-equipped to man-manage players that they suffer less abuse and are therefore encouraged to carry on officiating.

"It's a two-sided thing. We have a very straightforward disciplinary code, which is there to deal with indiscipline but also to afford referees more protection. Where amateur digresses from senior level, as far as I'm concerned, is referees having a more difficult job when they're in a public park on their own. Referees at amateur level have to use man-management skills to deal with situations a lot more often and a lot of referees will have played the game at some point and most will relate very well to the players.

"Most of them come into the dressing rooms before the start of the match to communicate their thoughts to the teams so people know where they stand. They manage to talk to each other on the same level."