Am I too much of a mug....

[Greg Collins]

hmm. Greg .. sounds like you are a mug ... sorry....
hmm. in your situation i would be mosy unhappy... and feel quite hard done by.

No need for apologies. I think I need to have something of a similar conversation to yours or at the very least a harder line to take then next time swapsies is bagsed by someone.

My choices don't extend to playing. From Feb there's an Audax ride I could be doing most weekends, or a FNRttC once a month overnight on a Friday/Sat or I could go out with my CTC DA of a Sunday or just lark about on the Downs on my MTB and the local over 40's do mid week club rides of a Wednesday afternoon.

Lots of choice.

Will have to think how best to approach the subject/conversation

 

[Greg Collins]

They are taking the p*ss.
Just say no I've made arrangements and can't change them.

risk being i might then find myself with a 'free' if the deal has already been done elsewhere beforehand.

 

[Greg Collins]

But who was appointed to the game? Who appeared in lights or on the website or however else you are notified of an appointment and to whom was the game confirmed?

Is a lot done verbally like ours maybe? My appointment letter, like any plan, rarely survives its first brush with reality.

 

[dave_clark]

i went to east mids and london soc

more's the pity :biggrin: :wink:

 

[DrSTU]

Canny lad!

Why man alive man hinny ah grew up in Crawley shooer but I lived in coonty durham til ah wez fowah cos me mam wez reet propper poorly like when ah wez a bairn and me ooncle an ant dinda have nee bairns oo tha own tha see? so they louked aftah me.

sa small whorld pet.

(I miss Newcastle)

 

[ballsie]

Areet like so yeeza a mackam bonny lad

 

[Greg Collins]

Areet like so yeeza a mackam bonny lad

Weeahsidahs dinna hew cooals and ah dinna seh mack ah sez myek tha see.

Pitmatic rools man!

God Bless the Geordie nation and diaspora. (and the Mackems too I suppose)

Two mackems gan inta the toon, in mufti, fa tha match and are walking doon Northumberland Street.
"Man alive therz sum canny shops here man"
"Why aye, loke therz a shop theear wi a sign sez shorts two fa three pund. Ouer lass'll be reet happy wimee if uz gans hyem wi too a them. Howay letz gan in"
They enter the shop and the assistant looks up and says
"Howay lads, al reet?"
"Reet canny bonny lass. A sower tha sign in the windoe ' Two shorts fa three pund', heeyahs tha three quid worz tha shorts?"
"ye-ah from Sunderland then lads?"
"Why aye bonny lass how cud ya tell?"
"Oh I dunno hinny, mebees becoz this a Sketchley's?"

 

[Donal1988]

But who was appointed to the game? Who appeared in lights or on the website or however else you are notified of an appointment and to whom was the game confirmed?

Ciaran was appointed to the game. He appeared on the website and at our weekly meeting the night before it was called out he was to do it. It had a 7.30 kick off and he got there at 6.50 due to traffic. I turned up about 7 as I had planned to watch the game. Anyway the higher level ref was togged out at this stage.

 

[Phil E]

(I miss Newcastle)

You are miss Newcastle :wow:

Is it 'cause I is miss Newcastle :nono:

 

[Deeps]

Ciaran was appointed to the game. He appeared on the website and at our weekly meeting the night before it was called out he was to do it. It had a 7.30 kick off and he got there at 6.50 due to traffic. I turned up about 7 as I had planned to watch the game. Anyway the higher level ref was togged out at this stage.

It sounds as though some might have thought that Ciaran had been unavoidably detained? Arriving at 6.50 for a 7.30 KO is leaving it a little late possibly which I presume is why matters may have been taken out of his hands.

If this is not the case or had he arrived earlier when he had intended then he might have or have had an issue to discuss with his Chairman.

 

[Dixie]

It sounds as though some might have thought that Ciaran had been unavoidably detained? Arriving at 6.50 for a 7.30 KO is leaving it a little late possibly which I presume is why matters may have been taken out of his hands.

If this is not the case or had he arrived earlier when he had intended then he might have or have had an issue to discuss with his Chairman.

To reiterate OB's characteristically rational approach, enquire rather than complain. How did it come about that the National Panel referee was there at all? It sounds as though the NP ref had been appointed to as well as Ciaran, in which case the Society needs to get its processes in gear.

However, if the NP was there as a spectator, like you, and was informed with 35 minutes to go that there was no ref, I'd have no qualms about him stepping into te breach. Whether or not he shoul ahve stepped out once Cianan arrived is a different question, but for a representative U.18, there's a strong case to be made that the delayed referee is in no frame of mind to officiate. The same might also be said of his stand-in, but the NP ref is a) vastly more experienced; b) less stressed; and c) already in situ, with part of the process under his belt.

Enquire, don't complain. And leave enough time to navigate adverse traffic when getting to a big game.

 

[Greg Collins]

you lot will piss yourselves. It played out something like this, with me being very diplomatic, conciliatory but assertive just like I am at work :nono:...

Can you swap on Sunday from a U18 game (half an hour to the west) to a U15 game (an hour to the east)?

"Actually I've made arrangements for Sunday (actually true) so I can't swap on Sunday this weekend. Not unless it is near (i.e. as in 'at least in the same county of West Sussex') xxxxxxxx (the original appointment.) Really sorry."

and you aren't available Saturday?

"No. I did explain that because I was tba for Sat I decided to was going to watch Leinster v London Irish instead."

But we are short

"I understand there's a backlog and everything but this is only the second Sat of the entire season so far I've not been available, and I've not missed a single appointment by going to watch other games at twickenham (or seen munster in the flesh all season)."

Puts me in a spot. I'll put you on standby for Sunday.

#FAIL!

I now don't have a game on Sunday. :wow:

Time to devote more time to my other hobbies? :wait:

 

[Dixie]

Puts me in a spot. I'll put you on standby for Sunday.

No; I've already been appointed to my Sunday game. If you are to bounce me off it, I'll need written reasons so I can consider whether to remain part of this set-up.

 

[OB..]

So why is he taking your game away to benefit another referee? Sounds unacceptable to me (certainly without a sensible explanation).

 

[TheBFG]

They've taken you off your Sunday game:nono:

That's SH!T

you need to have a chat with someone and find out what the **ck* going on.

If they're not happy with you as a ref then you should be told. Giving you fixtures and then taking them away is just not on, time to get on your soap box!

Oh and where's the NO book?:wink:

 

[Toby Warren]

Greg, that takes the P. How did you leave it with them?

 

[FlipFlop]

Join another society who will value you and appreciate you and be honest with you.

Tell Sussex to go F@c! themselves (although perhaps a bit more politely than that)

 

[dave_clark]

absolutely. you're not available on Saturday so they punish you by removing your Sunday game. that's the sort of thing you might expect a school teacher to do to a 13 year old.

given how you seem to be getting decent Sunday matches, and the teams like you, why not just become a freelance Sunday ref?

 

[Davet]

Greg,

Unacceptable.

Dixie's suggested response is correct -" It's OK, you don't have to put me on standby, I've been appointed to this game, surely the other guy is the one who goes on standby?


Appointments secretaries do a geat job, and human nature will lead to mutual back scratching, but this is starting sound rather more like playing favourites, clique behaviour, and even if not perhaps an abuse of power it is a very poor show.

It may be as simple as ref 1 rings up, "I have a problem... blah blah,..." - "OK, I'll swithch you to so and so - I'll take care of it with Greg." And then when Greg is unable to lay down and be rolled on he hasn't the moral courage to go back to the other ref and back down. Maybe he just feels he hasn't the time to mess around getting everybody sorted and agreed, and it's simpler and quicker for him to just impose. fair enough then, but involves knowing whom he now owes... which is what seems to be lacking here.

Donal

Who "appointed" the NP ref to the game, - I don't know what it's like there, but over here you don't do a game if you haven't ben officially appointed. Now that may be a case of ringing up re-appointment secretary, and asking him to do it as an emergency, but you cant simply "decide" to do the game., certainly not as a society ref.

 

[Simon Thomas]

Ciaran was appointed to the game. He appeared on the website and at our weekly meeting the night before it was called out he was to do it. It had a 7.30 kick off and he got there at 6.50 due to traffic. I turned up about 7 as I had planned to watch the game. Anyway the higher level ref was togged out at this stage.

For such a level of game and one that is "high profile", Ciaran should have been there at least an hour beforehand, and make his travel plans accordingly with a contingency for bad traffic.

If delayed at 6:30 at the very latest, he should have called the match contact and given an eta. In the old days we use the nearest a public call box, now with mobile phones there is no excuse.

Sounds like a Panel referee was there, had his kit, as asked to step in and by 6:50 would certainly have been kitted out ready, done the pre-match with skipps and coaches at least and perhaps studs and FR too.

If I was his Society Chairman, I would certainly want to discuss it with him and make it very clear to Ciaran what protocols and expectations were for a referee appointed to a match of this level.

I went to assess a referee last season, level 8 League match, and he has not arrived by 1:45. We tried to call him, no answer, and I left a message. As usual I had my kit in the car, and with 30 minutes to go, was changed and ready to do the match - which I did. He turned up at 2:15 for 2:30 ko, and I told him I would speak to him afterwards.

He had been delayed at home, then in traffic on M27 ( but he only allowed 20 mins for a journey, I never do in less than 40 mins on a clear road), and had not thought to call ahead. His mobile was on silent and in his glove box !

We had a pretty one-sided converation after the match and he learnt a few things he needed to think about more.