Club Hospitality

[jonesy-the-ref]

Hello fellow referees,
At clubs/schools/tournaments you have refereed at, how have you been made to feel welcome?
What should we see more of around clubs and what do you think the "do's" and "don't's" are?
Jonesy - Junior Referee
:aus:

 

[Swiss Ref]

Number 1 before the game to be shown the changing room and be given correct documentation early allowing proper presentation.

A smile doesnt go amiss either!

 

[SimonSmith]

Round here?

Bottled water and a dedicate tent section. Anything beyond that is the lap of luxury.

 

[FlipFlop]

A friendly welcoming face, before and after would be great. Offer to pay expenses/match fees before the game (without us asking) and all paperwork done without having to ask for it....

 

[Dixie]

A clean, heated and spacious changing room with integral shower and toilet.
A towel provided
The drink of your choice waiting in the changing room as you come off the pitch
No fewer than five club men drawing the short straw to engage you in conversation on any topic other than the shocker you've just delivered on the pitch.

For those in the US . .. don't worry, it's a pipe-dream here too (mostly).

 

[Davet]

And an assessor who is waiting with a pint for you in the bar - (though that may be softening up tactics) :smile:

 

[colesy]

Don't try to charge me £5 at the gate because your 1sts are playing at home.

 

[RLRef1984]

As for don'ts

Don't tell me how rubbish the ref was the week before - as that referee was me and your complaint got me sent here for a second week in a row.

 

[SimonSmith]

A clean, heated and spacious changing room with integral shower and toilet.
A towel provided
The drink of your choice waiting in the changing room as you come off the pitch
No fewer than five club men drawing the short straw to engage you in conversation on any topic other than the shocker you've just delivered on the pitch.

For those in the US . .. don't worry, it's a pipe-dream here too (mostly).

Sans towel, Petersfield on a good day.

Oh, the joy of coming back into a well drawn pot of tea sitting in the changing room. And pint.

 

[menace]

Hello fellow referees,
At clubs/schools/tournaments you have refereed at, how have you been made to feel welcome?
What should we see more of around clubs and what do you think the "do's" and "don't's" are?
Jonesy - Junior Referee
:aus:

here in Oz..it would be nice just to front up to the canteen after the game for a drink and 'carbs' to be told .."all good..On the house!" (or given a food/drinks voucher by the home coach).. I know the clubs are trying to make a few bucks for the club through the canteen but I find it disappointing that 80% of clubs here don't 'shout' and expect us to go diving through our wallet!

 

[Ciaran Trainor]

I'd be telling my society not to appoint me at those clubs menace. Theye'd soon get the message

 

[dave_clark]

indeed, and even club refs get their first pint free at my club (took some persuading a few years ago, but it's properly embedded now). however that may not be the culture elsewhere, which is a shame.

 

[menace]

it seems to be accepted practice in this part of the world? being a good host to a ref is not high on club's agenda...pity really. 99% refs here just accept it as part of the volunteer job so i guess i just accept it too. or i can do as you suggest...and only get an appointment every now and then?

edit: our society doesnt seem to want to encourage the clubs to 'help out'???

 

[Womble]

My club in somerset provide fresh towels and shampoo, tea and sanswitches on arrival with a stocked frige of fruit and sports drinks in the refs room. Fresh pot of tea after the game and all the beer you can drink. Think we have it right and we are a lvl 7 club.

 

[dave_clark]

at my club, the youth coaches would steal them. we've still got some work to do with how they see referees.

 

[RLRef1984]

In League its nice to just have a decentt changing room where you can spread out saying that it seems worse when I go to lower level Union clubs, good knows how I could ever get a team of 3 in Winlaton where I was the other day or some of the other grounds where the refs room doubles as the storage room. Barely ever get any water provided and its the usual concoction of pie and pies / chilli and rice afterwards

 

[Womble]

Think we cracked it when we had 12 ex players refereeing

 

[menace]

having complained that most other clubs do little to host the refs, I'm pleased to say that my son's junior school club DOES invite referees that officiate at his home ground to visit the canteen afterwards and get 'watered and fed'. The friendly people behind the counter know that if a ref turns up in kit, or declares they had refereed a game that they are to be looked after. My son's club Secretary also sends a invitation flyer to the referees association and asks them to email it to every referee so they are aware of it.

guess who is the Secretary of my son's club? epper:epper::biggrin:

 

[OB..]

My club in somerset provide fresh towels and shampoo, tea and sanswitches [a quidditch club?] on arrival with a stocked frige of fruit and sports drinks in the refs room. Fresh pot of tea after the game and all the beer you can drink. Think we have it right and we are a lvl 7 club.

The record at my club is 12 pints. He did admit after the first few that he would have to wait until almost closing time because his wife would be collecting him then, so the lad kept encouraging him.

At the next committee meeting several people worried about the expense and setting a precedent. "We ought to set a limit." I argued that the referee would tell all his friends how hospitable we were, but they all drove to matches and would be unlikely to attempt a reprise. These days many refs have a soft drink or bring their own sports drink.

 

[ddjamo]

Ontario is like the UK. Handled very well at most clubs. The states you usually have to wizz in the woods and trunk slam it.