Colours?

Phil E


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funny, i never have a weekday phone call --- I invariably receive an email or text confirm
I never ask about colours, my experience is that the fixtures guy whose job it is to arrange refs has absolutely no particular knowledge about what colour his own team might be wearing this weekend, let alone the oppo :)

If I am in my car I pack three shirts, if I am cycling I pack two. One or other of them will be OK

No confirmation the game is on (by phone, text or email) means no ref.

Things to check in this phone/text/email conversation:
Confirm kick off time.
Any special events (minutes silence etc).
Colours of home and away team (if they don't know can they find out please)? If there's any possibility of a clash then I want confirmation the home team will have a change strip.
Anything else I should be aware of?
Please be sure to let me know straight away if any of this changes.

This puts all the onus on the home team for any issues. "Well you fixture secretary said...., sort it out with him"
 

Marc Wakeham


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No confirmation the game is on (by phone, text or email) means no ref.

Things to check in this phone/text/email conversation:
Confirm kick off time.
Any special events (minutes silence etc).
Colours of home and away team (if they don't know can they find out please)? If there's any possibility of a clash then I want confirmation the home team will have a change strip.
Anything else I should be aware of?
Please be sure to let me know straight away if any of this changes.

This puts all the onus on the home team for any issues. "Well you fixture secretary said...., sort it out with him"


Agree with this. Our clubs are told you speak to the ref don't text.
 

Flish


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Agree with this. Our clubs are told you speak to the ref don't text.

Interesting, I would much rather a text or email, something blank and white I can refer / re-refer to as needed, I certainly normally ask all the above questions, but even then I get duff info - wrong colour, time, and location for last weekend!
 

smeagol


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Interesting, I would much rather a text or email, something blank and white I can refer / re-refer to as needed, I certainly normally ask all the above questions, but even then I get duff info - wrong colour, time, and location for last weekend!

When I get the confirmation from the home side, I tell them that if it's not day-of, email. I want the paper trail.

Morning of, if something comes up, call me, don't leave a VM if I don't pick up, I'll call back. I'm usually on the road by 8-815 for a 1pm KO, and I don't check my email while driving at 75mph.
 

crossref


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When I get the confirmation from the home side, I tell them that if it's not day-of, email. I want the paper trail.

Morning of, if something comes up, call me, don't leave a VM if I don't pick up, I'll call back. I'm usually on the road by 8-815 for a 1pm KO, and I don't check my email while driving at 75mph.

i like to slow down to about 30 tops.
 

Blackberry


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funny, i never have a weekday phone call --- I invariably receive an email or text confirm
I never ask about colours, my experience is that the fixtures guy whose job it is to arrange refs has absolutely no particular knowledge about what colour his own team might be wearing this weekend, let alone the oppo :)

If I am in my car I pack three shirts, if I am cycling I pack two. One or other of them will be OK

That's a shame, it really is a good way of making contact and identifying issues. Three times now I've been the first to highlight a colour clash. The calls are always enjoyable in their own right as we chew the cud about the season so far.
 

TigerCraig


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No confirmation the game is on (by phone, text or email) means no ref.

Things to check in this phone/text/email conversation:
Confirm kick off time.
Any special events (minutes silence etc).
Colours of home and away team (if they don't know can they find out please)? If there's any possibility of a clash then I want confirmation the home team will have a change strip.
Anything else I should be aware of?
Please be sure to let me know straight away if any of this changes.

This puts all the onus on the home team for any issues. "Well you fixture secretary said...., sort it out with him"

Interesting - never heard of this happening in Australia, either as a ref or as a coach/manager/committeman
 

SimonSmith


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Interesting - never heard of this happening in Australia, either as a ref or as a coach/manager/committeman

In the States, I did it all the time.

Over here - really not an issue.
 

crossref


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Interesting - never heard of this happening in Australia, either as a ref or as a coach/manager/committeman

I got my confirmation yesterday .. a cheerful , brief email confirming ko time, location, and the pub they meet in afterwards (didnt mention colours)

I replied with two line email saying thanks, got it, see you Saturday

That's it, and for my experience that's typical.
 

Dickie E


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I got my confirmation yesterday .. a cheerful , brief email confirming ko time, location, and the pub they meet in afterwards (didnt mention colours)

I replied with two line email saying thanks, got it, see you Saturday

That's it, and for my experience that's typical.

we get an appointment from our Society mid-week via an interweb thingy called Rugby Explorer then turn up at the allotted time & location. Fingers crossed that you're given a call if game is cancelled for any reason.
 

crossref


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we get an appointment from our Society mid-week via an interweb thingy called Rugby Explorer then turn up at the allotted time & location. Fingers crossed that you're given a call if game is cancelled for any reason.

Yes we also get the appointment email from a system (whostheref) but then the home club has to positively confirm with the ref that the game is on.
 

Phil E


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Interesting - never heard of this happening in Australia, either as a ref or as a coach/manager/committeman

It's an RFU regulation that the home team must confirm the game with the referee.
 

smeagol


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In the States, I did it all the time.

Over here - really not an issue.

Seconding it being typical in the US, at least in my area of the country.

The communication with the match sec/organizer proved crucial in my season, as two of my appointments got cancelled 24-48 hours prior (one was a logistical cluster****, the other was called off due to tornadoes being in the forecast), and a third got moved 10 miles away the day before due to a flooded pitch.

In general, I'd rather have the contact and ultimately not need it, than not have contact and shit hit the fan.
 

SimonSmith


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I expect you'd see all the players in Bojangles on Friday night anyway

Each club has their own watering hole.

I live a quiet respectable life and don't go out Fridays. Or Saturdays. Or any other nights. I like my car staying intact.
 

didds

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Each club has their own watering hole.

I live a quiet respectable life and don't go out Fridays. Or Saturdays. Or any other nights. I like my car staying intact.

take a cab, leave the car at home?

didds
 

SimonSmith


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or the train as usually do :)

Alice Springs. Total population is under 28,000. Nowhere in town is more than 12 minutes drive away. Next town North is a 5 hour drive, West is over a day, south is over....you get the picture. Trains aren't a thing unless you're going interstate.

Get a cab? Getting one to go out - just about manageable.
Getting one at closing....less so.
 
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