Getting your drinks

[Tibbs]

Something that I'm very bad at is getting a (free) pint after the game.

Some clubs I go to are very good at it, giving out vouchers, or having someone on hand to make sure that I always have a pint in my hand - sometimes to the extent of having to get a mate out to drive me home... (Be wary of this if you ever referee in Hove - one of my Sussex compatriots wound up with 3 pints of Guinness waiting for him in the changing room as he came off the pitch!)

Most of the smaller clubs don't have these facilities and I could never just say, "I'm the ref" to the bar staff and smile and walk away with my beer. I usually end up ordering and hoping that they notice I've got my Sussex Referee's tie on, and say "No charge" but more often than not I just pay for it.

How do other people deal with this? I know it's not of vital world imnportance, but as a relatively new ref I haven't really got a handle on the protocol, so a steer would be helpful as I only do this job for the free food and beer!

Chris

 

[Simon Griffiths]

Well, if there isn't someone to sort it out for me (which there often is), I'm more than happy to say I'm the ref - after all I am!

I've only come across one club that doesn't do free drinks for the refs - and they use the excuse that they share their clubhouse with a football team (who don't offer free drinks to refs).

 

[ex-lucy]

i have been refused a free drink a couple times.
Once (St Albans) when the Barperson (50+ FH) said "we pay for your services as a ref, you can claim it on your expenses, so pay for it like everyone else." Nice.
A senior player (prop) bought it for me instead.
PTC? you have been to St Albans, what was your exp?

And once at my own club on a Sunday when the bar staff didnt know who i was (only 26 yrs at the club) and didnt know about tradition. Mini's mum.
Coach bought it for me.

I think it is a case of being assertive.
Apparently i have a reputation in Herts of expecting quite a few beers. At one club, i was the last one out of the clubhouse - apart from the guy locking up. Others i can stay until 7:30/8.
Depends on my chauffeur (wife).

 

[madref]

Hello

I just say I am the ref.

If I get no joy I ask for a pint of water then when somebody asks why are you drinking that I say they wanted money at the Bar and I have not got me expenses yet!

Usually works then the free drinks flow!

David

 

[mbkingsmill]

There has just been a long debate about this on the Leicestershire forum, and it has only servered to reinforce the view i already had that it varies greatly from club to club and on what the result of the game is.

There are a couple of clubs in the county where they won't charge you for drink(s) at all on match day - regardless of how much you drink. Theres even one club who have said that all members of "the" (Leicestershire) society are more that welcome to come and drink with them whenever they want and that there will be no charge.

Most will offer a single pint and players meal without even batting an eyelid, and I have never tried to get any more as 98% of the time i have driven to the ground and need to drive home so can't drink any more than that.

And one club I felt so unwelcome that the moment i was changed and had signed the match cards i left and made no attempt to go to the bar to get a drink.

On the whole my attitude towards hospitality after a game is no to expect/demand anything but I will always accept if offered a pint and a meal, and the sight of the society tie is normally enough for that offer to be given. And with exception of the one club already mentioned above (as they will not let me) always make an effort to pay for any further drinks that I have.

That said clubs that are in the reckoning for the society's annual hospitality award to tend to be the same ones - you only need to look and the engraved list of former winners on the trophy to see this pattern.

Matt

 

[Bryan]

I understand it's a culture thing, and it may be my meek and mild Canadian self, but I would never try to pull rank as a referee to get free booze. Now, I had often paid for the first pint, only to be told to never do that again and been given another one for free. However, I don't want to be "that ref." that expects a free pint. I know it's the unwritten protocol to do it, but flashing a badge and tie around like some secret agent seems too uppity. And we wonder why nobody likes us!

I'm with Matt on this. Even if they offer you a drink, any drinks after that are on your tab. Even when I was taking planes, trains and buses to matches I'd only have one or 2 drinks before excusing myself to diet cokes the rest of the night. I also didnt want to be known as "alco-ref" (I'd heard another referee never lived it down).

Nothing beats Orkney though. Sponsored by Highland Park, so you get your own little bottle of whisky after the game. That being said, Highland RFC (up in Inverness) was also great- pot of tea, biscuits and sandwiches at half-time and after the match. Those were the days...

Of course, the best way to guarantee a free drink is if the home club wins

 

[Simon Griffiths]

We had one referee (he's moved to Cornwall since - I wonder why...) who had an interesting trip.

Luctonians (I believe it was them anyway - if not them, another distant club for the society) are the most northerly club that our society covers. I'm not even sure if it's still in Herefordshire, let alone Gloucestershire, it's that far north! Anyway, our esteemed L5 referee took his trip up to the club on the Sarurday afternoon and had a great evening. So good that he passed out due to all the 'free booze'. They left him at the club overnight and then 'forced' him to referee one of their matches on Sunday morning. Of course, an 11am kick off was surely too early for anything to happen that day? Not at all - the whole thing was repeated and he passed out again, not returning to our fine county until Monday!

Do reckon we can list that as another exchange?

 

[PeterTC]

Haha, awesome times, sounds like my exploits in Lytchett...

St Albans was good enough to me as far as I remember, don't remember paying for a pint there but not sure how I obtained said pint (or did I have 2 that day).

My experience is that most clubs you will get a pint for free, and if not you will usually find one of the blazers from one side or the other will generally get you one in return for some of your post match time.