Referees wearing earrings

[SimonSmith]

When I started refereeing in Hampshire in mid 90s, things were different.

Arrive at the club in ironed shirt, tie and smart trousers. Blazer preferred.
Shorts - ironed.
Boots - clean, polished and white laces.
Shirt - ironed.

Some assessors were very particular about this. I, naturally followed the norm. Until I was AR for a Very Senior Older Referee. This man, who we'll call Terry just at random and not at all because that was his name, was a grizzled veteran. Stories about him were legion, as was the general admonition that you don't **** with Terry.

Out come my boots. Clean, polished. Start to thread in the white laces. Temperature in room noticeably drops. Arctic. Then this rich burr inquires somewhat pointedly "what the faaarrrkkkkiiinnnggg hell are they? Youm not coming on moy field wearing them"

And that, ladies and gentlemen, was when my rebellion started.

 

[crossref]

The nature of my games really vary from friendlies , merit table, leagues, 1st XV 4th XV , vets, posh schools , other schools

I vary what I wear and I only wear a jacket and tie when experience tells me that the players and coaches are also likely to be wearing them after the game
I am not as smart as some refs, but smarter than other s

I am comfortable with what I wear , but I am not so naive as to think that people don't judge me on it, one way or another

 

[Not Kurt Weaver]

When I started refereeing in Hampshire in mid 90s, things were different.

Arrive at the club in ironed shirt, tie and smart trousers. Blazer preferred.
Shorts - ironed.
Boots - clean, polished and white laces.
Shirt - ironed.

Some assessors were very particular about this. I, naturally followed the norm. Until I was AR for a Very Senior Older Referee. This man, who we'll call Terry just at random and not at all because that was his name, was a grizzled veteran. Stories about him were legion, as was the general admonition that you don't **** with Terry.

Out come my boots. Clean, polished. Start to thread in the white laces. Temperature in room noticeably drops. Arctic. Then this rich burr inquires somewhat pointedly "what the faaarrrkkkkiiinnnggg hell are they? Youm not coming on moy field wearing them"

And that, ladies and gentlemen, was when my rebellion started.

Thanks for explaining, I do not recall white laces. My goggle search revealed the current more sinister meaning.

Sounds like white laces were a fad/trend. Ol terry didn't give a f

I actually rebelled when I wasn't allowed to wear spats. I'm still pissed about that. To tell the truth, no one noticed the spats till I showed up in mango beret.

This is serious though, the gloves make sense. I did a game once that I had to wait 15 minutes in the car before I felt I could hold the steering wheel. Just to be a smart arse though. Your gloves are not white are they?

FYI for those of you not in states. Solo adult males are profiled by the police when sitting in a parked car, especially in public parks (our rugby stadiums)

 

[oldman]

The reason for white laces was simple and practice. Laces, both black and white were made of cotton therefore if left wet and in your boots would rot and eventually break usually during a game. By having white laces it meant they had to be taken out of the boots washed and dried. Equally as the only person on the field in white laces players knew where the referee was by looking at his boots. I am told props were adept at seeing where the referee was at each scrum and adapting their game accordingly.

 

[Paule23]

Good grief, in this thread we've got polishing boots AND washing laces, two things that have been alien to me for a very, very long time (hence my boots regularly falling apart and laces snapping at inopportune moments)

 

[Balones]

I am sure OB.. will be able to confirm the time when we had to take the laces out of the ball during the season and wash them etc because we didn't want the ball to become loose during the game if they snapped! :hap: I always replaced mine at the start of every season just to make sure. All this foot rushing and 'proper' rucking of the ball could really do some damage to your ball laces!

 

[OB..]

I am sure OB.. will be able to confirm the time when we had to take the laces out of the ball during the season and wash them etc because we didn't want the ball to become loose during the game if they snapped! :hap: I always replaced mine at the start of every season just to make sure. All this foot rushing and 'proper' rucking of the ball could really do some damage to your ball laces!

Strangely, I don't remember any of this.

I do remember that from time to time the nails holding the studs to the sole would come right through. Painful.

 

[Balones]

Strangely, I don't remember any of this.

I do remember that from time to time the nails holding the studs to the sole would come right through. Painful.

You obviously didn't look after you balls properly then OB...

My dad told me about nailed on studs. Well before my time. I started with screw in leather or screw in hard rubber studs! Anyone remember them?