Reply from the FA

[Bluekiwi]

I emailed the FA about the inconsistency of referees with regard to two footed tackles, here is their reply 4 days later..............


Thank you for contacting The Football Association.

Whilst understanding your frustration as a football fan, every supporter will have an opinion on the game’s major talking points and we’re always interested to hear them. The Football Association receives frequent correspondence on individual refereeing decisions across all levels of football as well as on the performance of referees in general. It is important to understand that without a referee there is no game and as a result the long-term health of football relies on recruiting, retaining and developing referees. Whilst 100% consistency is impossible when human judgment is introduced into a situation, referees get the overwhelmingly majority of decisions right. In fact they are arguably the most consistent people in the game making split-second decisions that will be analysed repeatedly by slow motion cameras and panels of football experts.

There is a system in place for monitoring the performance of referees and referee's assistants. This involves referees assessors and reports from club managers. All assessors come from a footballing background and the majority are fully qualified referees themselves. The performances of referees over a season are then taken into consideration when the leagues appoint their referees for the following season.

We do appreciate all of the feedback we receive from supporters. This feedback is collated and used to build a picture of public opinion and is subsequently fed back internally within the organisation. Please rest assured your comments will form part of this feedback process.

Kind regards
Customer Relations Officer

 

[mcnab-sees-red]

Some thoughts on refs.

Referees in top flight football do not all go out to pasture after hanging thier whistles up. There exists a clearly defined career path for those who want it courtesy of Uefa. It is possible to become an assesor/inspector and from there move onto various commitees. However these appointments are proposed by previous referees who now make up the bulk of the commitees members, so if you want a career as an inspector you better toe the party line.

Once you become an inspector life is good. Uefa's guidelines to clubs regarding Inspectors include business class travel, first rate accomodation and vip seating.

In return you will be required to offer guidance to the referee and then assess his performance during the match against a set criteria.The main criteria being man management, law interpretation, control, attitude,perception and fitness. You are asked to score the referee on a scale of 5 (not up to expected standard) to 10 (perfect performance). Easy enough, referees with below average marks can be identified, given extra instruction or support to raise thier performance eventually raising the standard.

So why has this not happened? Uefa in thier delegates handbook inform assessors to 'tend to an average of 8 over 20 to 30 games' which is also the score which represents a good, efficient performance which must be a comfort if your a bit dodgy. A referee can be awarded 7.5 even if he makes a game changing error.

Refeereing will never improve whilst this blatent back scratching and nepotism exist within the regulatory structures.

In short, get used to it cos it's not going to change anytime soon.

 

[redmizzle]

Pfff...PR bullshit.

 

[BertTrautmann'sParachute]

Well done on e-mailing the wankers, anyhow.

 

[DTeacher]

Sadly that is their generic response.

It is WORD FOR WORD identical to a reply posted on Bluemoon previously by another poster and I have seen the exact same reply in an e-mail a friend sent me in November.

Imbeciles.

 

[dom]

Sadly that is their generic response.

It is WORD FOR WORD identical to a reply posted on Bluemoon previously by another poster and I have seen the exact same reply in an e-mail a friend sent me in November.

Imbeciles.

Does beg he question as to whether they actually give a shit... However, their organisations are not totally hermetically sealed . things havecahnged over the decades as a result of protest, so keep hammering, people !!!

 

[MSP]

Sadly that is their generic response.

It is WORD FOR WORD identical to a reply posted on Bluemoon previously by another poster and I have seen the exact same reply in an e-mail a friend sent me in November.

Imbeciles.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.google.com/#hl=bs&source=hp&q=Thank+you+for+contacting+The+Football+Association.++Whilst+understanding+your+frustration+as+a+football+fan%2C+every+supporter+will+have+an+opinion+on+the+game%E2%80%99s+major+talking+points+and+we%E2%80%99re+always+interested+to+hear+them.+The+Football+Association+receives+frequent+correspondence+on+individual+refereeing+decisions+across+all+levels+of+football+as+well+as+on+the+performance+of+referees+in+general.+It+is+important+to+understand+that+without+a+referee+there+is+no+game+and+as+a+result+the+long-term+health+of+football+relies+on+recruiting%2C+retaining+and+developing+referees.+Whilst+100%25+consistency+is+impossible+when+human+judgment+is+introduced+into+a+situation%2C+referees+get+the+overwhelmingly+majority+of+decisions+right.+In+fact+they+are+arguably+the+most+consistent+people+in+the+game+making+split-second+decisions+that+will+be+analysed+repeatedly+by+slow+motion+cameras+and+panels+of+football+experts.++There+is+a+system+in+place+for+monitoring+the+performance+of+referees+and+referee%27s+assistants.+This+involves+referees+assessors+and+reports+from+club+managers.+All+assessors+come+from+a+footballing+background+and+the+majority+are+fully+qualified+referees+themselves.+The+performances+of+referees+over+a+season+are+then+taken+into+consideration+when+the+leagues+appoint+their+referees+for+the+following+season.++We+do+appreciate+all+of+the+feedback+we+receive+from+supporters.+This+feedback+is+collated+and+used+to+build+a+picture+of+public+opinion+and+is+subsequently+fed+back+internally+within+the+organisation.+Please+rest+assured+your+comments+will+form+part+of+this+feedback+process.++Kind+regards+Customer+Relations+Officer&btnG=Google+pretraga&gbv=2&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=9eee910e0a484b09&biw=1280&bih=565" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.google.com/#hl=bs&source=hp& ... 80&bih=565</a>

 

[DTeacher]

Sadly that is their generic response.

It is WORD FOR WORD identical to a reply posted on Bluemoon previously by another poster and I have seen the exact same reply in an e-mail a friend sent me in November.

Imbeciles.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.google.com/#hl=bs&source=hp&q=Thank+you+for+contacting+The+Football+Association.++Whilst+understanding+your+frustration+as+a+football+fan%2C+every+supporter+will+have+an+opinion+on+the+game%E2%80%99s+major+talking+points+and+we%E2%80%99re+always+interested+to+hear+them.+The+Football+Association+receives+frequent+correspondence+on+individual+refereeing+decisions+across+all+levels+of+football+as+well+as+on+the+performance+of+referees+in+general.+It+is+important+to+understand+that+without+a+referee+there+is+no+game+and+as+a+result+the+long-term+health+of+football+relies+on+recruiting%2C+retaining+and+developing+referees.+Whilst+100%25+consistency+is+impossible+when+human+judgment+is+introduced+into+a+situation%2C+referees+get+the+overwhelmingly+majority+of+decisions+right.+In+fact+they+are+arguably+the+most+consistent+people+in+the+game+making+split-second+decisions+that+will+be+analysed+repeatedly+by+slow+motion+cameras+and+panels+of+football+experts.++There+is+a+system+in+place+for+monitoring+the+performance+of+referees+and+referee%27s+assistants.+This+involves+referees+assessors+and+reports+from+club+managers.+All+assessors+come+from+a+footballing+background+and+the+majority+are+fully+qualified+referees+themselves.+The+performances+of+referees+over+a+season+are+then+taken+into+consideration+when+the+leagues+appoint+their+referees+for+the+following+season.++We+do+appreciate+all+of+the+feedback+we+receive+from+supporters.+This+feedback+is+collated+and+used+to+build+a+picture+of+public+opinion+and+is+subsequently+fed+back+internally+within+the+organisation.+Please+rest+assured+your+comments+will+form+part+of+this+feedback+process.++Kind+regards+Customer+Relations+Officer&btnG=Google+pretraga&gbv=2&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=9eee910e0a484b09&biw=1280&bih=565" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.google.com/#hl=bs&source=hp& ... 80&bih=565</a>

Thank you.

It's ridiculous.

 

[Bluekiwi]

Sadly that is their generic response.

It is WORD FOR WORD identical to a reply posted on Bluemoon previously by another poster and I have seen the exact same reply in an e-mail a friend sent me in November.

Imbeciles.

This is the reply I got to my email about Evra and Giggs. Is this the same as other replies?

Thank you for your email.

The Football Association receives many e-mails and letters from supporters of clubs complaining about what they see as favourable or unfavourable treatment. Football is a game of opinions, but our concern is to be even handed across the board.

The FA is responsible for overseeing the domestic game’s regulatory function and ensuring it is fair for all participants. The FA does this without any bias to player, manager or club.

Supporters often compare incidents with others and ask why the same actions are not taken? The Football Association takes its disciplinary procedures very seriously and judges each investigation on its merits.

We do appreciate all of the feedback we receive from supporters. This feedback is collated and used to build a picture of public opinion and is subsequently fed back internally within the organisation. Please rest assured your suggestions will form part of this feedback process.

Kind regards
Customer Relations Assistant

This reply was from a different person to the other message.

I realise the replies are stock standard PR bull shit, but the more messages they get the more likely it is that one day they MAY do something constructive. (Oh look a purple pig with yellow wings just flew past the window)

 

[mancity1]

Using technology is part of the answer but while refs are part of a business where betting is rife both on and of line and lots of stakeholders have vested interests to see certain outcomes occur you will always have controversy to varying degrees in decisions or non decisions as the case may be that refs make during a game.

By and large the game has got too quick for them and players have got much more adept at feigning dives and injury and most of them play to the refs and assistants inability to keep up with the play to the advantage of the themselves and the team.

Other leagues have been shown to be corrupt and you would be naive to think the premier league is squeaky clean but its only when something on a grand scale and over a considerable period of time comes to the attention of people in a position to bring those people to account that little will change and just like the drug lords when one goes there is always another ready to step into their shoes.