Referees In the ACT and Respect for the Game

This program was broadcast on 2xxfm Australian Community Radio Network on 23 March 2010.


In this program we take a further look at the English FA Respect Campaign. They have a saying which makes good sense:

Lose respect, Lose the Game

We speak to the State Coach of Referees, Clive MacKillop, on the recent meeting the key referee officials had with the PL and other Coaches (well those Clubs that bothered to attend!) to discuss concerns / issues for the 2010 season. Not surprisingly, for the Referees the hot button issue is "Respect". Clive also makes some important points about "tackling" which at eht moment seems to be the source of a good deal of misunderstanding and a few too many yellow cards.

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The English Football, Sheffield & Hallamshire FA, make the following points on the Respect Campaign:

The latest campaign in The Football Association’s Respect Programme was unveiled at Wembley during the England vs Egypt game - aiming to help further reduce levels of anti-social behaviour both on and off the pitch.The hard hitting ‘Are You Losing It?’ campaign targets abusive grassroots players and parents, and encourages disaffected team-mates and spectators to put a mirror up to those most in need of a wake up call for their bad behaviour.

The films are part of The FA’s drive to promote Respect as everyone’s collective responsibility within the game, in a bid to create a fair, safe and enjoyable environment in which the game can be played at every level, from the professional game through to park football.

The films are part of the Respect programme and are launched on the back of recent strong progress in addressing player behavioural issues in the game. However recent FA figures also reveal that there is still work to be done, not least in addressing issues of unacceptable behaviour by participants to referees and fellow players, as well as from parents and spectators.

The FA Respect Programme is making great progress:

■there has been a 9% increase in the number of qualified referees this season and there are 5,197 trainee referees at Level Nine - a 45% increase on 2008/09

■dissent cautions are down in 12 out of 16 senior professional leagues and divisions. In the Premier League alone dissent cautions are down by 37% whilst in the Championship the numbers are down by 53%, with League One showing an 8% decrease and League Two dropping by 10%

■Respect has become a compulsory module in The FA’s training courses for all new referees and coaches (over 25,000) coming into the game each season

■referee assaults down 25% on previous season

But there is still work to be done:

■800 grassroots games abandoned in 2008/09 season due to player or spectator misconduct

■1 in 4 parents would not consider confronting an offensive spectator for fear of physical retaliation

■The launch of ‘Are You Losing It?’ is supported by research which suggests that 58% of grassroots players are prepared to call the verbal shots by telling a team-mate to calm down if they display offensive behaviour towards an opposing player. Breaking the Respect Code of Conduct by physically assaulting a player from the opposing side was seen as the most socially unacceptable behaviour by grassroots players. One in four players admitted they would seek to find an alternative team should a team-mate of theirs assault a rival player.

Ian Watmore, CEO of The FA, commented on the Respect Programme, saying: “We want people to be passionate about the game in the way they play it and the way they watch it, but there is a difference between passion and abuse. There is a difference between banter and vile comments and I think we need to find that balance in each of those areas.”

Out of the current 1,169 leagues in England, the number that are signed up to the Respect Programme now stands at 707, whilst over 80,000 education packs have been distributed to leagues, clubs and referees. For more information on The FA’s Respect programme visit TheFA.com/Respect.