WHILE referees are often used as the scapegoat, or even seen as the enemy to some football teams, it appears this is not the case in Tynedale.

According to research conducted with the teams playing in the Hexham and District Sunday League, people officiating in local football are doing a great job on a Sunday morning.

The Hexham Referees’ Association (RA) has recently had a revamp with new members joining the team, and a questionnaire was recently conducted asking for honest opinions on the state of refereeing within the league.

In addition to views being sought, clubs were asked to mark referees out of 10 - and the end result was positive.

New RA secretary Peter Fletcher said: “Referees within the league scored an average of eight. There’s some nines and some sixes, but the overall feedback is that referees do a fantastic job.

“Part of the feedback said it’s a lonely job out there and all they have to protect you is a whistle, but they do a great job according to local teams.

“Lots of the clubs do respect the referees, and that is something they have wanted to tell us.”

The results were reported at a recent meeting of the local referee’s association, conducted by new chairman Peter Sullivan.

Working alongside long-standing committee members David Tiffin, Malcolm Woodhall and Colin Smith, Sullivan is keen to appeal to more people to take up refereeing and meetings from now on will have a fun element to it, with the inclusion of quizzes and activities. A major talking point identified by teams as part of the Sunday League feedback was regarding punishments for foul and abusive language during games.

It was reported that referees were inconsistent when it came to penalising players for swearing, some allowing it to continue whereas other referees would send people off for a similar offence.

While many would like to see bad language kicked out of the game altogether, it was acknowledged there was a general use of ‘industrial language’ by people on a football pitch.

Flether said: “If referees stuck to law 12 of the game, then you hear a swear word and that player is off. But law 18 for referees is that common sense prevails.

“If it’s aimed directly at you then a red card is justified, but if somebody swears in pain then I think that should be allowed.”

Hexham Sunday League secretary Wilton Holmes was present, and said the league was working closely with the teams to cut down on the foul language used.

He said: “In the Hexham league, what we kick up a fuss about is bad language. I was spectating at a game in Wylam a few years ago and a parent complained to me about the language used, it was that bad.

“But we need to clamp down on it by working with the referees and clubs. There’s one ref who will let anybody kick anybody but as soon as he hears a swear word that player is off, whereas some refs will let players call them all the names under the sun.

“There is inconsistency but to make it work it’s got to come from everybody. Referees need to know what they should do in these circumstances, and clubs need to be warned of the repercussions.”

Hexham RA is always looking for new members, and will host a referees’ course at the town’s Wentworth Leisure Centre.

The FA Basic Referee Course (Theory and Practical) starts on Tuesday, April 4. Places can be booked by contacting Lindsey Robinson at lindsey.robinson@northumberlandfa.com.

david.coulter@hexham-courant.co.uk