We Must Do More to End Referee Abuse

CONFESSION TIME – I was once sent off for calling the match referee in a fiesty Ayrshire Derby: “A fuckin' one-eyed, bent poof.” This disgraceful breach of Rugby Union values was taken no further, no appearance in front of a disciplinary committee for me, because, as the Captain of the opposition told said referee: “But, he's right, you are a fuckin' one-eyed bent poof, now drop it.”

This was in the bad old days of “Home Team Referees”, when even Lions Tests could be decided by the whims of a match official who, long after the tourists had gone home, had to live in the host country. The most-notorious example of this was the First Test, in Dunedin, in 1959. The Lions scored four tries, but the New Zealand referee saw fit to award the All Blacks six kickable penalties, all of which Don Clarke converted, to win – under the scoring values of the time – 18-17. Under present-day scoring values, the Lions would win 25-18, unless the TMO had been nobbled.

You knew, as a player, when you went to another ground, you would be faced with a referee from the home team, who would give you nothing. It was like what used to be said about home town boxing decisions in Boston: “You had to kill your opponent, to get a draw.”

Things are a lot better these days, with neutral referees – although, two or three seasons ago, I did see a rather important Scottish club match swayed by a referee who was so-blatantly favouring one side, he has never been seen in match action since. His bias was obvious and worrying, but, thankfully, he is now history.

I mention refereeing because, I note in a mini-rugby festival in the West of Scotland at the weekend, examples of football-style, over-committed parents giving the volunteer referees a hard time.

Over-competitive parents have long been a cures in kids sport. Why, even the great Chick Young was banned from watching his kids play football as youngsters, after he became somewhat agitated at a referee or two.

Mind you, some of the abuse from the side-lines at adult matches makes one wonder, why anyone would want to referee, and be subject to such abuse. Everyone makes mistakes, but, as a general rule, referees make fewer than players – because, if the players didn't make mistakes, we would barely require referees to adjudicate on knocks-on, forward passes, late tackles or the nightmare that is the modern scrum. Mind you, today, referees are seemingly not obliged to rule on whether or not the scrum feed was straight – as opposed to straight into the feeding side's second row.

I recall a few years ago, making a rare foray to Cumnock Rugby Club to watch them play an Ayr XV. The “highlight” of the afternoon was when a Cumnock worthy offered both myself and an Ayr grandee, a former prop, a “square-go” after we informed him his abuse of the referee for allowing an Ayr try was rubbish, the Ayr winger was never within a foot of the touchline, far less, in-touch, as our Cumnock friend was inferring.

Said Cumnock Worthy is a well-known repeat offender. I spoke to the Cumnock President after the game and was assured, be would, again, be banned from the touchline. I wasn't back at Broomfield for a couple of seasons, but, there he was again, still making an arse of himself from the sidelines. He was an embarrassment as a player, as a club official and now as a mere spectator.

Another time, at Millbrae, I was asked to leave the Press Box to have a word with a spectator in the grandstand, who was coming out with some terrible abuse of the referee. I was asked to intervene, because, he was, like me a Cumnock Academical, and nobody in the vicinity spoke Cumnock – I was able to get him to shut-up.

The thing is, unless clubs are prepared to tell offenders, particularly repeat offenders: “Your conduct is unacceptable, you are no longer welcome here” and ban the miscreants from attending games, the trouble and the unacceptable behaviour will not be eradicated from the game.

It is already difficult to get enough referees, and, short or a return to the Victorian Values of the embryonic game, we will find, without match officials, we will not have matches to watch or play in.

The SRU cannot, nor should that body, police every game – the clubs have to do more to bring the parents and spectators to heel, or we will have no game to get involved in.