Players attitudes towards Umpires.

If players do not wish to play hockey on a Saturday, they are going the right way about it. Several mens teams know have umpires refusing to umpire them. This is very shortly going to lead to matches being forfeited and Derby being fine 3 points and the opposition awarded the game 3 - 0.

On Saturday I was disgusted with the attitude of some of the players. Yes it appeared I missed some items but when the other umpire isn't giving any help it is hard work. The errors over the match probably balanced themselves out. Has I found out I awarded 2 goals that shouldn't have been allowed 1 for each team. The 2 green cards that were awarded to Derby players strictly should have been Yellow, and for the player that had a go at me after the game he was lucky not to have been issued a red card, as yellow and red cards can be issued upto midnight. I can assure the 1st team I will not be umpring them again this season, So you need to be hoping that you are awarded panel umpires for all you away games.

Leigh

I'm as competitive as anyone, and whilst it's extremely frustrating to be on the end of an umpiring mistake, lets temper our reactions and apply some perspective.

I've lost count of the number of teams I've heard say "if only the umpires......", "that goal should never........" etc., but if we are all honest it is rarely the umpires that are at fault for our teams loss.

They don't score the goals or allow the opposition space and time etc. and in my experience decisions DO tend to balance themselves out. If an umpire is bad, it is the same for both teams. I have rarely come against an extreme case of bias umpiring. They give what they see, and yes, they don't always get it right. But then neither do we as players or we wouldn't be playing at the level we are.

Lets not go down the football route and start badgering umpires over their decisions, because if you think about it, it is a pretty thankless task. You are generally going to leave 50% of the players unhappy.

We can not play the game if we don't have umpires - so lets continue to show them some respect, or at WORST our INDIFFERENCE!

OK guys lecture over from a player who has only ever been carded for............
Yes you've guessed, being lippy with umpires!
Practice what I preach not what I do!!

Ron Atkinson was once asked about a referee's decision that cost his team a game and replied
"I don't comment on referee's and I'm not about to change for that PRAT" good on you Ron!

With two of the experienced umpires within the club (my brother and myself) taking a year out, the club is REALLY short of umpires qualified to umpire league games. I know from matches i have watched this year that those umpires who have umpired week in week out this season have normally umpired 2 games or played and then umpired.

Without umpires, its up to the captains to either umpire or choose someone to umpire. Hopefully with the opposition / League committee accepting the situation!!

Umpires do miss things and get things wrong (not me of course ) we are only human. Its hard to umpire those who are your friends, and some umpires in this situation are leanient, and do give the benefit of the doubt when they should not. If players continue "talking back" to umpires then a neutral umpire will have no hesitation in giving what the offence deserve to either team.

As a club we have never been known for ill-tempered games towards players or umpires, please lets not start.

I shall see the 1st team Saturday!!!!! lol

Nigel