Where have all the local guys gone just been on S.F.A web site looked at fixtures for E.O.S and S.O.S and there are a few names i never seen before are they new locals or from central belt. Does anyone know?

they are not local refs. they are from up the road.

As the top ref's need a game when the SFL is off for the Scotland game......

Dont think thats the reason 1919 just looked on web site at their grades and they aren't top refs are the locals refusing to do games because of the abuse or something

Doubt its that, the word 'top' ref is a loose term in this country anyway!

heard a rumour that its because all but 2 of the 6 or so local refs failed the fitness test required to ref at this level,so therefore they have to appoint refs from up the road,not sure which refs passed think mr mcguffie would be 1 of them!

Heard Donald was NOT one of the ones that failed the test but your info is correct Ziggs

I heard that the ones left doing the games haven't even sat a fitness test yet. Doesnt seem right that you can be took off your games for failing a fitness test to be replaced by someone thats not necessarily fitter but just hasnt sat their test.

I think that the fitness test is a lot of shit! If a referee is good in his games and can keep up with play is it not the case they are fit enough. If they start to fall back from play on the pitch, fair enough, maybe need to be put through some sort of test but lets face it our local refs put up with enough without getting more abuse about fitness tests?? Any ref on pie want to write on and tell us what they think?


I think that they need more of a psychological test to make sure they are thick skinned enough to take all the abuse they get. And they dont need people like you on here, ziggs ball, broadcasting failing fitness tests!!!

Don't know why your having a pop at Ziggs ball as he's obviously stating facts. Realise it's hard enough finding refs but if these guys sign up for it and are not reaching the fitness levels required then they've nobody to blame but themselves.

wasn't aware i was giving any ref abuse,far from it,am merely answering the guy above's question!!happen to get on well wae most local refs so am hardly goin to slate them!!so get off your high horse and blame the sfa and refs association who set the bloody tests! folk just want to know whats happened to our refs thats all henry winkler!

think you've misread my post hoss,said i thought he would pass!

oops! sorry

I was not "getting on my high horse" about you slating any ref... I was merely pointing out that they get enough abuse and stuff without you telling folk on here that they have actually FAILED a fitness test! Shouldnt that be done behind a closed door. And Im sure that just because they have failed one fitness test doesnt mean they are stroked off the sfa ref list???

Any ref out there can put me right?

Anyone ive spoke to know about the ref's who failed the test it's common knowledge

in terms of consistency am going to rank the local refs ive seen lately out of ten..
templeton 5
clingan 9
mcguffie 8
buchan 5
bean 2( shocking)
williamson 4
saunders 5

clingan and d.mcguffie good refferees .. a feel clingan could manage to ref at high standard.
personally i feel this year the reffing has not been as bad as publicly critisised..

i would agree with that i play with crichton and havent had bean yet this season and hopefully we dont get him.like saunders think he is good what about reffere assistants they are crap[ rover ]

The good thing about McGuffie and Saunders is the players can speak to them as i feel a lot of ref's are getting more un-approachable these days.

Wullie McKnight was in a different league to these guys though IMO

Aye, Wullie McKnight was a guid yin, still is. Seen him the other week.

Aye you knew when wullie was ref you could murder someone and stay on the park

They tell me Rover is doing Saturday Amateurs ,

How embarrasing for Referee Association if they put his name forward to do

games ashe cannot even run the lengh of the park.

Surely the refs must be embarrased when he does the line at SOS

games

Aye and he seems to have bigger tits than our female ref!

EVERYONE KNOWS, ITS NO BIG SECRET, THE REFS WILL TELL YOU THEMSELVES!!!!! i'm bored
i see you seem to be publicly abusing a ref/so called ref,now..........................mm double standards i think or does it not matter cos he's an amateur ref?

no refs... no game of footy.. you can slag them to the dogs but wee need them

probably the best post i have read regarding this crap

he was past it 20 odd years ago when he done stewartry sunday league.he even makes me look anorexic

Yes its getting all a bit boring now ! Its a difficult job and one i wouldnt go near so just give them the peace to get on with the job. I heard on the radio there are classes on just now so im sure if anyone thinks they can do better they have got their chance to do something about it.

Eddie your the same dress size as him surely

I hear one of the referee's that ref in the south packed in on thurs after there meeting due to dissaggreements with man in charge and more could follow anyone know who?

i know of two south of scotland referees
who prefer travelling to ayrshire to referee
because they get less abuse, that cant be good

Do the refs get much say in where they ref? Don't the SFA do all the allocating, and that could mean a game at Kello or at Sanquhar?

i said they prefer
refereeing in ayrshire

Yes I saw what you said, but I misinterpreted it.

i hear its martin sproul. threw his toys out of the pram because he was asked to train with the other refs seeing he has not trained this season but still been doing games. dont think its right if he is playing the big time charlie who is too good to train with the rest but can still do games ? still wouldnt be like him to be above everyone else !!

i wouldnt be at all surprised i know martin
was very upset the way the sfa have treated him recently

Still the best ref in the area

Knowing martin personally and having spoke to him today he wasn't asked to train with the others but was to phone every week to explain that he couldn't train due to work he wasn't prepared to train till 9pm then shower get some sleep and start work at midnight he was also one of the 2 that passed the fitness test thats why he could do games so maybe you could get your facts correct before slagging the guy off I know he is annoyed at giving up as he said to me today he enjoyed refereeing in the south but due to 1 man he thought it better to resign and that other refs were pissed off too but wont stand up for themselves but can see why they dont. I for 1 know he wouldn't want to fall asleep at the wheel of his lorry after training instead of sleeping he had a friend killed cos his friend fell asleep at the wheel maybe you should get all the facts before you slag him

Like has been said,best ref in the South........can u name who they are all afraid of?...is it a said supervisor?

Here we go again, lets have another go at referees ! I dont know what night the referee's train but I see Martin at DGOne most Tuesday nights !

I reckon that what Martin does in his own time is up to him and of noone elses business. The fact that he still goes out there and does games in the south should be appreciated, afterall most good refs of his standard would have just walked away after being downgraded. He is certainly one of the fittest in the area and has completed the fitness test so why should he go to training sessions when he's fitter than the rest.

I hope he hasn't jacked in cos who is there to replace the likes of him. There seems to be lack of refs in the area now but surely the referee big guns at their meetings etc will be doing all there is possible to keep the likes of Martin and encourage youngsters into the game.

well said was at dg1 with martin this afternoon and i certainly couldn't do the speed and distance on the tred mill that he was but i can tell you he goes to dg1 on mon tues and wed depending on shift times at his work refs train tues nights he is off 1 in 5 tues nights so usually he is at dg1 early on on these nights not only does he go to gym he plays 5 a sides 3 days a week. He wont be able to do south games now but told me he would if he had the chance but did say he felt he was being bullied out of refereeing by 1 man. I also told him about this thread and and told him to join and comment but he just wants an end to it so lets leave the guy alone

Get him in the Sunday league!

Get Steven Greer promoted to the south league, seems to be the only young ref interested. If he had sense I am sure he will look else where to referee.

EDIT - Don't mean the first line in a bad way, more along the lines of there has been a struggle for ref's a few times this year. I am sure all the Sunday lad's would be happy with a ref of his experience.

Personally I just think it is a pity that some people seem to be using this forum to make digs at folk involved in the game whether it be on the football side of things or on the refereeing side. The comments normally come from folk hiding behind obscure usernames or with no real right to criticise others (i.e. folk with no refereeing experience criticising the likes of Sproule or guys who are far from worldbeaters themselves having a pot at folk involved with the football side of things). You could argue that you don't need to be an expert to remark on the performance or attributes of others, but nearly everyone involved with South football does it for the love of the game and puts a great deal of time and effort in at the expense of other things. Most people in South football ain't making a great deal of money (if any) out of the game. If they were earning vast amounts then I guess its maybe part and parcel of being involved in the game and the benefits outweigh the silly nonsense.

For the record I think Sproule is one of the better refs and does a good professional job - just my opinion though! The South needs refs like that and the many other good people involved with the game - so maybe think twice before having a dig at folk who put in so much time and effort into local football.

well said tucker for once i agree with you

I think all the senior listed referees have some form of contract that says they have to attend a set percentage of their association training nights so Sproul can have no excuse.

Think you will find it also says only if business committments allow and what do you think pays referee's mortgage not football

100% behind you on this one. This is a pathetic thread to slag off and undermine the very people we need to run our game and ultimately let pie and Bovril exist.

Good,bad or plain fucking awful we need these guys and i think this thread should be thrown to bed.

two outside refs at hospital park last two weeks............first one did ok but was being judged..........second one did fine too...........was very sensible.........no cards when not needed
first one reacted to some fans and bit back at them...quite surprised cause he reffed the game really well

Have seen the Sproule guy in action a few times.Excellent official,always in the right place to make decisions.

Well he was a ref at the top level once upon a time.