Super Referees

RK

The Premier League is arguably the best in the world, with some of the best players in the world, and many the footballers themselves at the pinnacle of athletic ability. Even the players for lesser teams have to be exceptionally fit to maintain the fast pace and physicality of the league.

Does it seem odd then, that we have slightly overweight 40+ year olds waddling around the pitch, trying to keep up with play, and making the most important decisions in the game that can ultimately make or break a team's season.

Of course, it doesn't apply to all referees, and there's no way to eliminate human error, but surely we can have a much more intensive screening process for selecting referees? I'd much rather see a young, fit referee being trained for experience than some of the current refs that are affecting the game week in week out through their own (accidental) mistakes. Below-par fitness could be a massive factor in this, as not only does restrict the ref's closeness to the action at times, but a tired body and a tired mind is less likely to make correct decisions.

Is it not time that we brought referee's closer to the standard of our players? If none are available, can we breed a species of Super Referees for future utilisation? Should football in this country be working closer with referees to maintain top-level fitness?

x42bn6

Our referees get cramp on the pitch.

I'm not sure I have to say any more...

Xander45

Like this but with referees?

TuTuHimm

The referees should be allowed to ride a horse on the pitch.

Leg-End

Ref's are either shit footballers or failed footballers, either way they are bitter.

But any decent ref has to earn his stripes first, hence there are very few young ref's at the top level, but the new training scheme's are allowing younger people to get into it at a very early age, I think we will see the fruits of that in years to come.

Juwaini

This posting is strangely funny....

kouroux

where would we be without them though ?

Striker10

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=OdQDXs75Ulo

i know where i'd be

kouroux

good for you

a_devil_inside

give them Berbatov style mowers to ride on

djemba's arse

A good referee needs confidence, experience, a calm head and an aura of authority more than high fitness levels. More or less every vital attribute for a referee improves with age.

RK

I made this thread on my birthday, how depressing.

a_devil_inside

happy belated birthday cnutface

Xander45

I have no idea how that links in with the op at all. I must have been drunk.

::sonny::

Count Duckula

I was going to train how to be a referee, because I really want to dish out yellow cards when people give me lip, before being told I can't do that and I have to quit the sport.