Hanging up the whistle

KingJazza09 · August 18, 2012, 05:54:28 PM

hey guys, first of all i know that this probably isnt in the right spot, if someone could move it to a more appropriate spot id appreciate it.

ive been a member of this site for a few years, dont usually post much, but always reading the advice and the topics.
i am 20 years old and i have umpired footy for 6 years now. i know you cant always make everyone happy, but constantly abusing an umpire is just simply not the way to make umpires better. today i was club umpiring for a club i had umpired for 2 years, and played for 10. i red carded one of the colts players for striking, and then just before half time of the reserves i red carded another player from 'my' team for punching an opposition player. at half time walking off the ground i was abused like shower from the league players running out to warm up, then copped more abuse by the crowd, mostly people that i know, and dads of players i had played with. then again by some of the coaching staff. so i just got in my car and went home.
how can people think that this is okay? i started umpiring for a bit of pocket money, and i loved it....until now, i will never be stepping back on the ground with a whistle.
something NEEDS to be done by state leagues around australia to stop this sort of crap that happens week in week out,otherwise there will be no umpires wanting to do it, no matter how much you pay someone they shouldnt be subjected to that. i now have no interest in being associated with that club anymore because i dont want to be seen as someone like that....a ferel... as much as people hate them, umpiring is a vital part of the game....no umpires? ... no game. simple.

rant over

Flame · August 18, 2012, 05:59:39 PM

Hang in there Jazza! You'll be back! You need thick skin to be an umpire so that is just part of your training! ;D

If you give up then they win!

KingJazza09 · August 18, 2012, 06:01:42 PM

trust me mate, after what was said today, i have no interest what so ever in going out onto that ground again (i cant play due to injury)

Mr.Craig · August 18, 2012, 06:03:50 PM

Quote from: KingJazza09 on August 18, 2012, 05:54:28 PM
hey guys, first of all i know that this probably isnt in the right spot, if someone could move it to a more appropriate spot id appreciate it.

ive been a member of this site for a few years, dont usually post much, but always reading the advice and the topics.
i am 20 years old and i have umpired footy for 6 years now. i know you cant always make everyone happy, but constantly abusing an umpire is just simply not the way to make umpires better. today i was club umpiring for a club i had umpired for 2 years, and played for 10. i red carded one of the colts players for striking, and then just before half time of the reserves i red carded another player from 'my' team for punching an opposition player. at half time walking off the ground i was abused like shower from the league players running out to warm up, then copped more abuse by the crowd, mostly people that i know, and dads of players i had played with. then again by some of the coaching staff. so i just got in my car and went home.
how can people think that this is okay? i started umpiring for a bit of pocket money, and i loved it....until now, i will never be stepping back on the ground with a whistle.
something NEEDS to be done by state leagues around australia to stop this sort of crap that happens week in week out,otherwise there will be no umpires wanting to do it, no matter how much you pay someone they shouldnt be subjected to that. i now have no interest in being associated with that club anymore because i dont want to be seen as someone like that....a ferel... as much as people hate them, umpiring is a vital part of the game....no umpires? ... no game. simple.

rant over

I hope you also communicate this to the league in question and presidents of the respective clubs.

Artax · August 18, 2012, 06:05:10 PM

No good, which club did you play for?

upthemaidens · August 18, 2012, 06:10:00 PM

If its really that bad,, then the umpires need to band together and go on strike.. that may wake a few people up to the problem.. with no umpires what will the clubs do? get whomever they can to cover from week to week, then they will see consistency go down the drain..
BUT hey you are right, stop umpiring. im sure you have better things to do on a weekend then cop abuse from idiots, for what a few bucks.
Now AFL umps get paid pretty decent and do just have to cop it, but umpiring bush leagues hardly can be worth it..good on ya ,, enjoy your weekends

KingJazza09 · August 18, 2012, 06:14:10 PM

Quote from: Mr.Craig on August 18, 2012, 06:03:50 PM
Quote from: KingJazza09 on August 18, 2012, 05:54:28 PM
hey guys, first of all i know that this probably isnt in the right spot, if someone could move it to a more appropriate spot id appreciate it.

ive been a member of this site for a few years, dont usually post much, but always reading the advice and the topics.
i am 20 years old and i have umpired footy for 6 years now. i know you cant always make everyone happy, but constantly abusing an umpire is just simply not the way to make umpires better. today i was club umpiring for a club i had umpired for 2 years, and played for 10. i red carded one of the colts players for striking, and then just before half time of the reserves i red carded another player from 'my' team for punching an opposition player. at half time walking off the ground i was abused like shower from the league players running out to warm up, then copped more abuse by the crowd, mostly people that i know, and dads of players i had played with. then again by some of the coaching staff. so i just got in my car and went home.
how can people think that this is okay? i started umpiring for a bit of pocket money, and i loved it....until now, i will never be stepping back on the ground with a whistle.
something NEEDS to be done by state leagues around australia to stop this sort of crap that happens week in week out,otherwise there will be no umpires wanting to do it, no matter how much you pay someone they shouldnt be subjected to that. i now have no interest in being associated with that club anymore because i dont want to be seen as someone like that....a ferel... as much as people hate them, umpiring is a vital part of the game....no umpires? ... no game. simple.

rant over

I hope you also communicate this to the league in question and presidents of the respective clubs.

that will be happening mate.

KingJazza09 · August 18, 2012, 06:15:04 PM

Quote from: Artax on August 18, 2012, 06:05:10 PM
No good, which club did you play for?

probably not a good idea to name them. its wa amateurs

KingJazza09 · August 18, 2012, 06:16:42 PM

Quote from: upthemaidens on August 18, 2012, 06:10:00 PM
If its really that bad,, then the umpires need to band together and go on strike.. that may wake a few people up to the problem.. with no umpires what will the clubs do? get whomever they can to cover from week to week, then they will see consistency go down the drain..
BUT hey you are right, stop umpiring. im sure you have better things to do on a weekend then cop abuse from idiots, for what a few bucks.
Now AFL umps get paid pretty decent and do just have to cop it, but umpiring bush leagues hardly can be worth it..good on ya ,, enjoy your weekends

2 good points, id love to arrange a strike!
and yeah, if i was getting paid $3000 a game to cop the crap, i could suck it up. but not $100 on a saturday to get abused by people who dont even know all of the rules

andyandy89 · August 18, 2012, 06:29:33 PM

Sorry to hear this mate.

My only advice would be to just maybe take a few weeks off and see how you are feeling then. It was obviously something you enjoy doing (albeit maybe not right now), and you should't let something go because some bogans are yelling things at you. People can get pretty fired up at the footy and say some stupid stuff, but I think the vast majority of the people yelling stuff at you would apologise to your face during the week - please note I am not excusing what they did. People feel safe yelling abuse when they are in a pack, I believe that none of those same people would have the bollocks to say anything to you one on one.

Hang in there mate, write that letter of yours for sure, pretty much outlining what you originally said.

bowyanger · August 18, 2012, 07:08:08 PM

I see this as totally normal behaviour.

Its not good at all...but normal.

Go ask any umpire that has umpied 300 games or so...an umpie that is lets say 60 years old and retired? They used to get death threats and totally abused as they were running onto the ground before the game even started....I can assume youve never been called a white maggot...constant chanting by 20K fans during an amatuer footy GF?

Generally I can only speak from my experience playing and umpiring in the league I played in (bush footy)

Generally I would think that if your getting booed your actually famous and people know you...footy is theatrical..its a part of the game to abuse umpies...its not good at all...but its just the way it is...if you cant accept that then you shouldnt be an umpie. People that have nothing in their lives value their ability to go to the footy on the weekend and abuse an umpie...hell..Ive been pulled into tribunals as a witness where umpies have been punched out by spectators and coaching staff...the umpies just rocked up to the game a few weeks later, had a giggle and it was business as usual....try eating concrete

In hindsight the new rules nowadays do make umpiring very difficult...and ALL fans are frustrated by the AFLs interpretation of how the game should now be played...its not the umpies fault...Demetriou and his cronies have ruined the game IMO

I really think its an issue for AFL, and how the game has become so disconnected by their law inforcement that unfortunately you have to try and shove down peoples throats in an amatuer scenario?

Chin Up Brother

Noz · August 19, 2012, 12:15:21 AM

Hang in there mate, Being a key defender i can sometimes get aggro at the decisions the umpires make as "bowyanger" said it has become very difficult to be a umpire and you need to understand that not every decision you make will get right....

But in saying that.....

Sledging is part of every game but when its taking too far it becomes unacceptable and extremely disrespectful. I don't think you should give up umpiring as you did say you enjoyed it once before and that passion can still be found, This may be a minor obstacle but you can overcome it, After you write a letter to the respectively clubs and administration board of the league you should pick up that whistle and continue on doing the thing you love, Umpiring.

kilbluff1985 · August 19, 2012, 03:45:32 AM

not right really must have been really bad for you to just leave as i'm sure your use to getting some abuse every week

i am sincerely sorry this has happened to you, just wait and see what the league say about it if they brush it off a strike for a weekend will make people aware of the problem

Dudge · August 19, 2012, 08:37:14 AM

I go to watch my lad play soccer(i know lol) each sunday. He's 19, so it's adult soccer,albeit a a lower level.1st div amateurs, but he plays c grade. We don't get official ref's (i know umps in footy), so the home club have to supply someone. I've never ref'd, but i've run the line a few times and thats bad enough. I've seen ref's get chased thruogh carparks by idiots who pull the corner flags out and want to kill em- they have been spat on , hit. one had his car window broken. This is so fricken crazy, i mean without umps/refs the game wouldn't start. I do feel something needs to be done, but how do u change the behaviour of people who go to these games probably just to cause trouble

chaosAD · August 19, 2012, 03:40:05 PM

Mate that's not ideal but thats footy, and this is a fantasy website forum not a place for whining about someone's grandma giving you a cook for a bad decision in an armature game, I don't condone people bagging umpires, it certainly would be a tough job, but this is not the place to vent.
Good luck in the future!