Reaction: referee Darren Drysdale locks heads with Ipswich star

Referee Darren Drysdale butted heads, quite literally, with Ipswich midfielder Alan Judge whilst officiating Ipswich and Northampton’s 0-0 draw in League One on 16 February.

The FA charged the referee with improper conduct and was replaced for Southend’s clash with Bolton that weekend.

Clashes between players have always been commonplace in football and usually spark some reaction, but very rarely do referees get involved, making this a very interesting case going forward.

Drysdale’s loss of composure in this match has prompted something of a debate in the footballing world. Was the FA right to charge Drysdale for his actions? Or is this something people want to see more of from referees going forward?

The latter viewpoint seems to stem from the opinion that referees receive a great deal of abuse from fans and players alike, and so it only seems fair that they stand up for themselves.

In a way, this is understandable. Referees have been reported saying that they were scared for their lives following some matches, and the amount of dissent shown by the players towards refs could be perceived as a result of their lack of physical authority on the pitch.

As such, it could be argued that referees should make their presence known on pitches and take a more active role in rule enforcement.

However, that is where the issue lies.

Referees are employed to enforce the rules. Fighting, clearly, is not allowed within the framework of these rules, and so for a referee to engage in such behaviour themselves would be very paradoxical.

I interviewed a referee for their opinions on the matter, asking whether they saw Drysdale’s actions as him standing up for himself, or one step too far.

“Referees have the right to stand up for themselves, but what we saw from Darren Drysdale was unacceptable.

“Game management is everything when you’re out on the pitch – match officials are responsible for keeping 22 players under control. If you can’t keep control of yourself, you can’t possibly be in control of the game.

“If we allow the behavioural standards of referees to fall in line with players’ – chaos will ensue.”

If a referee can’t physically make his authority known – by squaring up to a player – they need to do so in a calmer, more professional manner: “Usually, referees stand up for themselves by pulling a player – and perhaps their captain – over to the side to defuse the situation.”

The referee did note, however, that as unacceptable as Darren Drysdale’s actions were, it is a surprise that is such a rare occurrence: “Drysdale lost his cool – it happens to players all the time; it’s surprising that it doesn’t happen to officials more often.”

For that, match officials deserve far more credit than they receive

Honestly, I am in agreement. Drysdale did step out of line, but it is strange that so many referees maintain their composure throughout matches without incident, particularly given the amount of abuse and dissent received. For that, match officials deserve far more credit than they receive.

When asked about maintaining professionalism at all times, the referee had this to say: “Referees should do everything they can to keep themselves in check. It’s hard though. I’ve been called unprintable things by children as young as eight.

“A culture of abuse is endemic in the sport – whether that be towards coaches, players, or officials. The Football Association should do more to protect referees from that abuse. If referees were the subject of less hatred, the sport would improve, and fewer mistakes would be made.”

There does appear to be an ingrained anger within the fans towards the match officials, as it seems any decision going against a team will provoke jeers and groans from the supporters.

This kind of intrinsic animosity towards referees is one of the many issues still prevalent within the sport. This needs to change if football’s environment is to get any better.

“Until people aren’t trained to regard referees as ‘jobsworths’ who are out to spoil the game, the situation won’t improve. We ref because we love football, remember that the next time you call us a wanker.”