Salisbury & District Football League (Saturday)
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RESULTS ARE POSTED (excuse the mess having problems) &
FIXTURES ARE IN: 29th Sept 01

Listed under "Tables" are all (Saturday) matches for September
Yellow Jersey Get it Wrong!!
I returned from holiday on Fri 14th, on checking my emails looking for last weeks results and fixtures.  Not seeing the email from Mike Sayer I went to yellow jersey to see if they had them: which they did however:

It was all wrong Teams missing, Division 1 missing, Teams in the wrong League. 

I Thought it only right to inform Mr Mike Sayer who send us the informaion.
                                    Ex Player Writes Home
I have managed to trace  Andy Gates who recently left a message on the guest book having played in our League 20yrs ago.  He sent an email to us I thought it only write to let you all know where he is and how he is getting on:
     We played yesterday - as we do every Sunday, in a pre-season game.  We start properly next week.  It is tough playing now as the day time temperatures are over 90 degrees -- yesterday was particularly hard as there was also blazing sunshine and we had no shade.
      I visited your site as I am keep tags on "local" football as a former S & D player. I played with Radnor Hall(Saturday) and Avon Brewery (Sunday) in the early 80's.I moved on to play at Downton in the Bournemouth league before emigrating to the US in 1989. 
      I have played in Houston for the last 10 years.  Things are starting to slow down now and I play in an over 30 side Celtics - and most of those kids are 10 years younger than me - but I still enjoy the kick about and keep quite fit by running - 3-6 miles four times a week.  I have travelled around the US with my job and have had brief spells playing in Philadelphia and Wisconsin.  My wife and I are back in Houston now so I expect to end my playing days here.  Probably one or two more seasons - the knees are starting to go!   
     I follow the English Premiership - have been a Spurs fan all my life. Lived and worked for a brief time in North London - so got to experience the rivalry against the Dumb Dummers glory days will return under Glenn Hoddle.  There is a huge contingent of British in Houston and when we play in any International we descend in droves on the local pubs to watch the games live on satellite.  Lot's of booze and singing here the last couple of weeks.  I have a good laugh as the expense of my center half - a huge German called Horst, we keep asking him if he knows England beat Germany 5 -1.  He has a stock response F*** Off!! -- all in jest though.
     We sometimes get visiting teams from Europe. They come over and play three or four games & get to experience the Houston hospitality and have a generally good time.  In March - often over the "Paddy's Day Weekend" we have a spring tourney.  Guest teams abound.  If you guys could ever get yourselves organized enough I'm sure the HFA could arrange some good games and hospitality. It would be something if S&D could get any of the players of that time fit enough to take us on. Well got to run now - its Monday -- work to do.  Oh by the way I'm an editor for an education company.  I publish University textbooks.  This week (and I'm not looking forward to it) I have to fly to Los Angeles and Washington DC for author meetings - life goes on, Best regards --keep up the good work on your web-site,  Andy Gate
s
Perhaps Salisbury & District Football League could get a Squad together for next year.  If you are interested mail us.
Views: Your Match Officials
Prior to my holiday I conducted an email interview with Mr Mark Saxby who is a Ref, in the Salisbury & District Football League.This is what we had to say: If you have a question regarding refereeing click the email below
With all the hassle you get, why do you it?
To be honest, if you get the game under control from the start then the majority of players respect you for that. In my opinion, most players like to see a referee there to officiate a game, as some teams don?t always get to have a referee because there is a shortage.
Players myself included are on the wrong side of 32.  Although at our standard of football we could go on a number of seasons more, what would you say to encourage us to become officials?
At 32, you could go far in refereeing if you are good enough. The Wessex Middle entitles you to go onto the Western (or Southern) Line. If you prove to be really good, then you could officiate a game in the Western Middle/Football Combination/League Line, which includes such leagues as Dr.Martens, Screwfix etc. If you continue as a player in the Salisbury & District League at 32, you are not likely to progess further to be a player in the Wessex or Western. Yet, as a referee it is more easier to do this, as long as you are good enough, regardless of footballing abilities.
Can we ref in the same league as we played in?
Yes you are able to, on Saturdays and Sundays. With Wiltshire only currently having 360 referees, you could do 2/3 games in a weekend, and you could end up travelling to all parts of Wiltshire, with your travelling expenses paid for (at 23p a mile) and a fee for officiating the game, ranging from £11-15
I believe if you a young person enjoys football but is not confident enough in their own ability then refereeing is a great way to get involved.  Would you agree or do you believe you have to be able to play the game aswell?
If a young person enjoys football, but maybe doesn?t have a great footballing ability, then refereeing is a perfect alternative. Obviously, some kind of knowledge of the game is useful, because it would stand you in good stead for the refereeing course. In my opinion, it is not absolutely essential, but watching football games to get an idea of the role of the referee is important as you can gain a better understanding.
I was involved in a match last season where a young lad was the official, he got some stick both on and off the pitch but he did well and held his own among men in body anyway.  Should such a young adult be officiating in the league yet &  Who decide he is up to it.?
I think you have to be at least 17 before refereeing in the Salisbury & District League. If you want to go far in the refereeing world, then it is best to start as young as possible because you then have years ahead of you to work up, and of course along the way you gain plenty of experience. So in my view, I believe that young officials should be allowed to officiate in the League. The young referee in question would have someone from the Society there if he wished, to give them support etc. and I think it is vital to join the Society. Young officials (and even the more mature referees) are now having the opportunity to be a part of a mentoring scheme, by which they are assigned a mentor who is always on hand for advice and encouragement. The actual referee, the referee?s Secretary and the League would decide if he were a competent referee.
How do you become a referee in our league?
To become a referee, you need to contact John Royston, who is the training officer, on: 01980 620700. In total you have 14 hours of training, divided up into 2 hour weekly sessions spread over 7 weeks. At the end of the training, you are required to take 2 tests- one written, one oral. Once you have passed, you are able to go straight into the Salisbury & District League at Level 7, or with the old system, Class 3 Referee.
What does it cost to qualify and per season after that?
Training is absolutely free, although to register you must pay £7 a year, and this covers insurance. The kit costs about £36 for a starter pack, which includes shirt, shorts, socks, whistle, note-book and red & yellow card. You have to purchase flags separately, costing about £10 a set.
How often are you assessed and are you told in advance?
You are assessed at least 3 times a season, and you are not informed in advance. However, you can usually spot that the assessors are there because you gradually begin to recognise who they are! I was assessed 5 times last season, so it is anything from 3 times upwards.
In my time in playing it has been decided to give referees high scores so that they get promoted out of our division.  How does that work?
The marks received from teams is only one part of the whole promotion process. Assessments, completion of paperwork and closing your dates for when you are unable to referee (or have other refereeing commitments elsewhere) are all taken into consideration when deciding promotion. I think that commitment plays a part in getting promoted too, as the further you go, the more commitment is required from you as an official.
Thank you for answering these questions is there any thing else you would like to say on behalf of the Referees?
As a personal comment, I wish I had taken up refereeing sooner. I started officiating when I was 34, and gained promotion in my first season. I do Salisbury & District Saturday and Sunday Leagues and I am on the Wessex Line, which means I can get to go to such places as Newbury, Andover, Totton, Gosport and Isle of Wight. In refereeing you get to make many friends, as you quite often arrange to travel together. When officiating on the Wessex, you have to wear suit, collar and tie because the dress code here is very professional. All in all, it can be a good day out officiating on the Wessex, and the Chairman?s treat you very well. But, if you want to remain on the Salisbury & District then that is not a problem either.