Private viewing ‘Afilm which promises a “humanist vision” of top referees provides insight into a surreal world, as Dermot Corrigan discovers bie Keane or Alex Ferguson, but | films bout real life. Forme UEFA waslikea a UBFA-sanctioned fly-on-the-wall look | huge company and football is like any other at the officiating at the 2008 European | work. The referees are ordinary employees Championship. who have to follow the rules while under a ‘The film’s catchy English title (i's Les Arbitresin French) comes from the frenzy in Poland that followed Howard Webb's deci sion to award Austria a questionable late penalty. Webb becameahatefigureinPoland (despite alsoallowing their offside goal) and the country’s prime minister spoke in public about wanting to “murder” him. So we see refs and assessors looking at YouTube death threats and bomb-squads checking chang- i The Referees ot a8 you might | “Tam nota ports journalist and donot KK ies comigresretiyas | care out footballs inant ny“ make | lotofpressure.” Alotofpressureisright.Besidesthedeath threats, screaming supporters, TV pun- dits and armchair fans, the refs also have to deal with a drip-drip of bureaucratic assess- ‘ments. After the game, UEFA’ head of refe- reeing Yvan Cornu tells Webb and assistant refMikeMullarkey:"Ie'sterribleforthetour- nament. All the people at home saw it [Poland's Above Scenes fom the lives of Buro 2008 ef anthrax and cyanide to keep his assistants morale up. The unobtrusive style of the doc allows egos to surface however. Webb obvi- ously loves the attention, Italian Roberto Rosetti enjoys posing for photos withattrac- tive female fans, and silver-haired Swedish official Peter Frojdfeldt reposes shirtless on his bed advising his nonplussed assistants to “expect the unexpected” but “have fun Underlying it all is intra-ref competition over who will get the tournament's biggest ‘games, Rosetti gets aslagging for his team's poor performances from his colleagues, but Spain and Germany making the final means he gets the last laugh by securing the tournament's biggest game. The trios sent home early, unsurprisingly including Webb, Mullarkey and other assistant Dar- ren Cann, are presented with (losers) med- alsin front of the other refs who stay. Those | cutalllook desolate, their professional pride | badly dented. Spanish ref Manuel Mejuto Gonzélezisnot cheering his country’s success, as ingrooms, but no one is actually killed. goal]ontheTV" There's Underlying it allis this washis last chance From there things quieten down abit. atwo hour debrief with imtya- iti todoabig inal i ne en Ti inetd | Ce nas ct Tamika great access, filming refs dry heaving with | Hugh Dallas, who pin- over who will get sorry for any of them tension before games and regular pep talks | points a positioning . in the end. UEFA might from UEFA bignig Michel Platink During | mistake by Mullarkey CHE COUFMAMeNt’s eel the doc: matches, we hear refs and assistants con- | and scolds Webb for biggest games. mentary would give a stantly talking on their mics, and a eurpris- ing amount of big decisions ~ fouls, yellow cards, diving or not ~ being made on the assistant’ say-so, There's also plenty of ban- ter, friendly and not, between refs and play- cers who obviously know each other well. The refs’ supportive families, including Webb's proud as punch Dad and the Italian WAGs, {get more screen time than any player. The actual games are only incidental, with con- ‘troversial decisions, such as Ruud van Nis- selrooy's dodgy goal against Italy, the focus rather than spectacular goals or saves. watching replays on the stadium's big screen. ‘The assistant appears like an errant school- boy, bowing his head and apologising for the mistake. ‘The 77-minute film also shows refs and assistants outside of work hours ~ having abeer together after matches, killing time {in hotel rooms or practising their offside flagging in front of the mirror. Webb comes acrossas surprisingly decent, dealingcalmly and confidently with the press after the death threats, and making ame jokes about human face to refs and maybe make us empa- thise a bit more when they get decisions wrong. However, while the likes of Webb and Rosetti mighthave a stressful, demand- ing job, they don't really help themselves with theie public personas. Killing the refs ‘might be a bit strong but asking us to like themis too much. Kill The Referee may be shown in selected cine ‘mas in the UK nex year, beforea TV screening just before che 2010 Worl Cup finals. wsca7