121. In The Middle; movie review

 

IN THE MIDDLE

Cert 15

67 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong language

Two of my close pals are referees in their 60s. And they absolutely love it!

Indeed, one of them has passed his passion for football down to his son who looks set for a high-flying career as the man who makes matches happen.

Yep, there would be no games without the ref, no matter how much we fans give them a hard time.

And that is the thrust of Greg Cruttwell's documentary about the men and women who keep the supposedly beautiful game together.

They are certainly a dedicated bunch and led by Ron Clarkson, a 76-year-old church organist who refereed his first game in 1959.

At the time of filming, Ron had hung up is whistle but was still running the line and attending the local referee's association meeting every month.

He talks with delight and great detail about games at which he has officiated.

Ron is what we might call "a right character" as all of those featured. They need an incredibly thick skin to put up with the abuse they receive in return for their pittance of a match fee.

Meanwhile, subjects such as transgender ref Lucy Clark admits that football saved her life when she was going through darker times.

We meet the refs in their home environment as well as on the pitch and I was fascinated by their motivation.

Each was different - some were simply gaining their sporting fix, others were challenging themselves to be in charge of higher grade matches.

But they had all suffered verbal abuse - be it racial, misogynist, ageist or simply because one had protruding ears. There are also stories of physical attack or even being spat at.

While none of the subjects want to give up, they admit that younger people cannot stand being the target of such loathing and quit.

Indeed, there is a national shortage of referees and, therefore, the fabric of our game is in danger.

Perhaps players of all grassroots teams should be given this film to watch and realise that football would not exist without them.

Reasons to watch: Great insight into referees' mindset

Reasons to avoid: Is a little bit repetetive

Laughs: Two

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 7.5/10

Did you know?  In England, there are circa 28,000 referees who register with The Football Association each year alongside  around 4,000 people who start their refereeing journey by taking The FA Referees Course. Unfortunately, 7,000 quit in 2021.

The final word. Greg Cruttwell: " The documentary, a passion project for me, aims to give an insight into what it’s like to try and uphold the law, in the middle, the loneliest of places, as the man or woman that everyone loves to hate."

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