Tinkler calls for refs to be full-time professionals

As pressure continues to mount on him after crashing out of yet another cup competition, the Nedbank Cup this time around, Cape Town City’s Eric Tinkler has called for the professionalisation of referees.

Tinkler strongly feels poor officiating is the main reason they were knocked out of the Ke Yona Cup and failed to advance to the group stages of the CAF Confederation Cup late last year, losing 0-1 on aggregate to Algerian side USM Alger in a two-legged play-off.

City were knocked out of the Nedbank Cup at the first hurdle by Royal AM, who beat them 4-2 on penalties, at Cape Town Stadium over the weekend.

“Make them [referees] professionals... full-time. There must be a solution. At CAF it’s even worse. Understand how we lost there [against Alger in Algeria last November], don’t tell me we lost... understand how we lost, that’s important. According to me there were two penalties we should have been awarded against Royal AM,” Tinkler said.

“People must understand how we’ve lost these games [against Alger and Royal in the Confed Cup and Nedbank Cup respectively]. The way I saw it, it should have been a penalty [when Khanyisa Mayo was fouled by Alger’s keeper after rounding him] and sometimes we hide these things. The harsh reality is that referees make mistakes and they don’t have to deal with anything.”

In SA and in many countries across the continent match officials are semi-professionals who have day jobs. Tinkler believes this allows referees to get away with poor officiating without being held responsible. 

“It’s me who must deal with the repercussions. I have to first deal with the chairman because we lost and then I have to deal with the players... the disappointment from them. People don’t see that side... they just go and say ‘oh no, they lost’, but ja, how have we lost? People must start asking those questions,” Tinkler insisted.

“We need to be doing a lot, lot more when it comes to our officiating because it’s costing coaches their livelihood because they are being judged on mistakes of referees.”