– They are far from the level the players have in the top league. The level has become much higher in the last two or three years and I feel the judges in recent years have not been keeping up. That is the merciless verdict of the seasoned Vålerenga player Elise Thorsnes. Now she is one of several who have seen themselves bored at the level of the judges in the top series for women. – This is not about men or women, it is about competence on the pitch. All I ask for, especially as a coach for a top team in Norway, is competence on the pitch, says Brann coach Olli Harder. This season, both players and coaches have repeatedly been upset about referee decisions in the Toppserien. Now they have had enough. – Many people who don’t follow in the Toppserien only one gender is represented in the refereeing staff – all head referees and assistant referees are women. In comparison, there are a couple of female assistant referees who judge men in the Eliteserien. CRITICAL: Fire coach Olli Harder. Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB Olli Harder recently returned as coach in the Toppserien, after he left Klepp for a two-year stay at West Ham. When asked what he thinks about the level of refereeing after his return to Norway, he is clear about one thing. – We have a much more mixed approach to referees in England. We have male referees, we have female referees, says the Brann coach. – You don’t think it should be so rigid – with only women? – Just put the best possible referee on the field. If it’s the referee we had today, fine, but it has to be the best possible quality. Because these girls (players, journ.anm.) work hard for the product on the field, they are professionals, they deserve to have a quality referee on the field. It supports the play-off rival in Vålerenga, Elise Thorsnes. STRONG PROPORTION OF WOMEN: In the Toppserien, all referees are of the same gender. Photo: Ole Martin Wold / NTB – The most important thing for me is that the referee is good enough to referee at the level we play at. As it is now, there are many who do not keep up. There will be dangerous situations, there will be misjudgment and frustration. It is not an arena where you should train to become a better judge, she says. Both of them specify that this is not about women or men, but about the level of the judges in general. Referee chief in the Norwegian Football Association, Terje Hauge, does not want to respond to the criticism in this case. Calls for measures from the Thorsnes football association in Vålerenga says that it happens in almost every match that she thinks the level of Norwegian referees is too low. That is why she is now asking the football association to take action. – It’s about them having to be invested in. The referees must get enough match training. That’s where you learn. Assess the situation quickly enough. When the level in the Toppserien becomes higher, the level of the referees must also become higher, she says. – Arrangements must be made so that the judges have time to walk around and judge. If you also have a full-time job, you may not have the time or energy to travel around and judge 4-5 times a week, she adds. Chairman of the Top Referee Association, Kai Erik Steen, emphasizes that it is the football association that must make a statement about the level of Norwegian referees. In an SMS to news, he says: – Our judges work purposefully every day. The referees juggle family life, work, training and refereeing, and we are impressed by the dedication they show to refereeing, says Steen.
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Olli Harder and Elise Thorsnes attack the refereeing in the Toppserien – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
