I have no idea what he means by that statement either and I don't drink! It must be wording in the clock operators manual. Notice how he hasn't acknowledged or denied that he's a clock operator? Knowing Alf too well I know he'll say it wasn't worth acknowledging.
You seem plagued by some negative history, or some problem, with the role of a clock operator, Magician. It almost sounds like you hold yourself above that role, perhaps because you, and a few mouthy colleagues, have convinced yourselves to believe some exaggerated illusions of self importance, which seems a more common malady with the least mature of our profession.
I don’t know how long you’ve been doing, this thing we do, but based on the quality of your offerings and your attitude, I feel comfortable presuming it hasn’t been all that long, or has yet been all that effective. Not that it matters much, other than for accumulating enjoyable experiences and memories, but I suspect I’ve spent more seasons between football sidelines than you’ve spent on this planet.
I don’t know how things are set up in your area, but here, we require all our game timers to be certified, active officials who are part of the assigned game crew who participate fully from pre-game meetings to post-game reviews. We’ve found the exposure helps broaden our newer official’s perspective and provides opportunity for senior officials to remain involved and lend constructive experience and advice.
If you choose to continue officiating, at some point you, will hopefully, come to understand that no matter how smart you think you’ve become, about the intricacies of the rules and mechanics of our craft, they are not nearly as important as the wisdom and maturity you will be counted on to bring to the application of those rules and mechanics that are designed, primarily, to assist in the management and supervision of the game.
If you last, you’ll eventually realize that the more you think you know, only exposes you to understanding, more clearly, how much more there is for you to learn. It’s really a road you’ll never get to the end of, and the sooner you accept the reality that you will continue to leave an odor behind in any bathrooms you use along the way, will make the trip a lot more enjoyable.