23-03-2008, 09:29 PM
Sorry to ramble on about football, especially as its often about 'top flight' teams and not the beloved Championship. I've been observing the fall-out from Ashley Cole's inappropriate use of the tackle and subsequent petulant display towards the ref.
Steve Claridge, a pundit much admired in these circles, revealed himself to be a fully paid-up member of the footballing yobs apologists (former player wing). Speaking on Five Live on Saturday he was in bullish (or should that be bullyish) mood, confronting callers who called for respect to referees along the lines shown at Rugby (both codes) matches. Claridge shouted over the top of several fairly made points, claiming that you can't compare the two and besides in rugby players get to wallop each other as part of the game. I was about to have a coronary as I scrambled for my 'phone when another caller was put through; Brian Moore.
'Mooro' as he is sometimes known is a former England rugby ruffian and often amusing television pundit. He's a lawyer, so despite his bulldog image and claims of his fellow professionals to have little between the cauliflower ears he's a confident and informed speaker. He challenged Claridge to spell out precicely why footballers should not, by way of punishment, be obliged to show respect to referees. Rugby officials are no less prone to cock-ups than their round-ball counterparts, yet they draw a fraction of the ire and disrespectful backchat to be found in professional (and, sadly, junior) soccer. Dissent is vorboten in Rugby, Tennis, Cricket . . . most sports actually. The penalties for openly disrespecting officials are in some cases fiscal, instant temporary dismissal, suspension or, and perhaps this would be a step too far for football, points deduction. These can be argued; the need to respect the word, right or wrong, of the match official should not.
Claridge was having none of it though his tone became a good deal more respectful in the face of a fellow professional and a learned one at that. It revealed a dark side to Claridge that I've glimpsed before. He's fallen some way in my humble estimation.
This afternoon we saw perhaps just a glimmer of hope.
During the Rowdies/ Liverpool Rednecks contest the referee, Mr Steve Bennett, was chased and questioned by a player over an incident. Mr Bennett reached for his pocket and produced a yellow card. It was Mascherano's second yellow and he was invited to leave the field. He did so reluctantly, raging and wailing, before eventually being hauled off by his colleagues. Since the end of the game Mr Benitez has been on TV to defend a player who ran a good thirty yards plus to give the referee grief. It should be known that Mr Bennett had awarded Liverpool an attacking free kick for a foul on Fernando Torres but had also booked Torres, aparrently for a remark made after the foul. Benitez claims Mascherano was 'only asking why' Torres had been booked. What the Sam Hill had it to do with Mascherano? If Raffa truly thinks his player was in the right why was he turning puce trying to get the player to shut up? Because he knew what was coming.
For the rest of the match I watched as celebrated official harrangers and sprayers of vitriolic abuse Wayen Rooney and Rio Ferdinand struggled to keep their lips buttoned. This is a side to my team I've always deplored, the need to hound officials and use foul and abusive language when things don't go their way. But here they were, in a game where they know they'd get booked if they played up. Worse, they'd have to explain such blatant stupidity to Lord Ferg. If players mouth off or act aggressively towards officials in this new climate and still manage to earn cards, get sent off and suspended, an upset ref will be the least of their worries.
The next fixture today featured Arsenal and the one team in the Premisership ready to challenge the Rowdies for the Bad Boy crown, Chelski. But wait; word from the Devilbowl must have drifted down to Stamford Dacha. John Terry, eater of referees, one-man spittle-blower, was on his best behaviour. Didier Drogba, the man with the largest quivering lip in modern sport, managed to keep his thoughts to himself before picking up a booking for flashing his horribly deformed torso after scoring. The poor man has no stomach - nasty prime-time viewing!
If the upshot of Mr Tweedy's latest indiscretion is that referees will be asked to deal with insubordinate behaviour by brandishing cards for repeat offenders I'm all for it. You never know, this might catch on. If we can change the behaviour of the players on our televisions perhaps we stand a chance of sorting out the vile abuse of officials going on every day in our parklands. It's a tall order. I'm talking about taking on a whole new level of abuser: the apoplectic parent.
Steve Claridge, a pundit much admired in these circles, revealed himself to be a fully paid-up member of the footballing yobs apologists (former player wing). Speaking on Five Live on Saturday he was in bullish (or should that be bullyish) mood, confronting callers who called for respect to referees along the lines shown at Rugby (both codes) matches. Claridge shouted over the top of several fairly made points, claiming that you can't compare the two and besides in rugby players get to wallop each other as part of the game. I was about to have a coronary as I scrambled for my 'phone when another caller was put through; Brian Moore.
'Mooro' as he is sometimes known is a former England rugby ruffian and often amusing television pundit. He's a lawyer, so despite his bulldog image and claims of his fellow professionals to have little between the cauliflower ears he's a confident and informed speaker. He challenged Claridge to spell out precicely why footballers should not, by way of punishment, be obliged to show respect to referees. Rugby officials are no less prone to cock-ups than their round-ball counterparts, yet they draw a fraction of the ire and disrespectful backchat to be found in professional (and, sadly, junior) soccer. Dissent is vorboten in Rugby, Tennis, Cricket . . . most sports actually. The penalties for openly disrespecting officials are in some cases fiscal, instant temporary dismissal, suspension or, and perhaps this would be a step too far for football, points deduction. These can be argued; the need to respect the word, right or wrong, of the match official should not.
Claridge was having none of it though his tone became a good deal more respectful in the face of a fellow professional and a learned one at that. It revealed a dark side to Claridge that I've glimpsed before. He's fallen some way in my humble estimation.
This afternoon we saw perhaps just a glimmer of hope.
During the Rowdies/ Liverpool Rednecks contest the referee, Mr Steve Bennett, was chased and questioned by a player over an incident. Mr Bennett reached for his pocket and produced a yellow card. It was Mascherano's second yellow and he was invited to leave the field. He did so reluctantly, raging and wailing, before eventually being hauled off by his colleagues. Since the end of the game Mr Benitez has been on TV to defend a player who ran a good thirty yards plus to give the referee grief. It should be known that Mr Bennett had awarded Liverpool an attacking free kick for a foul on Fernando Torres but had also booked Torres, aparrently for a remark made after the foul. Benitez claims Mascherano was 'only asking why' Torres had been booked. What the Sam Hill had it to do with Mascherano? If Raffa truly thinks his player was in the right why was he turning puce trying to get the player to shut up? Because he knew what was coming.
For the rest of the match I watched as celebrated official harrangers and sprayers of vitriolic abuse Wayen Rooney and Rio Ferdinand struggled to keep their lips buttoned. This is a side to my team I've always deplored, the need to hound officials and use foul and abusive language when things don't go their way. But here they were, in a game where they know they'd get booked if they played up. Worse, they'd have to explain such blatant stupidity to Lord Ferg. If players mouth off or act aggressively towards officials in this new climate and still manage to earn cards, get sent off and suspended, an upset ref will be the least of their worries.
The next fixture today featured Arsenal and the one team in the Premisership ready to challenge the Rowdies for the Bad Boy crown, Chelski. But wait; word from the Devilbowl must have drifted down to Stamford Dacha. John Terry, eater of referees, one-man spittle-blower, was on his best behaviour. Didier Drogba, the man with the largest quivering lip in modern sport, managed to keep his thoughts to himself before picking up a booking for flashing his horribly deformed torso after scoring. The poor man has no stomach - nasty prime-time viewing!
If the upshot of Mr Tweedy's latest indiscretion is that referees will be asked to deal with insubordinate behaviour by brandishing cards for repeat offenders I'm all for it. You never know, this might catch on. If we can change the behaviour of the players on our televisions perhaps we stand a chance of sorting out the vile abuse of officials going on every day in our parklands. It's a tall order. I'm talking about taking on a whole new level of abuser: the apoplectic parent.