BBC - 606 - - A33822533 - Cut the reffing language out!

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Cut the reffing language out!

by Robbo Robson (U5722413) 25 March 2008

Viva Steve Bennett!

I did a quick straw poll in the Blue Bell about Mascherano's sending-off at Old Trafford and the size of the majority in favour was slightly larger than the vote Vladimir Putin gets during a Russian election, i.e 102 per cent.

(I know that doesn't make sense, but Kevin Keegan's teams never give less than 200 per cent, so it makes football sense.)

Not that much in football makes sense anymore. For example...
Wayne Rooney: "I don't think the sending-off changed the game too much." And Rafa Benitez: "Ryan Babel heard everything and told me Mascherano was just asking why Fernando Torres had been booked."

Mascherano was at it from the word go, chipping away like one of them tiresome one-eyed fans you sometimes sit next to. The one who can't believe any decision should go against him or his team. Fortunately at the Boro you can always find another seat.

Fact is, if you get booked, you keep your head down, you don't become a registered ref-baiter for the afternoon.

Some have said the skipper should have stepped in to save little Javier. Alonso tried to, but where was Gerrard? Well given the fact you never noticed him in the other 89 minutes, why should he suddenly turn up then?

It doesn't matter what his defenders say, Mascherano had to go.
And if this does prove to be a line in the sand for refs then we should all celebrate. Although hearing John Terry saying he's behind moves to stop the hounding of officials is a bit like Wallace and Gromit backing a national ban on cheese.

Fergie called the ref's treatment 'ridiciulous' - which he acknowledged was a bit rich after the way his players tore into Andy D'Urso in 2000 like Billy Bunter at an unmanned school tuck-shop.

Managers need to grow up more than the players.Derek 'Robbo' Robson

And this is the same Ferguson who laid into Martin Atkinson after the home defeat to Pompey in the Cup!

It's either stupidity or hypocrisy for these blokes to back moves to end a practice which they are as guilty of as anyone else in the game.

To me, it starts with the managers. How many more times do we have to put up with the ref being responsible for a team's defeat?

Avram feels his team are victimised after Ashley Cole's pathetic hissy-fit at White Hart Lane. Perhaps you could thank � or forgive - the assistant ref for not putting his flag up for your equaliser on Sunday?

Would Fergie have defended Bennett if it was one of his boys who got red-carded for too much chat? Let's face it, it's surely only a matter of time before TV companies decided to show Man U games with Wazza's gob permanently pixilated.

We know only too well that Wenger's capacity for looking in the wrong direction at the right time is second to none. He is desperate for more protection for his team - and yet Arsenal's disciplinary record is pretty shocking since he arrived there.

These blokes need to grow up more than the players. And learn to lose, even if decisions go against them - 'cos you know what, it's the nature of the game. Tough. Get on with it. And stop standing behind players who have been just plain dumb.

Of course it's just as bad at grass-roots level, where great lunks not unlike meself think they can get away with threatening to take the chain off a ref's bike if he doesn't reverse a decision.

And don't get me started on these snarling touchline tyrants of parents who can't accept their little lad could ever swear at an opponent and will tell the ref as much, using phrases drawn from the Gordon Ramsay Book of Social Etiquette.

Now, I don't want to come across as a big Jessie about all this. I know some swear-words, me, and I�m not afraid to ******* use them. (Not my asterisks). But I should be told to leave the field of play if I use them in the direction of a bloke whose job is to see that rules are enforced.

It's got to be fair enough.

Of course, unless the FA back the refs up, nowt'll change. It'd be nice to see the affluent lads with effluent gobs given red cards and automatic three-match bans for dissent. It'd also be nice to think if a team racks up lots of red cards for such behaviour that points can be docked 'n all.

It wouldn't be hard to enforce.

Finally, let's make it a rule that only the skippers can discuss decisions with the ref. It works in rugby (unlike most things in that sport) so let's try it in football � that's if the ref can actually find Steven Gerrard that day, of course.

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comment by U10590033

posted Mar 26, 2008

Well said Robbo.

It would only take one ref to send off the next player to call him a "******* *****" (twenty quid on Wazza being 1st) and even professional footballers would get the message.

Ans so should reactions to decisions like that of John "i've never fouled in my life" Terry to Cashley's attack on Hutton. Cashley only got booked, JT got nothing. They noth should have been off. I know most players do it, but JT takes 'getting in the ref's face' to another level. If I were Mike Riley (thankfully not), I'd have nutted him.

However, managers should be able to criticise the ref. If a commentator can, why shouldn't a manager? Look at Yakubu against WH! That linesman needs to go back to school.

Final point. Get rid of the stupid cards for celebrating in the crowd. People have been booked for it this year, but ref's can't be consistent as when Didier strips off and jumps in the crowd, they can't send him off.

Over.

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comment by jennygiggs (U11324035)

posted Mar 26, 2008

I play hockey - and like rugby, if you show any dissent to the ref (or umpires) then you get a green card (like football's yellow card) and if you continue to argue, talk back, swear at the umpires then you get a yellow card - which means at least 5 mins in the sin bin (like rugby). Why can't the sin bin be introduced into football. It would stop the dissent, the diving, the bad tackles etc. it would certainly be a bigger punishment to the player and the team to lose someone for 5 to 10 minutes.

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comment by Bryan Gills (U9516080)

posted Mar 26, 2008

I started to read through all the comments on this article, but got a little bored after reading the 25th Liverpool fan complaining they were getting punished for Cashley's actions.

Yes you were, but there was always going to be a first after Cashley's tantrum. Any player with some intellegence would have known the refs would be out to set a marker in the follwing round of fixtures. I assume Rafa must have warned his players to be extra careful, as I'm sure SAF would have. Javier didn't listen or forgot. He got punished and deserved it. He won't do it again and therefore lesson learned. Ref was spot on to get rid and I think refs should go looking for this behaviour and punish it. Swearing when playing I would say is OK, but not directed at another player or official.

e.g

If Rooney shouts **** off after missing another easy chance, no card.

If he shouts **** off after getting a booking send him off. He won't do it again.

I'm a United fan and accept that some of our players (and our manager) are going to get caught out if their behaviour doesn't change, but good. It needs to change.

Javier was unlucky to be the first to be caught out, but someone was going to be. To all the scousers - stop moaning about Cashley getting away with it, we all know he shouldn't have and I hope refs going looking for this behaviour next time Chelsea play. However Javier deserved it.

Captains only to talk to refs from now on please FA, and yes even if they are keepers. Only takes a few seconds for the keeper to run the length of the pitch, and maybe then captains will realise that their players do commit fouls and not contest every ****ing decision.

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comment by bigremington (U9386393)

posted Mar 26, 2008

I think football has a serious problem. No official at any level gets respect or support. It is a simple fix. Foul or abusive lamguage directed at another player or official equals a red card. Abuse in post match interviews equals a 5 point deduction and or 2 weeks wage penalty in professional game. If this is enforced from under 5s to premier league then it would stop overnight. Why don't they do it? Easy to answer. Players at the top level have too much power and the FA are scared. It wouldn't happen in rugby union, league, cricket, tennis or even darts so why is the 'holy game' any different? It isn't and the suits at FA HQ need to sort it. Yesterday. It is a disgrace.

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comment by darkvalleysboy1978 (U2051464)

posted Mar 26, 2008

The FA really need to start putting their full support behind the referee's. Also, if the FA will not allow a video referee then at least have a fourth official that reviews the game and can cite players AFTER the game for bans or disciplinary action. If this fourth official noticed Cashley should have also been reprimanded then he could retrospectively be given the equivalent ban of a red card for his actions. Every other sport (Cricket, Rugby U, Rugby L etc) all do this

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comment by rodneybert (U10872448)

posted Mar 26, 2008

Wallace and Gromit backing a national ban on cheese.

priceless!!!!

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comment by darkvalleysboy1978 (U2051464)

posted Mar 27, 2008

Is it me or is there also quite a big difference of behaviour between the Championship and the Premiership? You never see that kind of behaviour in any of the Championship matches.

Perhaps, logically, the link is therefore between their behaviour on the pitch and how much they get paid?

I also think that fines handed to players should be a % of their annual wage. Fining Ashley Cole �200,000 is like fining you or me �50 but fine him 10% of his annual wages and they'll soon shut their mouths

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comment by woodsy1977 (U4324008)

posted Mar 27, 2008

As always a good article Robbo, but the truth is that good old Cashley Cole got Mascerano sent off. There was so much written in the press about his little hissy fit that the next player to even approach a referee and complain was always going to get booked. Sadly it just happened to be javier on Sunday against Man Utd. I would like to think that a line in the sand has been drawn but in truth the ref just did what so many of them do and react to the bad press from the previous week. In the coming weeks when this has all calmed down the players will be back swearing and complaining to the ref just like they always have.

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comment by ormrodblue76 (U10806287)

posted Mar 27, 2008

Firstly i'll agree that the Scouse Argie should have been sent off for his constant dissent.

But why was he arguing? Torres had got booked for asking "what was going on" after being brought down by a bad tackle for the 3rd time.
Bennett had decided yet again no booking for the tackle, If that happened to me i would and anyone else who as ever played the game would want to know why the Ref was letting the other team get away with it.

Bennett is a poor ref at best and never should have been given charge of probably the biggest game of the Premier league.

So how everyone can come out and praise him is ludicrious.

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Cut the reffing language out!

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