When did it begin?
The disrespect, the dissension, the wide-spread disregard of
the authority of the man with the whistle.
I am referring to the touching of referee’s and this plague
on the game was no more on show than at the World Cup 2014. The World Cup was so incredibly touchy-feely;
at times it looked like the Ref was a Shaman with the ability to heal if only
the player could touch them.
Players protesting a
ruling striding to up to the Ref, standing over him to appeal their case all
with 98% losing records. (Have you ever
in your life seen a Ref challenge by a group of players and reverse his decision?) It has happened of course; often consisted of a Ref in league with Russian mobsters and players on the
take. These said players reminding the Ref that this second yellow would mean his thumbs being taken from him with the use of piano wire, the penalty quickly reversed. I joke of course but it has happened; Frankfurt v
VFB Stuttgart {03/14} but this reversal comes with an example of another pox on
football. Players crowding the Ref in a
circle not of trust but a circle of grievance and moaning, a brief on field Festivus [1].
Another problem in Football today 'The Airing of Grievances'.
During the World Cup it seemed that the minor decision drew
touching, a Ref stopping play for a free kick not being taken from the spot or
the ball not having come to a full stop begun to draw hands on shoulders, in
turn penalty’s resulting in players giving near massages to Refs in
protest. In times of big decisions we
were witnessed to a ‘murder’ of
players surrounding the Ref. Touching
and holding, fondling and squeezing, standing over the Ref, the display suddenly resembling Judge Reinhold
in ‘Seinfeld'. [2]
I couldn't believe what I was seeing, I began lamenting
things like “if it were me I would….” “He would be straight red if I were the Ref!” My friend and fellow dissector of the game
Simon advised me he would warn the teams before the game, and put them all on an
imaginary yellow “any taking the piss;
you’re OFF!” (Neither one of us are Refs, probably a good thing to).
My father however was, and my father among
many other things in life, showed me what a fair, strong, and BRAVE Ref looked
like. I remember watching him adjudicating over a competitive
senior game. My Father called a free
kick outside the penalty box and was immediately challenged by the team awarded
the penalty; crying foul, they felt the infringement occurred in the box and a direct
shot at goal and a red card should be the result. This was back when the last
player committing the foul was sent from the field not just given a smile; a
pat on the back; and a yellow. A player in protest
put his hand on my father’s shoulder and got in his face and confided his feelings about the call.
 |
| Levantes's S.Ballesteros is told to "move alone please sir". |
First, my father reversed the decision. Second he produced a red to the player who
had touched him. Half the crowd howled
in delight, the other half screamed for my father’s head. Dad was surrounded by the team that had just
lost a player and to this day I don’t know what he said but very quickly they
returned to position.
On the field (like life) my father took no shit, and his stanch
believe that the man with the whistle should not be touched was illustrated
with this big brass balls display. As we
walked to the car the abuse directed at my father was flung but credit to the
throwers as soon as they saw Dad walk to my brother and I they ceased. They had
enough respect not to abuse a man in front of his children.
I asked my father why
he gave the red “all he did his touch your shoulder Dad?” Dad turned to me and said, “It’s disrespectful to touch a Ref boy the most disrespectful action, and you don’t let that slide, ever. You respect the man with the whistle no
matter what.”
Touching in the game now though is most often is in good
spirit. Players like’ Adbebayor’ will lay
his hands on the Ref’s shoulder wearing his affections smile and we are OK with
it. He has a great smile and seems like
a lovely guy. Rooney will pat the Ref
when he get a call go his way, sometimes he will lash out if it goes the other
way, either action goes unpunished.
 |
| João Moutinho pleads. |
Just as egregious is the player’s lack of consideration and blatant
disrespect for the Ref when disputing decisions. A
player, or more; a team’s captain has every right to not so much challenge, but
ask for an explanation to a Ref’s decision. This will not change the ruling but as any good captain knows making the Ref aware of the score on the foul ledger, that “they’d being doing it all day Ref” “this is his first offence, why the yellow?”
 |
| Prince William greeted with a 'Hongi' |
This must be done in a certain way, and this way; and this
way does not mean getting in the Ref’s face like a Base Ball manager and an
umpire. Going at it nose to nose like one is welcoming the other onto a Marae [3]. The best captains just asked questions and
point out events previous, they remind the ref, putting it in his head he may
have made a bad call and next 50/50 event should go the other way.
 |
| RVP Close Talking, about to welcome ref on to his Matae. |
As a kid I would look up to players of this level. I wanted to be as talented as them, reach
levels they had and in achieving this I felt their actions were acceptable as
they were my hero’s and if they did it was fine. I don’t recall Rush or Dalglish running in to
protest a decision and lay their hands on the Ref. Sure they protested this will forever be part
of every sport as it is in human nature to complain at what we perceive to be
wrong (some like me have a smaller threshold and tolerance of incompetence).
Kids today see their
hero’s committing a myriad of actions I deem unacceptable. The touching, the over protestation and tantrums
thrown in the face of a perceived injustice.
The concept of play to the whistle and respect the man with it is giving
way to the notion that it’s OK to get in a Ref’s face and challenge a
call. Putting your hands on a Ref’s
shoulders to plead with him to change his ruling going unpunished is telling
the future of the game this is acceptable, and it is not.
Change needs to happen and it needs to happen on a global
scale. Unfortunately the 2014 World Cup
was a great opportunity for this message to become part of the games culture
along with disappearing spray. Football
is a non-contact sport; this is even more poignant with regards to the handling
of the Ref.
In closing there is room for comical actions on a football field that issue could be taken with. Take Emmanuel Eboue at the 2010 World Cup. This is a man with razor sharp wit and sublime timing. This is how you get in someones head, this is how you make me laugh like Mr Burns thinking of the crippled Irishman.
C.o.S.s
Eboue shows his language skills stretch to North Korean.
[1]Seinfeld: Festivus - A Holiday invented by 'Frank Costanza'. S9 E10 {The Strike} (23th December -The Airing of Grievances. Feats of Strength. Celebrated around and Aluminum Poll - sans decoration).
[2]Seinfeld: Judge
Reinhold played Aaron ‘The Close Talker’.
S5 E18 {The Raincoats}
[3] Marae - Maori Meeting place. Visitors are greeted with a Hongi - a pressing of the nose's together.
