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State of the Game - Ref rage
Join the State of the Game debate on the abuse suffered by referees and the damage it is doing.
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Comments (72)
Pragmatic Philospher (Sheffield Wednesday fan) says...
The only way players will respect the decisions of officials is if those officals are seen to be held to the same high standards demanded of the players. Emotions can run high on the pitch especially if survival in the league or silverware is at stake, it's only normal. What else do you expect with the levels of adrenaline and testosterone that are being pumped around! However, it is also incumbent on team managers and captains to instill a culture of respect in the players for the officials. Gordon Taylor is absolutely spot on when he says he's never known a referee to change his mind because a whole load of players have rushed up to him shouting and gesticulating. It's all about saving face. Respect has to be earnt and if officials suffer the consequences of their actions, honest mistake or not, in the same way that the players are expected to. That will go someway to ensuring that both sides feel they are bound by the same set of standards. Just my views - for what they're worth.
Posted 12:54 19th April 2008
David Tennant (Aston Villa fan) says...
I played compitetive football from the age of 7 to 47. It gave me many great moments and even now I replay some of my better goals in my mind! At the end of my playing time I would loved to have then become a local league referee but felt it would not be a pleasant experience. As a player I always showed the greatest respect to our officials, in fact even buying them a pint after the game, but this was highly unusual. Often referees would leave, fearing the post match environment. I witnessed many occasions where referees had to put up with obuse beyond the call of duty. Even their presence before the game being treated with hostility and intimidatation. I have seen referees unable to get payment, damage to cars, refusal to let them get changed in club house facilities plus all the usual pitch abuse. I have suffered myself verbally for protecting a referee. Yes I have even seen face to face confrontation arguing over a throw in! For the last 10 yrs of my football in local leagues the team manager dropped or put arguing players on the bench. Referees used to enjoy coming to referee our team often joining us for post match analysis and chip butties. Here those controversial descisions were treated with respect. Often referees said "I probably got it wrong but am not going to change my mind." I watch rugby and stand back and admire. It seems too simple to me. Argue 10yds, argue again sin bin. Captains only. Hostility off.
Posted 11:26 19th April 2008
Mimi Rohrmoser (Liverpool fan) says...
While I agree that refs and officials need to be respected I also think that inconsistent refereeing and decisions by the officials are causing players to get fustrated and lose their cool. Rob Styles made a big mistake in the beginning of the season and although he admitted he was wrong it cost Liverpool FC 2 points ( first game against Chelsea ). The refs are inconsistent from one week to the next. Obviously you will always be on your club's side but the recent spate of controversies surrounding the refs' decisions shows that they are losing credibility. However, having said that, I also truly believe that clubs should state in player's contracts that heavy fines and bans will follow bad conduct off and on the field.
Posted 11:08 19th April 2008
Jim Ardley says...
I think football has a deep routed problem with player discipline which stems from a culture which has always seen football as a justifiable excuse to act in ways which are otherwise deemed ny socety as inappropriate/unnacceptable. The sooner the British football public (of whcih I am one) realise we have a serious problem and stop using the excuse "its all part of the game, and football wouldn't be the same without it!", the sooner authorities may gain the confidence to really do something meaningful of the the state of our game, rather than 'gimmick, short-term' intiatives like 'respect'. As a PE techer it is increasingly frustrating trying to instill the importance of self-control, discipline and fairplay in students, when they see role models with much greater degrees of influence on young peoples thought processes and behaviour, acting like petulent children every Saturday when things don't go their way! Lets hold the elite players and managers of 'the greatest league in the world' accountable for their actions and give appropriate meaningful deterrents like harsher bans, giving colar mics to refs so the whole public can hear just how foul-mouthed, rude and insulting players are towards themselves and fellow professionals, not meaningless fines to players that are the equivalent of one days pay! Harsh realities, need harsh soltutions to change a whole culture of footballing indiscipline, not just the one-off occassions of indiscipline seen in other sports like rugby union, cricket, rugby league, netball and so the list continues.....
Posted 10:48 19th April 2008
Chris Whiteman (Manchester United fan) says...
I completely agree that referees should only be confronted by the captain, and in a respectful manner. I almost feel embarrassed to see the professional players of today run up and scream at the ref like they are little children, and when does he ever change his mind? Exactly. Chelsea are by far the biggest offenders, and with so many kids in this country idolising the likes of Terry, Lampard, Ashley Cole etc its no wonder the same abuse is occuring at grass roots. The F.A and football clubs need to bring in harder, more publisised punishments when players act so uncontrollably on the football field. It's no wonder so many refs are quitting in the lower leagues, who wants to sacrifice their saturday/sunday afternoon to encourage lads to play football, when all they get is abuse? I truly feel sorry for them, its a thankless task, and if the F.A don't do something about it now, then football as we know it will be ruined.
Posted 10:17 19th April 2008
John Clarke (Chelsea fan) says...
Being disrespectful to the Ref is nothing new. I qualified as a Ref at the age of 17 (32 years ago)and always enjoyed the job. I started to ref minor league games for teams under 16 but after a couple of years turned my back of football reffing as the abuse from parents became intolerable. These people teach the boys to win at all costs with and cheating and abuse as part of the game. If adults don't show respect to match officials, how can you expect the kids to?
Posted 10:15 19th April 2008
Gregory Cotier (Chelsea fan) says...
Bad behaviour towards referees is cowardly, and any honest player will know that his teammates that do it are the same ones who are easily scared by intimidating opposition players and vent their rage on the weakest person on the pitch, the ref. It comes from society, not football, a victim society in fact, where people have been persuaded and now believe that they are owed something, that they have a right to an explanation (for a bad decision!), and that everyone is accountable in the same way that a council is found culpable for an idiot walking into a lampost which hasn't had a sign saying that it would be hurt posted upon it. A referee is not accountable, he is by necessity a decision maker in a game where the rules are vague and overlap each other, where the governing body has so confused the rules to try and create a better, if cruder, spectacle, and where he is surrounded by players, 99.9% of whom have never opened the rules book themselves.
Posted 08:24 19th April 2008
Kunal M (Manchester United fan) says...
It is indeed a very sad situation that around 7,000 referees have had to quit the game because of being abused or assaulted by players. Even though the respect campaign has been launched, it is the players themselves who should realise the fact that football is just a game like any other, and winning or losing is part and parcel of it. Players should understand that the referee is present to make judgements for the benefit of both teams and is an impartial entity who should therefore be respected in any decision he makes. It is only human to make mistakes sometimes and one has to accept it. As Pierluigi Collina mentioned in his recent interview, referees need to make a stand for themselves and such behavior by players (even high-profile) should not be tolerated under any circumstances. It is the duty of the FA to take strict action against such behavior possibly by levying hefty fines on the players and imposing match bans as the latter is damaging the reputation of the EPL as being one of the best in Europe. Some of the players themselves, as mentioned a number of times before, are seen by the younger generation as role models and are often idolised. Obviously abusive behavior is then seen as part and parcel of the game and carried out in games played at school/college etc. as well. This situation needs to be resolved ASAP before it gets way out of hand!
Posted 06:03 19th April 2008
John Smith (Liverpool fan) says...
I have played rugby my whole life and cant believe the treatment that referees cop all over europe. If you even utter a swear word in the direction of an official then you will be sent from the field and i believe that this precedent should be set at the highest level of football. The premier league stars are role models for kids all over the world and if they see their hero abusing a referee with foul language then can you blame them for emulating the behaviour. If you swear or abuse a referee in any way you should be sent from the field, simple as that. I have had this debate with many football fans and they argue that its part of the game but it is disgraceful. Without referees you have no game and without quality referees the game suffers as a whole. I would never consider being a referee but the honest truth is that we cannot have a game without them.
Posted 00:06 19th April 2008
Richard Balmer (Blackburn Rovers fan) says...
i am a young referee that has refereed for nearly 3 years now and yes i do often get verbal abuse but i find if you are straight, up front and approachable (within reason bearing in mind you are officiating a game and need about 16 eyes) then the players seem to respond to that. If they dont, that is when i get my cards out. i also find that if players dont like the decision, i often remind them that unfortunately you may not agree but you have to go with my decision- to which they storm off sulking- lol.
Posted 21:18 18th April 2008
Dave Beales (Tranmere Rovers fan) says...
Having spent over 10 years refereeing and touch-judging professional Rugby League games, I can only put the abuse towards soccer referees down to one reason: the systemic failure of Association Football authorities, whether they be FIFA, UEFA the FA or the local leagues, to give backing to referees. Rugby League was the first British sport to introduce the advancement, by 10 metres, of a penalty, they were also the first to introduce the sin bin, the use of 4th officials and video referees. From the first day a child is coached in Rugby League, he is taught that a referee's decision is absolute, even if it is wrong, he is not going to change his mind. It is still not uncommon for clubs to fine players for giving away penalties for dissent. Any new proposals from the FA, in regards to respecting referees, are aimed at the lower leagues. This is the wrong attitude. Any change in lower league attitude will NEVER percolate to the higher leagues. The football authorities must mandate that any player abusing a referee's decision should be yellow carded, if the player continues, the ref should put his card back in his pocket and bring it out again, thereby giving the player two yellow cards = one red card. Any player dismissed in such circumstances should then suffer a mandatory three game suspension. Players, managers and club officials are not so stupid that they would allow such behaviour to continue for long. So come on FIFA, UEFA, FA, the ball is certainly in your court now, continuing to ignore the situation will only exacerbate it.
Posted 20:11 18th April 2008
Matt Steeves (Liverpool fan) says...
As a 39 year old referee of mainly 16's and u18's select level games, I can tell you the level of abuse in the States is awful. I've had to send off two players in my 6 year career for physically striking or attempting to strike me. Further, I see a lot of kids becoming involved in refereeing during their teenage years, only to quit after a year or so due to the abuse they suffer, even at the recreational level. Very sad.
Posted 18:11 18th April 2008