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Should There Be Changes Regarding Attitudes Towards Referees?

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With media coverage pouncing on any mistaken penalty decisions, acts of violence or abusive comments each and every week, they provide an outlet for managers and players alike to put emphasis on the quality, or lack of, surrounding decisions within each game. With referees ever more becoming the politicians of football, it seems that fans and players unite to find issue with a verdict that may be somewhat controversial. With these decisions providing talking points all across the football community, is it important to change the rules surrounding refereeing conclusions? Or are there other methods of handling the dismal behaviour by players and managers towards the authority figures within Football.

Shouting ‘What was the referee thinking’ to any football fan, nine times out of ten, the receiver will be able to find some sort of response based on the previous weekend’s football, the other one time, the individual would probably walk away from you, thinking you are crazy. This has occurred for years, leaving the bonding between fans possibly the most important outcome from the lack of touchline technology, which, if brought in, would effectively prevent most important incorrect decisions from occurring. However our game would be far less interesting with this technology, leaving attitudes as the potential obstacle that could change the Football world for the better. If the likes of Arsene Wenger, Alan Pardew and Paul Lambert, among others, were to set a positive example without making a mockery of referees and their verdicts, then this could have significant effects on the respect shown by future managers and players. Of course there is bound to be bitterness during and after a game, however the ability to accept that it has happened and move on quickly will both reduce the pressure on referees, alongside potentially allowing them to regain the respect and responsibility they once had over a game.

Referees arguably have one of the toughest jobs within our game, as there is no hiding place when a split second decision can ruin your career. With Graham Poll famously dishing out 3 yellow cards, and Mark Clattenburg not allowing a goal when clearly it was over the line in a Man United vs. Spurs clash, it seems that these signs of mortality will not go unpunished by players and managers alike. Should the tables be turned and the decision was in their favour, then any manager would stay quiet, however as they fall on the wrong side of luck, criticism must come, for being biased or poorly trained. The ability to accept responsibility among managers is important, as, if the team were 3-0 up at the time of a poor penalty decision, the result of which would perhaps not matter, however, as they were not in this position and were damaged, the blame is dished towards the referee. Mick McCarthy appears to be one of the few Premier League managers that portray a positive attitude, suggesting that, despite having every reason to be disappointed when on the wrong end of a bad decision; fate often evens out the share of bad luck by the end of the season, a refreshing attitude that others should take note of. However with Arsene Wenger consistently spouting his ‘I did not see the incident, but..’ line, alongside many other managers chipping in with negative comments wherever possible, it seems that blame upon the referee and their respective assistants will relieve responsibility from both managers and players, allowing the fans to get angry over the specific decision rather than the team performance. The point of having these referees is not to cause problems, but to clarify incidents, allowing an often correct decision to be formed.

Refereeing, whether good or bad, is part and parcel of football, and I personally wouldn’t have it any other way. Unfortunately, perhaps, the influx complaining and bitterness should not be, leaving a change of emphasis from the F.A. among other bodies to ensure that there is an attitude change within players and managers, old or young. Respect seems to have been eradicated from the game, leaving incidents of violence and disrespect in both high and low levels, with even Grassroots level being involved in an effective mobbing of a referee. The team that is punished by a decision, one way or another will be disappointed, however it is important to use that as motivation for the next game over bitterness and disappointment from the last. Surely if managers were to show these referees the respect they deserve, players would follow suit, leaving the referees being able to take control once more without having to consider any abuse or anger towards them.

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  • Richard Davies says:

    Well I think the attitude towards referees should change. I understand that it is a very difficult job as people become quite nutty when football is involved and if you make a bad decision there is no hiding as everyone knows your face. But being a referee is very tough because you need to make decisions that can potentially decide whether a team get promoted or relegated or a player gets paid or fined and they have to make all these decisions with thousands of fans howling for their blood, not to mention the players that are trying to influence the decisions (Steven Gerrard springs to mind) and it is undoubtedly very tough.

    However, I do think that the FA should change their stance on referees as well. The premiership is full of very bog standard referees who allow themselves to be influenced by players, a certain Mark Clattenberg also springs to mind, put the two people together and you get one of the most conspicuous and despicable examples of cheating by the player and atrocious refereeing.

    So in my opinion the FA should definitely bring in all new referees that are at least adequate because the current referees wouldn’t pass the quality control of Del Boy but they are still allowed to referee games that have millions, if not billions, of pounds relying on the outcome. I think the fact that referees can’t talk to press is absurd, I understand that they don’t want referees hounded by the press all the time but why not let the referees decide whether they want to talk to the press. And if the press try and talk to a referee without their permission then the referee can request that that reporter punished, either by sacking them or heavily fining them.

    Another problem with the current set of referees is that they never seem to book dissent or diving. If a player goes down and claims a foul then the decision is made for the referee, it is either a foul or a dive. (If the player does not appeal it can be dismissed as a trip) However, referees never seem to understand this and this is, in my opinion, one of the major reasons why players are diving more and more as if they dive they seem to face no punishment other than being told to stand up.

    Also if a foul is committed there are only 3 players that are allowed to approach the referee; the player being punished and the respective teams’ captains. However, time and time again teams like Arsenal and Barcelona surround the referee every single time a player goes down, this is technically a booking and then if the players don’t like the decision they almost always shout at the referee that he is wrong, this is also technically a booking.

    But since referees don’t seem to know this, they don’t book players for these offences, so players continue to do it again and again and again and again and it is ruining the sport. So for the sake of the footballing community I would urge every single governing body of football to grow a spine and tell their referees to grow a spine and stop allowing football to wallow in the cesspit that spineless organisations and spineless referees put it in.

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