After a fiery encounter between Chelsea and Manchester United at the weekend, all eyes were left on referee Mark Clattenburg at the final whistle. With a few dubious decisions being made in regards to the Chelsea players, a complaint was to be filed by the London club later that night, accusing Clattenburg of using abusive language towards two of the blues stars.
Ex-Football Association chief executive Mark Palios has come out and said this week that he feels the referees dialogue should be audible like it is in Rugby Union. It is a logical step forward with foul language a key feature of the modern game. The FA’s respect campaign was put in place to prevent these situations but nothing is much different than it was back in 2008 when it was founded.
Accusations are aimed right, left and centre throughout the game, whether it be at referees, rival clubs or individual players and managers. In the case of issues such as dissent, audio could save a lot of time and trouble for all parties involved. If Clattenburg had said anything through audio it could have been solved right after it had happened.
Footballers are seen as role models by the younger fans and players of the sport, with many turning out at grounds across the country to support their local team. Hearing how the professionals conduct themselves in front of the officials could set a good example of how to behave on the football pitch to youngsters.
In the past through documentaries on the TV it has been made well-known that there are disciplinary problems right down into the lower leagues and kids football. If those at the top do things the right way than those who watch them and aspire to be where they are will do the same.
It is inevitable that things will not change overnight but patience is a virtue that must not be taken for granted in this instance. Recently much has been said on the subject of racism, including the accusations made towards Clattenburg regarding language targeted at Chelsea player, Jon Obi Mikel.
Yes, there are still issues but they are not flooding the back pages or the front page of the papers every week because there are lot less incidents than when racial abuse first came to light in this country. In Europe there are still problems but we should proud of how far we’ve come in the UK and remember it is a minority party involved.
When discussing any accusation in football of late, evidence questioning the innocence of people seems to come before the person or party in question has been found guilty. It this that needs to be stamped out of the game in regards to any type of abuse or foul play.
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