Friday Night Chalky Blues

[thevoiceofreason]

At a loose end, I pottered to see Chessington play Cove on Friday night. Sadly, there are those who will defend their favourite player/team/ league/animal, come what may, but for anyone else...

 

I have never seen a referee subject to as much foul mouthed abuse/ whingeing/ insolence as was dished out by the hosts. Players and dug out rabid dog alike, they screamed abuse almost constantly.

 

With no axe to grind on either side, I thought the ref got most things right and explained decisions well. The incessant abuse from the sidelines just made the perpetrator look an idiot

 

This boorish behaviour was almost exclusively of the hosts making, although if you want to be thought of as anything more than glorified pub players, wandering off to have a chat with your mate whilst the game is going on and you are playing probably isn't the best way of going about it.

 

For those who think this is some kind of puritanical rant, I am not talking about casual obscenities, the team was constantly abusing the referee directly.

 

If any players have aspirations to play at a higher level, I suggest indiscipline and a lack of respect to that degree would mean plenty wouldn't touch them with a ten foot barge pole.

 

Those who lead a sheltered life and who would defend anything that fits into their niche won't give a damn about a comment like this, but if what I saw on Friday is something the league condones by not condemning it, its credibility is seriously in doubt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Windsor_Sec]

Why would the league condone it and more to the point what action can they take if it's not reported by referees ?

 

The refs have powers to deal with the issue but if they choose not to they are effectively giving consent to the abusers to continue.  

[thevoiceofreason]

Maybe, but if clubs didn't tolerate their members/officials doing it, there would be nothing to report.

[duncs]

I don't know what you expect i recently saw a premiership manager head butt an opposing player and an england international mouthing the words your a fecking cheat to a ref,if people watching see these things at the highest level not being properly punished what do you think will happen at grass roots,its a no brainer really.

[thevoiceofreason]

Society's fault, the parents, peer pressure,,, Rather than sound like a tofu munching social worker, why not lay the blame at the door of the perpetrators and their clubs, instead of trying to say it's everyone else's fault?...The only 'no brainers' in this were the foul mouthed idiots who seem to have found an apologist for them.

[duncs]

Society's fault, the parents, peer pressure,,, Rather than sound like a tofu munching social worker, why not lay the blame at the door of the perpetrators and their clubs, instead of trying to say it's everyone else's fault?...The only 'no brainers' in this were the foul mouthed idiots who seem to have found an apologist for them.

ok you seem to be very good at insulting me but what is your solution,mine was to punish the perpetrators properly for example sack Pardew,now you can have a go and let us see what an intelligent person you really are.

[thevoiceofreason]

If you're so easily "insulted", perhaps a place where opinions are shared isn't for you? I suggest if you want to pick a fight, do so with someone who also wants one, rather than me. Intelligent? Who's to say, but if you really do think it's acceptable for journeymen part timers to abuse referees and refuse to accept that the poor mites are to blame, I might just edge it.

[duncs]

Oh dear another one,what for the 2nd time is your solution to this problem,omg give me strength.  

[thevoiceofreason]

As you are clearly someone who has never picked or caused an argument here or anywhere else, I can understand you are at a loss to find a solution. This said, those judging referees; competence could also make note of  behaviour such as that I witnessed and pass their comments to the league. If the league fails to act, then the league is answerable to the FA. Throwing up of hands and saying 'there is nothing that can be done' is tantamount to condoning it or approving of it...to me, anyway.

[duncs]

I am not trying to start an argument i am asking you what should we do about this problem, stop trying to be thick. 

[thevoiceofreason]

I'll leave that to the experts, solution above.

[duncs]

ok i'll tell you my solution anyway.........don't go to anymore matches if you think there might be bad language and the ref getting stick, maybe a monestry or a nunnery league would suit you better cos even Windsor swear and bait the refs. 

[Smudge]

Duncs do not feed the troll.

[thevoiceofreason]

Speak your mind and you're a troll. Apologies for having one, maybe I should learn to conform better. I didn't realise that screaming dogs' abuse at officials was so well supported in the clique...guess I do now!

[duncs]

I started off genuinely wanting to see what his/her solution was cos its not nice when players and benches keep on mouthing off to officials but he/she is another one who is paranoid and straight away started to insult me so now i'm not interested in what they have to say and threw in a bit of bait,sorry Smudgey.

[Smudge]

If your so concerned about your allegations of abusive language at a game you visited,suggestion next time you witness any,confront the individuals personally,and ask them to stop.If this does not have the desired affect,write to the Club concerned with your Full name and Address enclosed,and bring your concerns to their attention.I am sure you would get a reply.

[thevoiceofreason]

I don't think confronting 15 footballers and a coach is either sensible or practical. I'm only an occasional spectator at this level, preferring a higher standard, so I wouldn't be so arrogant as to write to tell these people they have a problem, however obvious. They would have  to be

absent or wearing blindfolds and earplugs not to know there is a problem anyway.

 

Part of the problem lies in the desire to represent yourself as the 'real' football experience and failing to acknowledge that a problem exists.

 

I suppose if referees decide they don't want to officiate at this level, or this league, then someone might decide there is a problem...but then again, if spectators are fine with it, or they take the

' we can't do anything' attitude, then maybe they won't.

[E&E Rich]

Regrettably voiceofreason, while your sentiments are admirable and in theory you are right, duncs is also right, there really is nothing we at this level can do about it.

 

How many times do people think a ref is awful but actually do something about it? Likewise if a referee gets grief, they probably don't want to get a reputation for moaning about it because the majority of others don't report it so they would stand out.

 

Finally, there are two other reasons. Firstly, people do as people see. I remember people taking quick free kicks the week after Thierry Henry did it on the telly, and likewise for other areas such as dissent and diving. Until it stops at the top level, it won't stop everywhere else. Secondly, to use duncs suggestion of sacking Pardew, I reckon most of us would get sacked if we did that at work, but Pardew is a good manager and would get a job elsewhere very quickly. Use that example with a Premiiership player and they'll probably get a signing bonus too.

 

Maybe a few more cards could be issued by referees in such circumstances, and yes maybe we should all be a bit calmer at the games but football is a game of passion and long should it remain so.

[Millers]

As the manager at Cove I refute any comments directed about my team on Friday night and I don't think anything directed towards from either team towards the officials was above the norm - certainly not enough to start a debate of this nature. I hope your comments about us being a rabid bench weren't directed at Cove as you couldn't be further from the truth and clearly were not standing closer enough. The most I personally spoke to the ref for the duration of the first half was to appeal for free-kicks which I am well within my right to do so - there was no abuse what so ever. I briefly spoke with the ref at half time to calmly say in my opinion I didn't think we had had the fair share of correct decisions - brief statement spoken without being aggressive. 

The officials made some questionable calls for both teams but that's not the point, I can't speak for the Chessington bench but if you had been anywhere near my bench you would have heard us calling for restraint when our players were going over the top in questioning the officials. We are far from Angels and I don't pretend that we are (three of our worst culprits were on the bench) and in a closely fought game players are always going to flare up when they feel hard done by. For me its about those senior players around the individual to quickly get control and get calm before politely questioning/voicing their opinion to the ref. I think (with a few exceptions) we have been largely successful in achieving this. 

For what its worth, as well as being far harder at the elite level, a solution I would offer to eradicate ill-discipline towards the ref is I would start a fresh with the youngsters making their first steps into the game. I see now that there is a initiative in the north where parents don't shout during the game which I think is fantastic. If parents aren't shouting it massively highlights the referees authority by which he can take an absolute zero attitude towards any back chat. Ingrain this into the kids combined with a tougher stance at senior level and things might improve. 

[Millers]

Oh and while I'm on, thank god I don't go on holiday!!