Post by Scottsus of Nazareth on Nov 15, 2008 12:02:18 GMT -1
Just over three months into the Football Association's Respect campaign a growing swell of dissenters are converging on Soho Square.
With Joe Kinnear, Dave Jones and Paul Jewell all in the running to be cast as Arthur Scargill, the FA are desperate to keep football managers 2008 from becoming comrades in arms with Liverpool dockers circa-1995 and the striking miners of 1984.
"We got the Mickey Mouse referee doing nothing." Joe Kinnear
"Respect? It's a load of baloney." Dave Jones
"Respect has to be earned. I've spoken to managers who feel quite strongly about this and one or two are thinking of pulling out." Paul Jewell
"Respect - You've got to f****** earn respect." Unnamed Premier League player makes erudite assessment of a linesman's decision.
The sight of Ashley Cole turning his back on Mike Riley last season appeared to be the tipping point in opinion; when football's authorities and supporters were, for once, in unison in decrying a falling standard in behaviour.
Introduced to much fanfare over the summer, the FA's attempt to crack down on abuse of officials from managers, players and supporters was met with universal approval.
Over 7,000 referees hang up their whistles every year having long-since grown exasperated by foul-mouthed retorts and, in some cases, physical attacks, whether coming from parents on the touchline who live their own lives through their off-spring, or irate managers not averse to making Roy Chubby Brown blush.
12 per cent drop
Something had to be done and the FA's initiative initially appeared to be bearing fruit, with a 12 per cent drop in bookings for dissent testimony to the fact players were taking on board directives from above. Overall, with regards player behaviour, the scheme looks to be working - if creaking somewhat of late.
It would appear though that as the cold snap of winter muscles out autumn and the sacking season hits its stride, managers' tongues grow looser by the day. And now the FA's Respect campaign has hit breaking point.
FA director of governance Jonathan Hall has issued a statement pleading with managers not to go public with their complaints, but rather vent their frustrations through the appropriate channels: "It is easy to support officials when a decision goes your way.
"The real test is the ability to show understanding when a call goes against you.
"There are already various channels for managers to provide their views on refereeing performance, and managers are actively encouraged to use these channels rather than criticising referees through the media."
Hall is aware that the Respect campaign will only work if backed by those in positions of power and his fear that disregard for the initiative will quickly seep to the league's lower echelons and grassroots is justified. How can you tell a ten-year-old kid that it's wrong to dispute a referee's decision when first you have to shield eyes from their idols' examples?
Given the initiative is still very much in its infancy, Hall and the FA will likely have expected backing from the League Managers' Association, an organisation that repeatedly said it was right behind the scheme on its inauguration. But then that's the best position to stab somebody in the back.
Support needed
The LMA's response has not been to get their house in order but to bemoan the standard of refereeing in the English game. Richard Bevan, the LMA's chief executive, headed a meeting of 35 league managers this week in an attempt to broker reconciliation between the FA and those within their ranks who are disillusioned and ready to walk away from the Respect initiative. It would appear, though, that the only conclusion they arrived at is referees are not up to the job; of the belief that poor officiating has led a number of their members to the dole queue.
While it is undeniable that this season has seen some atrocious officiating - Reading's 'ghost' goal at Watford and Manchester United's penalty against Bolton when Jloyd Samuel clearly took the ball from Cristiano Ronaldo spring to mind - the problem of dissent and disrespect will never be quelled so long as managers fail to bite their tongue whenever a microphone is thrust in their direction. Arsene 'I did not see it' Wenger and his contemporaries have a remarkable capacity to miss incidents involving their own players, so perhaps now is the time to show similar restraint when it comes to discussing calls that have gone against them.
Let's remember, you might not respect your boss but you don't call them a 'f****** cheat' every time they do something to displease you. The long-term solution is a more complex and difficult bridge to build but for now, as the Respect campaign threatens to drown amid a flood of criticism, it'll have to do.
The line between feeling and showing respect is as wide as a football pitch but, in clichéd terms, it's for the good of the game that managers voice their misgivings through the correct channels.
Clough example
All of Brian Clough's sides were exemplary in their behaviour and such discipline was instilled in them by a manager who had a mouth that often talked its way into trouble but rarely, if ever, at the expense of undermining a referee's position. I doubt whether Clough ever had a fondness for those in black but what he did have was a respect for match officials and as a result, referees were able to get on with the job in the knowledge a figure known for being intimidating was not perennially coiled and ready to spring forth with a volley of abuse.
In an ideal world referees would earn respect rather than have the FA demand it, but human error will never be eradicated and while video technology remains the elephant in the room, mistakes will continue to happen. But then referees and their mistakes remain a fundamental part of football's rich tapestry and to unpick every controversial decision would be to take a knife to the heart of a game, which should be bigger than the bitching and bickering that engulfs grounds every Saturday.
Those that choose to referee men like children and treat managers with the disdain a schoolmaster reserves for a pupil infuriate most and it is up to the FA to ensure respect is a two-way street and that dialogue between fractious parties remains open and frank, if not distasteful. In defence of managers, referees have to listen to their complaints if a long-term solution is ever to be found. The championing of former players to be fast-tracked to the top has merit, as the most common complaint from managers is that referees understand the rules but not the game.
However, in order to get the Respect campaign back on track, the short-term solution is for managers and players to recognise that the scheme is fundamentally about reactions to decisions - irrespective of whether a referee has called correctly or otherwise. Managers need a platform and a sympathetic ear (the odd apology from referees doesn't go amiss either) but for now it's imperative that tongues be bitten. Although perhaps not in the style of Big Ron.
"I never comment on referees and I'm not going to break the habit of a lifetime for that prat."
With Joe Kinnear, Dave Jones and Paul Jewell all in the running to be cast as Arthur Scargill, the FA are desperate to keep football managers 2008 from becoming comrades in arms with Liverpool dockers circa-1995 and the striking miners of 1984.
"We got the Mickey Mouse referee doing nothing." Joe Kinnear
"Respect? It's a load of baloney." Dave Jones
"Respect has to be earned. I've spoken to managers who feel quite strongly about this and one or two are thinking of pulling out." Paul Jewell
"Respect - You've got to f****** earn respect." Unnamed Premier League player makes erudite assessment of a linesman's decision.
The sight of Ashley Cole turning his back on Mike Riley last season appeared to be the tipping point in opinion; when football's authorities and supporters were, for once, in unison in decrying a falling standard in behaviour.
Introduced to much fanfare over the summer, the FA's attempt to crack down on abuse of officials from managers, players and supporters was met with universal approval.
Over 7,000 referees hang up their whistles every year having long-since grown exasperated by foul-mouthed retorts and, in some cases, physical attacks, whether coming from parents on the touchline who live their own lives through their off-spring, or irate managers not averse to making Roy Chubby Brown blush.
12 per cent drop
Something had to be done and the FA's initiative initially appeared to be bearing fruit, with a 12 per cent drop in bookings for dissent testimony to the fact players were taking on board directives from above. Overall, with regards player behaviour, the scheme looks to be working - if creaking somewhat of late.
It would appear though that as the cold snap of winter muscles out autumn and the sacking season hits its stride, managers' tongues grow looser by the day. And now the FA's Respect campaign has hit breaking point.
FA director of governance Jonathan Hall has issued a statement pleading with managers not to go public with their complaints, but rather vent their frustrations through the appropriate channels: "It is easy to support officials when a decision goes your way.
"The real test is the ability to show understanding when a call goes against you.
"There are already various channels for managers to provide their views on refereeing performance, and managers are actively encouraged to use these channels rather than criticising referees through the media."
Hall is aware that the Respect campaign will only work if backed by those in positions of power and his fear that disregard for the initiative will quickly seep to the league's lower echelons and grassroots is justified. How can you tell a ten-year-old kid that it's wrong to dispute a referee's decision when first you have to shield eyes from their idols' examples?
Given the initiative is still very much in its infancy, Hall and the FA will likely have expected backing from the League Managers' Association, an organisation that repeatedly said it was right behind the scheme on its inauguration. But then that's the best position to stab somebody in the back.
Support needed
The LMA's response has not been to get their house in order but to bemoan the standard of refereeing in the English game. Richard Bevan, the LMA's chief executive, headed a meeting of 35 league managers this week in an attempt to broker reconciliation between the FA and those within their ranks who are disillusioned and ready to walk away from the Respect initiative. It would appear, though, that the only conclusion they arrived at is referees are not up to the job; of the belief that poor officiating has led a number of their members to the dole queue.
While it is undeniable that this season has seen some atrocious officiating - Reading's 'ghost' goal at Watford and Manchester United's penalty against Bolton when Jloyd Samuel clearly took the ball from Cristiano Ronaldo spring to mind - the problem of dissent and disrespect will never be quelled so long as managers fail to bite their tongue whenever a microphone is thrust in their direction. Arsene 'I did not see it' Wenger and his contemporaries have a remarkable capacity to miss incidents involving their own players, so perhaps now is the time to show similar restraint when it comes to discussing calls that have gone against them.
Let's remember, you might not respect your boss but you don't call them a 'f****** cheat' every time they do something to displease you. The long-term solution is a more complex and difficult bridge to build but for now, as the Respect campaign threatens to drown amid a flood of criticism, it'll have to do.
The line between feeling and showing respect is as wide as a football pitch but, in clichéd terms, it's for the good of the game that managers voice their misgivings through the correct channels.
Clough example
All of Brian Clough's sides were exemplary in their behaviour and such discipline was instilled in them by a manager who had a mouth that often talked its way into trouble but rarely, if ever, at the expense of undermining a referee's position. I doubt whether Clough ever had a fondness for those in black but what he did have was a respect for match officials and as a result, referees were able to get on with the job in the knowledge a figure known for being intimidating was not perennially coiled and ready to spring forth with a volley of abuse.
In an ideal world referees would earn respect rather than have the FA demand it, but human error will never be eradicated and while video technology remains the elephant in the room, mistakes will continue to happen. But then referees and their mistakes remain a fundamental part of football's rich tapestry and to unpick every controversial decision would be to take a knife to the heart of a game, which should be bigger than the bitching and bickering that engulfs grounds every Saturday.
Those that choose to referee men like children and treat managers with the disdain a schoolmaster reserves for a pupil infuriate most and it is up to the FA to ensure respect is a two-way street and that dialogue between fractious parties remains open and frank, if not distasteful. In defence of managers, referees have to listen to their complaints if a long-term solution is ever to be found. The championing of former players to be fast-tracked to the top has merit, as the most common complaint from managers is that referees understand the rules but not the game.
However, in order to get the Respect campaign back on track, the short-term solution is for managers and players to recognise that the scheme is fundamentally about reactions to decisions - irrespective of whether a referee has called correctly or otherwise. Managers need a platform and a sympathetic ear (the odd apology from referees doesn't go amiss either) but for now it's imperative that tongues be bitten. Although perhaps not in the style of Big Ron.
"I never comment on referees and I'm not going to break the habit of a lifetime for that prat."
Source.
What are your views on the Respect campaign? Should the referee's be expected to give comments on their decisions and held accountable? Should there be harsher restrictions on what managers and players can say? Or should we just ditch it and finally bring in video technology?