Referees are Human - Shock

A dirty tackle on our centre-forward goes unpunished, not even a free kick; the ball hits our full-back's arm and a penalty is given; our winger slams the ball in the net only to be given off-side.......... "Come on ref. for goodness (or worse) sake!" "What the h--- are you playing at?" "The referee's a w-----" "Who's the b------ in the black" etc. Yes, you know the story but, is it really fair to abuse the referee in this manner?

How many people in this crowd go through a day's work without making a mistake? More pertinently, how many of us could stand up in front of 2000, 12,000 or 60,000 people and remain perfectly calm, making accurate decisions, minute after minute? How many could judge to a nicety the events going on around us as two teams of eleven finely tuned aggressive and speedy athletes try to grind their opponents into the ground? Oh, and remember that at least half of those athletes are trying to con you, whilst pausing to hurl abuse your way in between the dirty tackles, sledging, elbowing and goodness knows what else is going on off the ball. How would we spectators cope with it? The pressure must be incredible. But do we show sympathy and understanding? No, we cast doubt on the poor old ref.'s parentage and generally make his life a misery.

And it's not just us spectators is it? Players, managers and the media in the cold, clinical and analytical atmosphere of the TV studio and press office also rip him to pieces. But, what about the mistakes made by others? What about the centre-forward who misses an open goal, the defender who concedes an unnecessary penalty or the goalkeeper who lets the ball slip through his legs. What about the manager who fails to select his in-form striker? In other word what about the other human beings involved in the game, who because they happen to be human, also make mistakes? Do we pillory those people? Well yes, but not to the same extent. We don't make their lives a misery. We don't (as some morons do to referees) send hate mail and leave obscene and abusive telephone messages on their answer-phones.

So what's to be done? Two or three referees to each game, video replays like American football so the game ceases to flow and takes three times as long? No, I don't think so. All we can do, in my opinion, is make sure our referees have the best training possible, realistic remuneration and the backing of video evidence when they feel unable to call an important decision, for example did the ball cross the goal line? Perhaps players, coaches and officials could take the time to learn the basic rules of the game as well as the rules of fair play. As for us, well, perhaps we should show a bit more tolerance, patience and understanding and accept that the referee is the same as us (albeit in a silly outfit) and as such is liable at any time to make normal, natural and human mistakes.

JE

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