REFEREE!

The decision to drop referee Rob Styles for his errors in the Liverpool vs. Chelsea game this weekend is clearly appropriate since he did make some mistakes. However, this misses the fundamental problem, which is that footballers are overpaid and unbelievably childish and generally make the referee’s job impossible.

The sight of a team of footballers surrounding the referee, pushing and shouting at him to try to get a decision changed is just miserable and does nothing for the game. The classic retort would be that the players are just so passionate about the game that they cannot control their emotions. The response to that is once again the prized part of the defeated bull in a bullfight.

So, echoing the last posting talking about individual responsibility, here’s a suggestion: why not allow referees to sanction any players who dissent, shout at them or push them around. The only two players who should be allowed to speak to the referee are the two team captains and the same rules should apply to them.

Why shouldn’t footballers act on the pitch as one might expect them to act off the pitch? Is it too much to suggest that their behaviour might have more to do with violent crimes and assaults on our streets than any number of government initiatives, when they are so often role models for young men in particular?

Give me £40,000 a week and I promise I’ll be on my best behaviour.