- Feb 1, 2005
- 2,516
- 152
This weekend two sets of fans went home from the F.A cup semi-finals heartbroken and two went on victorious. Unforunately that’s football, that’s what happens, there are winners and losers; it’s a game.
This weekend though, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur haven’t been beaten by Chelsea and Portsmouth, they’ve lost out to some of the worst refereeing decisions ever seen at this level of the game.
When Howard Webb denied Gabby Agbonlahor a stonewall - and I mean absolutely nailed on – penalty on Saturday and then failed to show John Terry a red card for his horrendously high lunge at James Milner he virtually handed the game to Chelsea, totally alleviating them of the need to go and win it.
Likewise Spurs had to endure Alan Wiley ruling out Peter Crouch’s perfectly legitimate equaliser and then nailing their coffin closed by awarding Pompey a penalty following a splendidly timed, ball winning challenge by Wilson Palacios.
Again it has to be said; that’s football, that’s what happens, referees are human, they make mistakes and that’s fine, or would be but for the F.A’s relentless, cramming down our throats of its respect campaign.
No more, they tell us, should players crowd referees arguing decisions, never again should managers criticise refs for those often very costly errors and as for the old terrace favourite about the man in the middle’s preferred method of self exploration, it should be banned and banished, and they’re right! Of course they’re right, but what they haven’t the gumption to fathom up there at headquarters is that respect isn’t ordered, it’s not a new car or a Chinese takeaway that you can just have delivered to your door as and when, it’s an emotion, a feeling, and to be lucky enough to receive it you have to earn it, and the way to do so is simple; just admit you were wrong! Just stand up and say, “hey, I’m sorry about that, I got that wrong.”
Just picture it Spurs fans – Wiley is interviewed on Match of the Day – “yeah, I got that wrong, from where I stood it really seemed to me that James had been impeded in his attempt to get the ball, obviously having watched the replay now I can see that that was not the case and I can only apologise, I should have given the goal.”
Quite honestly, how much more respect would you have for that man than you have now? And I’m not limiting it to TV interviews, no, no, by all means issue a statement in a press conference, have it printed in the papers, put it in writing to the club’s owner or supporters trust, even start an official referees, read only forum on the internet where they can post a report for whoever wants to read it, in fact I don’t care one bit how they get the message out, let them send up a skywriter to adorn the North London sky if they have to but just for the love of god let them stop all this stubborn insistence of their own infallibility and realise they don’t have to be Mr Referee twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week or even for any longer than ninety minutes, they can just be a person the rest of the time, a normal person who makes mistakes and says sorry and gets they old wry smile and handshake and hair ruffle that we all get when we look sheepish and then move on.
That’s how it’s done, that’s respect worthy, F.A, Referees Association, Dermot Gallagher, not this all encompassing demand for respect to be the god given right of every man you throw a whistle and a pair of cards at, because it’s not and no matter how many ad campaigns, leaflets, or seminars you throw out at us or little badges you make players where on their sleeves, it never will be.
This weekend though, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur haven’t been beaten by Chelsea and Portsmouth, they’ve lost out to some of the worst refereeing decisions ever seen at this level of the game.
When Howard Webb denied Gabby Agbonlahor a stonewall - and I mean absolutely nailed on – penalty on Saturday and then failed to show John Terry a red card for his horrendously high lunge at James Milner he virtually handed the game to Chelsea, totally alleviating them of the need to go and win it.
Likewise Spurs had to endure Alan Wiley ruling out Peter Crouch’s perfectly legitimate equaliser and then nailing their coffin closed by awarding Pompey a penalty following a splendidly timed, ball winning challenge by Wilson Palacios.
Again it has to be said; that’s football, that’s what happens, referees are human, they make mistakes and that’s fine, or would be but for the F.A’s relentless, cramming down our throats of its respect campaign.
No more, they tell us, should players crowd referees arguing decisions, never again should managers criticise refs for those often very costly errors and as for the old terrace favourite about the man in the middle’s preferred method of self exploration, it should be banned and banished, and they’re right! Of course they’re right, but what they haven’t the gumption to fathom up there at headquarters is that respect isn’t ordered, it’s not a new car or a Chinese takeaway that you can just have delivered to your door as and when, it’s an emotion, a feeling, and to be lucky enough to receive it you have to earn it, and the way to do so is simple; just admit you were wrong! Just stand up and say, “hey, I’m sorry about that, I got that wrong.”
Just picture it Spurs fans – Wiley is interviewed on Match of the Day – “yeah, I got that wrong, from where I stood it really seemed to me that James had been impeded in his attempt to get the ball, obviously having watched the replay now I can see that that was not the case and I can only apologise, I should have given the goal.”
Quite honestly, how much more respect would you have for that man than you have now? And I’m not limiting it to TV interviews, no, no, by all means issue a statement in a press conference, have it printed in the papers, put it in writing to the club’s owner or supporters trust, even start an official referees, read only forum on the internet where they can post a report for whoever wants to read it, in fact I don’t care one bit how they get the message out, let them send up a skywriter to adorn the North London sky if they have to but just for the love of god let them stop all this stubborn insistence of their own infallibility and realise they don’t have to be Mr Referee twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week or even for any longer than ninety minutes, they can just be a person the rest of the time, a normal person who makes mistakes and says sorry and gets they old wry smile and handshake and hair ruffle that we all get when we look sheepish and then move on.
That’s how it’s done, that’s respect worthy, F.A, Referees Association, Dermot Gallagher, not this all encompassing demand for respect to be the god given right of every man you throw a whistle and a pair of cards at, because it’s not and no matter how many ad campaigns, leaflets, or seminars you throw out at us or little badges you make players where on their sleeves, it never will be.