Sunday 27 February 2011

Role Models

I met a man a couple of weeks back who had been a referee but had given it up because of the language and abuse that he received during and after the game. the crunch came for him (literally) when he was assaulted following his awarding of a penalty. As the offending player was being sent off his mother stormed onto the pitch and punched the referee in the face, breaking his nose! Perhaps I should have mentioned that this was a junior league match, the players were all around ten years old.

The man said that the language, the fouls and the abuse from the parents was such that he'd already had enough and the smack in the face was the final straw. Asking him what had gone wrong, he said that the kids emulated what they saw in the senior professional game.

Wel  last week, despite claims by the FA that they were going to be tough on swearing and abusing the referees I didn't need training in the art of lip-reading to make sense of the expletives that were flying around!

Yesterday that icon of Premiership football, Wayne Rooney, diverted his runs to elbow a player and escaped with nothing more than a free kick and a pat on the shoulder from the Ref'. Perhaps the laws of the game are as variable as some fans claim after all, not only that but Alex Ferguson saw, "Nothing in it." I wonder if he'd have been saying that had the roles been reversed? Or perhaps, as the commentator says, "he's been a lucky boy, he gets away with one here (again?)"


Some scream for Rooney to face a lengthy ban whilst others justify his action as, "Part of the passion and fire that makes him a great player." The reality is that he, and those who dive in the box (a blue shirt is appearing here) or manage to engage in sexual relationships outside their marriage or long-term relationships are all excused because of the pressure upon them are thus permitted to continue in their lifestyles and attitudes as poor role models.

Watching the rugger yesterday I saw a very different set of sportsmen. Different in terms of language used, payment received and pride demonstrated.

Time to get football out of the gutter once and for all and make it a sport that teaches controlled passion and sportsmanship? I think so.

ps. Went to Villa yesterday and saw a clean and well-won match (4-1 against Blackburn) amongst a great bunch of polite supporters. Perhaps there's just something about certain clubs? Hey ho, time to do next service . . .

Pax

3 comments:

UKViewer said...

Vic, I used to umpire Hockey, which has a reputation as a clean sportsmanlike game, but I found in later years that much gamesmanship came into the sport, much of which appears to have come across from soccer.

Winning at all costs seemed to be the objective and deliberate fouls the norm, abuse of umpiring decisions and confrontations made my continuing not an option.

We are not talking about recently, this was over 20 years ago.

I have seen a return in recent years to a much cleaner and higher level of sportsmanship, but it is all to late. Once bitten, twice shy. Also, age is against me.

Sportsmen are venerated by some as modern day saints, the reality is quite different. They are mercenaries, playing for the money they can earn, and old fashioned qualities such as sticking to the rules,loyalty to their club and playing fair are the victims of it - success driven by greed is all.

I am afraid that I am disillusioned by sport - until they get their act together and start penalising foul play financially, hitting those responsible in the pocket, they will get nowhere with cleaning up the game.

Anonymous said...

It was not that long ago that the English Headteacher's Association were asking for football to be shown after the nine o'clock watershed to stop the children emulating their heroes.

It will be interesting to see what happens with the Rooney situation, especially as it appears to have been excused by the referee's actions.

Good post

Anonymous said...

Greetings from the U.S. (St. Louis-ish, to be precise.)

This post resonates simply because all three of my kids play football (soccer here) and basketball. I've seen some abominable referees. (My daughter got sent off because she punched an opposing player in a coed elementary league, because he groped her

Nonetheless, we're fortunate to be able to send our children to Christian schools in which such boorish behavior on the part of the parents is absolutely not tolerated by the school. The fastest way to have your kid booted from the team is to behave like an idiot in the stands.

Bottom line: If the parents cannot control themselves and behave like adults, then the league/school officials need to step in. Otherwise, how will the kids learn to behave.

Cheers.