Double standards that aren’t even shocking anymore. Par for the course I wouldn’t be shocked to see a mega scandal unravel tbh
Possibly controversial but I don't see why referees shouldn't be able to consume drugs in their own time tbh. Not that different to alcohol in that if they hammer it the night before it'll have an impact on their performance but outside of that I see no good reason for it.
I’d tend to agree, but as Bisc said above the industry has a zero tolerance policy on drugs and banned substances so I think that should apply to the officials too really.
I thought people's issue with it was affecting his role though rather than the legalities? Maybe I misunderstood. Although saying that it's not illegal to be under the influence of drugs.
But you'd be fired from most jobs up and down the country if you were found at work under the influence.
Yes agree. Not said otherwise? My initial post said during their own time. A drug and alcohol test on the morning of a game would be sufficient imo.
Like lots of things, your personal experience can colour your view on some matters. When you've had people in your wider family die from drugs overdose, you tend to have a different view on this issue.
I think he should be fired for his comments anyway tbh as it's indicative of a bias. The drug thing is less relevant for me just looks terrible.
I worked on the railways for 43 years. Drug and alcohol testing is a way of life. It amazes me that The Houses of Parliament is not subject to testing as well. They have subsidised bars and cocaine and ketamine traces has been found in offices and toilets. You watch PMQs and it's like chucking out time at 'Spoons.
The comments to me are less disturbing than the drug taking, and the PGMOL's refusal to introduce testing is bizarre and the exact opposite of transparency. This is the problem with the PGMOL - they are not accountable to anybody (unless you think wheeling out Howard Webb every month for a gentle conversation with Michael owen constitutes some sort of scrutiny).
If you smoke cannibas (or eat it) it can be in your bloodstream for up to 6 weeks. It's one of the reasons that D&A testing was introduced in the early 90s on the railways - there had always been a policy, but everyone seemed to think it applied to someone else, and that the drink laws were the same as the road laws - 2 pints - , and that the railway had to prove you'd consumed drugs whilst at work. All was bollocks, and zero tolerance was introduced as an act of parliament with the full backing of the unions. If you have drugs and alcohol in your system you are fired (there is a minimum amount for alcohol because we all have naturally occurring alcohol in your system, but if you drink so much as a teaspoon of spirits it will show up in the test. And if you have a session the night before you go to work it is YOUR responsibility to ensure that when you clock on for work the next day your body is clear of drugs and alcohol. That's the deal. I know train drivers are well paid, but conductors, signallers, station staff and office workers (what's left of those) are not particularly well off, but these ordinary people comply with the system or face the consequences. My point is that a 'professional' paid more than a ****ing brain surgeon should be able to adhere to such measures as well.
It is indeed. So sorry for your loss. It's why I'm not a good barometer on certain things because I have what some people may call extreme views on particular subjects. I've said I hope Coote gets the help he needs. Anyone can make bad personal decisions and no good ever came from drug use whether recreational or addiction. In terms of football, he's just a very poor referee. We didn't need this scandal to make us aware of that.
I don't massively disagree but s lot of those workers operate heavy machinery and/or are responsible for public safety. I think it's bollocks for office staff personally. We'll agree to disagree though. As I said earlier I think tests should be done on the day of match for both alcohol and drugs. But I don't personally have a problem with refs doing what they like after officiating and when another match isn't imminent.
Absolutely the point, alongside the fact that because of the lack of accountability in the PGMOL (and its coziness to certain journalists and media outlets) there is absolutely no ****ing way of getting rid of chronically poor officials unless a scandal erupts. Coote and Oliver should have been fired in 2020 for not knowing the rules of serious foul play - something even a park referee knows about. I say this not just because it affected Liverpool, but because they didn't even face the remotest level of official censure for their **** up - instead we had this bizarre, upside-down-world sympathy for them from Sky and the BBC that we're seeing again now with Coote. Somehow, they're always victim...
So if they've smoked cannibas, how would you know they did it in their own time? Edit: This is interesting. I remember most of this now as an instructor who delivered D&A briefings during inductions for new starters. I'll be honest with you though, a few months after I retired I blazed my first weed for 30-odd years. Haven't done since as, tbh, it wasn't as good as I'd remembered it. https://www.drugs.ie/drugs_info/about_drugs/how_long_do_drugs_stay_in_your_system/
Agree completely on the final point! And yeah personal circumstances definitely influence thoughts on these subjects. I have addictions to both alcohol and drugs (though don't use either currently) and the former caused me the most physical damage and the latter most mental so I consider them the same thing really. Let's not forget that alcohol is itself a drug; it's just deemed a more socially acceptable one. If it was discovered today it'd undoubtedly be considered a class A based on the harm it causes. It's more harmful than all illegal drugs bar cocaine and heroin imo.
Well if you're in a job which drug tests you have to avoid cannabis due to the flawed testing. That's a choice an individual has to make.
