BBC news decided to use a photo of Shane Long complaining to the ref as their still background picture for this report all day long..........doh.
That's ironic, considering nearly every match SL gets clattered into the air by some clumsy big defender & the ref waves play on!
Think sin bin is perfect for ill-discipline. I firmly believe that (despite popular opinion) a ref at the highest level does care about the spectacle and entertainment of a match and are reluctant to give yellow cards and possible "cheap" sendings off for things like someone running up to them. Plus to the crowd it can make a ref look a bit petty and pathetic The vicious circle is that players get away with it and behaviour does not improve. The sin bin punishes the player and the team, but doesn't potentially decide or heavily influence the outcome of a match. Making the ref less reluctant to issue the punishment.
Just waiting for the the first ref who is told to **** you, to produce a red card and say no,no,no, **** you. Rooney is going to last 20 mins a game
In principle, I totally agree with these new rules, but we're yet to see how consistently they are actually applied. At the end of the day, they probably won't be, and there will be some lucky winners and unlucky losers out of that.
It might turn a dour West Brom v Sunderland affair into something exciting if it ends up 10 v 9 with players being sent off all over the show.
People might say to you, why pick on Rooney as an example.? Possibly because every time Rooney gets a decision go against him, and the camera zooms in for a close-up, you can see him mouthing the F*** Y** words.
You have to ask how they are going to interpret it though. Is using "offensive language" banned totally? Is Rooney saying F U when a decision goes against him actually directing it at the referee or just a general frustrated sigh? Is it just swearing? Will players start to call the referee a twonk or plonker instead? or like my kids do just say "your Mum"
And therein lies the problem, which is why, as some have suggested, a sin bin type of approach might be better than a yellow card, especially if the card is a second yellow. I remember from many years ago, a Sunday league player who said to a ref, after he had made a poor decision, "Can you book me for what I am thinking?" The reply was "No". The footballer replied "In that case I am thinking that you are a **** ref". He got away with a warning and a smile.
I didn't realise they were managed by Felix Magath. Maybe it won't be the gentle stretch in the park winding down of a career after all!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36857987 I've been there! That is the main stadium at the Sports Center in Blaine, Minnesota. I didn't go this year but that's where I referee in the USA Cup.
I may even be able to wangle a work trip to Malta. I used to go there once a year a couple of jobs back and could possibly "create" a justification for a trip there People I knew back then (8 years ago) used to have contacts in Maltese football too, so may even be able to get tickets that way if I struggled via away fans.
Sounds perfect. My main holiday isn't until September (booked over a year ago). Swore I'd wait till after Xmas before I booked my next holibob, but weakened and booked an apartment in Cascais, Portugal for next June!!
