Referee Abuse, What's On And What Is Not?

Yesterday brought news that Mark Halsey's family had made a complaint to police about the nature of the abuse he received on Twitter, following the conclusion of the Liverpool vs Man Utd fixture. Some of the chromosome challenged section of Pool support made reference to him dying of throat cancer... Certainly offensive, definitely unnecessary, but does it require police action? What does? Harassment law in this country certainly could be deployed against any number of things that go on in football chants (pimping out your wife to Colo is quite bad as well, according to the stupid laws in this country ).

Referees get stick, Dermot Gallagher said it was "expected" in the same article on BBC Sport... "The referee's a ****er" is almost universally chanted across the stadia of England and Scotland (in Wales tugging off anything that doesn't get sheered in summer is probably a compliment), but why is this fine and dandy? Is it because, being that far from his wife/partner and not having the neanderthalic brain output and sexual impulses of John Terry, the statement is inevitably true?
How about being "the bastard in the black"? Is there some outreach program for unmarried couples afraid their children will be tormented due to social choices outwith societies understanding (unless you happen to watch the X factor... for 3 seconds), where they can simply send said demon spawn off to learn something noble where they won't get picked on? A fine profession, like refereeing...

Do we really need to be abusive at football matches at all? Is it necessary to gain a psychological edge on opponents and refs? Is it all part of the fun? Should there be a clear rulebook dedicated to the topic so that fans know what is and is not ok, or should we continue to wait til morons are banned from tweeting...? Do we just need to grow up and become more respectful? Is Twitter evil? Do birds want to be associated with the crap human beings "tweet"? Does anyone sit in the family area of St James' where there's no swearing allowed? Is it good? Is it enforced?


And no, I haven't turned into Tash...

 

w eshould be firmer on this topic.
If players surround a ref and shout in the face why not book every player?
it will act as a deterrent to the likes of Man Utd et al..
Dermot Gallagher was on Sky the other day saying that, at the beginnnig of last season the refs cracked down on simulation and that much of it was eradicated later on in the season as players became aware of the consequences.

 

JPF, I believe it all comes down to wishing Death upon someone as that's not something anyone should ever do.

Although I do agree with ACS on Booking all those who run the length of the pitch to get in the Ref's ear.

 

Wtf? And they turn a blind eye to their cheating diving Uruguayan striker who's a disgrace to football in every sense of the word? Seriously..

A sterner front needs to be put against simulators. Especially serial divers like Suarez, Ashley Young. The worst type of dives are those with absolutely zero contact and they go down, because if there was at least some contact, it prompts thinking from the ref. Now all this twitter abuse is definitely unwarranted for, but I didn't even think the ref had that bad a game, he got his calls ok. Since:
Van Persie tackle versus Shelvey tackle
One look, and you could tell which was worse and which deserved an outright red
Valencia Penalty
From the ref's angle, it definitely looked like there was a foul there. Let's face it, he's only human, and I don't even think Johnson had any way of playing the ball without taking out Valencia


Also, remember the Everton game?
I have already forgiven the ref for all the mistakes he had made....Because I know that is part and parcel of football, since refs are human after all. They already have such a tough job, unless I could do better

 

Look theres certain professions where you are going to be targeted as the twat, nowt you can do.. so with that in mind maybe dont have a twitter account.

 

You can please some of the people all the of time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time.

Giving serial offenders longer penalties might help to cut out simulation and be better for the teams, the players and the fans. Keep the game flowing and let it become known as the beautiful game again.

On another note and a bit off topic as regarding our game.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042641/

 

How come rugby referees don't seem to have the same problem, there is so much more respect shown to the rugby refs, than there is the football refs.

Some refs seem intimidated when being surrounded by a group of angry footballers, book them all and don't speak to any player other than the culprit and the captain.
How many times have we seen footballers rolling around like they've been hit with a hammer, get up and jog away, or sometimes be recovered enough to take a free kick, it's just a joke at the end of the day!
If we see more fair play on the pitch, there should be less abuse from the terraces, as for twitter, some idiots just don't have a life, could you really be bothered?

 

For one, Rugby refs have the power to move the penalty forwards 10yards if they don't like what someone's said.

Secondly, Only captains usually speak to the referee when the ball is dead, and only if called over.

 

Rugby players are more manly than today's footballers and just pick themselves up, dust themselves down and get back on with the game as a rule, the way it used to be with the footballers of yesteryear. You'd never see the likes of Jacke Milburn rolling on the ground in supposed agony trying to get a fellow pro sent off, it's just become part of our game unfortunately. A feature of the game introduced from the Continent.

 

It'd be brilliant to see a bit of sportsmanship and respect brought back into the game. Evrathing seems to be about bloody not shaking hands at the moment...

A Mackem had the idea of a pink card for diving and simulation, which would warrant a three game ban and having to wear a pink tutu when they returned to action...
Not sure the homosexual implications would be appreciated by gay chaps, however... I mean they get buggered by men and they don't whine about it

Of all the propositions to change the game, Rugby-like respect is definitely the best one I've heard. Followed by getting rid of penalties... But that's only because I'm English!

 

Wearing a pink tutu would suit and be welcomed by some of the players.

 

True that!

Are you thinking about Tiote as well?

 

Good god, no. Don't let him think that!