I remember once JPR getting sent off for swearing in a rugby match. He was speaking Welsh to another player and the referee misunderstood.
Now there was a full back and playing for one of the best international teams ever. Back then I was a Welsh fan (rugby wise) before being an England fan.
Many years ago I was working in London and I was staying in Surbiton, Surrey. I would often pop into one of the pubs, The Waggon and Horses, as the ale was good. I found out that in the 70s there used to be a small inter-pub rugby competition and two lads who were passing through and offered their services to the team as they were new to London. The landlord thanked them kindly for their interest but said that as they weren't regulars that they weren't permitted. So JJ and JPR went off to play for someone else.
I can see both sides of the coin. Personally I think its an emotive game and trying to curb outbursts which are due to adrenalin and emotion does detract a bit from the overall picture. We seem obsessed with trying to take the emotion from the game. You can't pick and choose with emotion, the human element. So that is the negative. The fact that games could end up abandoned is not the point for me, you make a rule and enforce in a certain way. Saying that I quite like the differences between referees, and the way they officiate. I embrace that side of things. if you have played football at any level you'll understand this. Some refs you can talk to. Some are arrogant beyond belief. Some will not tolerate swearing, some will swear back! So that's one side where I like emotion, I like personality, I like different characters, hell I even like the human mistakes which generate and stimulate debate in pubs/households/social media across the country. I'm not interested in robots doing the same generic things over and over. Variety is the spice of life. On the other side I see the deterioration of the standards of human behaviour over the years towards officials. I see the kids watching these overpaid twats setting them examples where it is acceptable to collectively charge an official. Where they get so aggressive and even physical. That's not right. So has that been borne out of the never dealing with the swearing at official thing? No in my opinion it hasn't. Swearing and swearing at officials has long been part of many sports (including the sacred rugby). The difference is the deterioration in the general standards in behaviour across society in my opinion. Whether this is just bad parenting, lack of disciplining etc I don't know but the young generation definitely lack respect in my opinion. So whereas I don't think swearing has been the catalyst for the problem, perhaps it can be used to strike back against these ****ty standards of behaviour. Perhaps its a stand that needs taken. The rugby thing I agree with to a certain extent by the way, but people way over egg this pudding. They have similar differences. Some refs tolerate swearing and indeed will not react to being sworn at. Others not at all. Nigel Owens won't tolerate any swearing. He won't always send you off but I've heard him in live games telling players off for swearing to each other nevermind at him or opposition i.e. "****ing hell Kieron, next time you smash that ****, he doesn't come through" The difference? Money. Its a corrupter of people. Not all of course, but nobody will ever convince me that too much does not make a twat of some people who at one stage were ok. I've seen it in all walks of life.
I bet the swearing at refs was far far worse in the 60s and 70s. It has surely gotten less over the years.
i think they need to concentrate on the performances of there officials before anything ..cause they need help and are liftin
