It seems that all sense of using your initiative has been lost in all areas of football, including refereeing, at the moment. I’m sure, like me, you had this drummed into you at school (although, being ordered to use your initiative sounds a bit like a contradiction to me with hindsight) so why don’t we ever see it anymore?
The basic fact is that pulling your shirt over your head shouldn’t be a sending off offence. Everton’s Tim Cahill has to feel massively cheated at receiving a second yellow card for a bit of over exuberance after scoring the other week. OK, UEFA had warned players and told referees to come down harshly on ‘offenders’, but there are worse elements of the game that need cleaning up than the sight of a grown man running around like a five year old who’s eaten too much jelly, why penalised a bit of over exuberance? The man had just scored in the Premiership for goodness’ sake, he’s going to be a bit excited, I’d be half way through my ninth lap of honour before the ref was anyway near.
The referee, knowing he’d already been cautioned, could have had a quiet word with him, told him to calm down and that he was skating on thin ice. By going all jobs worth on his ass, the ref is saying that lifting a shirt over your head is as bad as scything someone’s legs in a clumsy challenge.
While we’re talking (and by that, I mean, ‘while I’m ranting at you’) about initiative, I can’t not mention stewards at away games. It’s not every ground, but at some places these guys actually cause more trouble than they prevent, merely by not using their brains. Here’s the scenario: half full seated away end, in the centre, at the back, a group of fans choose to stand and sing etc. People who want to sit and watch the game can, there is plenty of space, seating isn’t reserved, there is no crush (this is League Two)…so why do the stewards waste so much time trying to get twenty odd people to sit down? I’ve seen it so many times…game starts…no problem…everyone having fun…stewards blunder in…aggro starts.
Now, I’m not condoning people kicking off when told to sit down, but the fact is that some people do, a bit of initiative would tell the stewards that whilst this group are having fun and not endangering anyone, their job is being done. I can see why it would be a problem at Premiership games where stands are full and season tickets mean that they might be blocking the view of people behind, however, at
Anyway, enough negativity, top of the league, looking good. Ace.
Up The Iron