Referees and clubs have different agendas

A national newspaper recently claimed that Chairmen of Premiership clubs are to launch what was described as 'an audacious bid', to wrest control over Premiership referees from their present bosses at the FA. 

The plan is apparently the brainchild of Fulham owner Mohamed Al Fayed, who allegedly has held a series of top secret lunches at his Harrods' office. The frightening thing is that these elite club chairmen so often get what they want. In my opinion, giving clubs any jurisdiction over referees would be like putting the Burglars' Union in
charge of the Police. 

We have to understand that the referees have the responsibility of upholding the laws that regulate football, in a professional game in which the clubs, players, coaches, managers and directors have an
entirely different agenda. Their principal objectives are to win matches and if possible trophies, to gain promotion or to prevent relegation. They are all under tremendous pressure, and let's face it, to achieve their objectives they will flaunt the laws if they think they can get away with it, or if the rewards are seen to be worth any punishment that might be imposed.

A few years ago I watched a televised match when former England star, Bobby Charlton, was the pundit in the commentary box. An attacker raced through the opponents' defence and, despite a defender in close attendance, he put the ball in the back of the net.

When asked for a comment, Bobby Charlton said: 'The
defender's manager won't be happy with him for not bringing the attacker down'.

This was one of the country's great sporting heroes, advocating that the defender should have illegally brought down his opponent, to deny him a clear chance on goal. This of course became known as the 'professional foul'. Players prepared to risk a free kick or even a penalty to prevent a goal. So prevalent became its use, that to act as a deterrent the punishment was upgraded to a sending-off
offence. 

But still they take risks. Occasionally players give an an insight into
this football sub-culture. Alan Shearer paid tribute to Arsenal's Martin Keown on television. 'I never like playing against him,' Shearer said, 'because he is so committed'. He then went on to illustrate Keown's commitment as his willingness to 'kick, scratch and shirt pull'. All against the laws but if you listen to Arsène Wenger, his Arsenal manager, when Keown is punished for any of these 'virtues', it is the referee who is to blame.

Clubs complain if referees don't let a game flow and yet how many times do we see teams defend a slim lead late in the game, with a series of time wasting tactics? Some within the law and some outside. Denis Irwin was correctly sent off for a second cautionable offence, when he kicked the ball away to delay a free kick in a crucial Premiership match against Liverpool a few seasons ago. The Chairman of Manchester United threatened all forms of dire consequences if 'that referee has denied us this year's Championship'. Imagine him on the Al Fayed referees' committee. 

This year, Bobby Robson, who I admire immensely, insisted that the referee may have cost Newcastle United their title dream, because he sent off Laurent Robert against Arsenal for blocking a quick free
kick, a second cautionable offence. No blaming the player because that's what he's expected to do, despite it being a flagrant breach of the laws.

If I haven't convinced you that clubs should not have jurisdiction over referees, let's look at what initiated Mohamed Al Fayed's campaign to enlist other club chairmen to his cause. It all stemmed from his unhappiness, to say the least, that referee Jeff Winter, turned down three penalty appeals in Fulham's game against Arsenal. 

I rest my case.

Dick Sawdon Smith

© R Sawdon Smith 2003

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