I first watched Reading FC play in the 1940s, when as a small boy I would cycle from my home in Caversham, through the Cow Lane bridge and park my bicycle for 2d in the backyard of the cycle shop at the end of Norfolk Road. Later on as a referee, my Saturdays were of course fully booked and I was only able to see occasional matches. But like so many Reading fans, I have waited a long time for the club to take its place amongst the elite of the national game.
As a referee and a supporter of fair play, what has given me added pleasure is that they have achieved promotion and the Championship without a single red card, which is probably without precedence in the modern game.
As someone who was brought up to applaud sporting behaviour, I proposed in 1966 to the committee of the Reading Referees' Association, that we institute a Fair Play Award for clubs who competed in local league football. It was to be marked by member referees for clean play and gentlemanly behaviour and combined with the club linesman's award that we had been running since 1933.
I was surprised at the time that my proposal wasn't unanimously accepted. There were those who felt that it was a superfluous award. The detractors weren't suggesting that trying to encourage teams to play in a fair and sporting manner, or to acknowledge those that did, was a bad thing but they felt that the clubs couldn't care less. Their only concern was winning.
Nevertheless, the proposal was passed, and the award has been presented every year since with a number of teams expressing their pride in winning it. This year's winner will be announced next month.
Those dissenting members of the committee had a valid point however. Not all people involved in the game are concerned with fair play and sportsmanship. Some believe the end justifies the means. Neil 'Razor' Ruddick, formerly of West Ham, Liverpool and Swindon was in the newspapers recently. In his opinion football is getting soft and in
some ways you can agree with him, with players going down in agony at the slightest touch.
However, Ruddick comes from the school of thought that there should be a 'hardman' in every team, to rough up and intimidate the opponent's skilful players. We can look back to such players as Norman
'bite your legs' Hunter and possibly the most notorious of all, Vinny Jones.
This year is the fortieth anniversary of England's triumph in the World Cup. Those of us who were around at the time, remember that Pele of Brazil, still regarded by many as the greatest player ever, was literally kicked out of the tournament by teams who adopted just that approach.
Some years later, in 1978, FIFA decided to follow the Reading Referees' lead and start a fair play award, which they now organise at every major international competition. They will certainly be running one again at this year's World Cup in Germany.
They have a committee who give each team an assessment score, based on their appraisal of the team's conduct, its positive play, respect for the opposing team and match officials, with deduction of points for each yellow or red card the team receives.
It is worth noting that at Euro 2004, the five countries at the bottom of the FIFA fair play league failed to reach the quarter final, whilst the top five all did. Food for thought indeed. So may I add my congratulations to the many already received by Reading Football Club and to their manager Steve Coppell, who is no doubt instrumental in the team's commendable behaviour. Once again proving, on the fortieth anniversary of my concept for a local Fair Play Award, that winning and sporting behaviour can go together.
Dick Sawdon Smith
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© R Sawdon Smith 2006