Be the twelfth man - supporting football

Football discussion for the satellite enthusiast.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Whistleblower


Does anybody else feel uncomfortable at the growing public presence of referees chief Keith Hackett? Don't get me wrong, I think there is an increasing need for accountability amongst the games law enforcers. If one takes a look at the murky scandal that has more than muddied the waters of the Italian game it is impossible to argue against the need for increasing regulation and accountability of referees. Who can argue that corruption needs eradicating? It's also interesting to note that it was, by and large, Italy's richest clubs that were the most corrupt with AC Milan, Juventus, Lazio and Fiorentina all being found guilty of match fixing. Reginna have also been charged.

I am not implying that corruption exists in the English game but it could be said that greater accountability would help prevent its occurrence in the first place. What matters most is that the final score of a match is a result of the actions of the players on the field rather than as a result of corrupt or erroneous refereeing.

Erroneous refereeing is problematic in the game the whole world over and the calls for technological assistance are getting louder. Humans make mistakes and we're by no means the pinnacle of evolution. We have not yet evolved panoramic vision and the crucial ability to concentrate intensely on more than one thing at a time; omnipotence is still as elusive as it ever was.

We could do well to remember that referees are human and, because of this, they are prone to making mistakes. Take Dermot Gallagher, he didn't show Manchester City's Ben Thatcher a red card for his cynical and disgraceful forearm smash on Portsmouth's Pedro Mendes. Gallagher was removed from Premiership duty as a result. However, due to the positioning of the players, Gallagher would have found it difficult to see the incident correctly. It wasn't until the incident had been replayed on television that Thatcher's cynicism was realised. A luxury that the referee didn't have. Coincidentally, a recent article in the Sunday Times reminded us that Keith Hackett didn't show the red card to Wimbledon's John Fashanu for the horrific elbow that shattered Gary Mabbutt's eye socket. The irony of all ironies, perhaps.

In this instance, it is the rules that are the problem rather than any mistake on the part of Dermot Gallagher. Would the referee in question have been removed from duty had it been possible to retrospectively punish Ben Thatcher? How long will it be before such a rule that prevents justice from prevailing is addressed? Yes, Dermot Gallagher got it wrong by only producing a yellow card but he cannot be blamed for rules that prevent further action being taken against Ben Thatcher by the football authorities. It took Thatcher's own club to impose further punishment. Manchester City have handed the Wales international a six game ban and have fined him six weeks wages.

Uriah Rennie was also removed from refereeing duty in the Premiership last weekend. His sin was not awarding a penalty for what was a blatant foul on Everton's Andy Johnson. Other referees on the receiving end of Headmaster Hackett's cane are Rob Styles and Peter Walton. The Premiership season has been alive for little more than a fortnight. Such public and excessive condemnation of referees could prove to be counterproductive. It is important that referees are accountable for their mistakes but it is equally important that they are allowed to work in an environment that does not have unnecessary pressures.

The perils of performance anxiety are known the world over, especially to men, and Mr Hackett has to be mindful that he isn't creating an environment of distrust amongst his referees. Nobody wants to go to work with the constant stench of the boss' bad breath wafting up their nostrils as he lingers behind them watching their every move. It makes people unnecessarily jumpy and is a recipe for further mistakes. Confident and well trained people make less mistakes than those in environments working under pressure, distrust and a vote of no confidence by the management. Keith Hackett might be on his way to what is known in footballing circles as losing the dressing room. Surely it can only be a matter of time before there's a revolt by the games' senior referees.

The solution to all of these problems is television evidence. If we had a fifth official watching live television coverage of the game they would be privy to replays and they could relay the information to the match official via his earpiece. People will inevitably complain that it could hinder the fluency of the match. If it does it will be minimal and is it much of a price to pay to ensure the integrity of the world's most popular sport? People aren't talking about using it for all decisions but for ones that have a direct effect upon the outcome of the game. This has to be a better alternative than scapegoating the men in black. Mr Hackett should seek viable alternatives rather than caving into the pressures of public opinion.

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