Falling out of love with football

[Dr Fundlekrotch]

Fry & Laurie considered this problem over 20 years ago - The Dave Wilson School of Falling Over

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBv6t7nmIeE" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBv6t7nmIeE</a>

[jonnydog]

Excellent

[DonnyNoel]

Sadly I think with some unpleasant aspects of the game we may be past the point of no return. I watched MOTD with disgust the other week when they covered the Man City v Everton game. Felliani pulled the shirt off a players back and the ref gave a penalty. But oh no, he shouldn't have given it even though it might have been a penalty because he said it was Osman not Fellaini. And then of course he can't really give it as then there'd be lots of penalties blah blah.

I think some of the problem stems from the people who comment on the laws/refs - ex players. They have enough problems talking about tactics and players without asking them to talk about referees which they aren't qualified to talk about. Footballers are footballers, not referees.

[moses]

On the falling down when touched I do have, , some sympathy with the players.

There was an incident on Saturday where an attacker rode a tackle in the box, which probably was a foul, stayed on his feet but in doing so the ball had got away from him and the keeper got there first. Did the referee pull it back for the penalty, no.

Graham Poll was on the radio with Sam Alladyce and Sam was asked whether they encourage players to fall over when they are touched in the box, Sam said he would stop when referees gave penalties when player didn’t fall over. Graham Poll struggled to remember an incident where he had given a penalty for a tackle when the player had not fallen over.

Now being an old Centre half myself, every Sunday morning I attempted to cheat by blocking or pulling or pushing or standing on someone’s laces to stop them just enough that I didn’t give a free kick away, but gained an advantage. Hell sometimes I would deliberately foul my opponent to try and put them on edge for the rest of the game. This in a game I couldn’t remember whether we won or lost and knowing us we probably lost.

Did I (or any other defender) cheat more than an attacking player who dived?

The cheating has always been there it is just magnified and glorified more than ever. My thought is that it is the increasing coverage and tribal nature of football in recent years that has encouraged this.

[BillyStubbsTears]

And this is what the biggest hypocrite in football said nearly 7 years ago

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/4842424.stm

He's got a chance to put his money where his mouth was now by dropping Cazorla for a month.

[Wellington Vaults]

I don't watch Match of the Day (MoTD?  30 second goal highlight of the day more like. That's not togger is it? I don't listen to the radio. I haven't supported England for 13 years now for reasons some of you know already. I don't read about footy much either. I loathe a lot of what goes in footy nowadays. I watch the Rovers. I come on here. That's it. Oh. And I don't have Sky either. The architect of prostitution.

BobG

Campionship and lower league games much more enjoyable

Is that the league for gay footballers?

And there lies the conundrum.  I want my team to be successful.  But in the Championship, that means promotion to the Premier League and that, unfortunately, would probably be the last nail in the coffin for me.  Stupid kick-off times and (even more) riduculous prices to sit with a generation of nouveau fans for whom entry to the stadium would be justified by a chance to take a photo of Van Persie or Rooney on their phone.

And all for the honour of fighting it out in a league within a league, with no hope of ever competing with the established top echelon.

[The L J Monk]

Luiz Adriano was suspended recently for taking advantage of an uncontested drop-ball. UEFA described his act as a "violation of the principles of conduct". This is covered by Article 5 of their disciplinary regulations.

Article 5 covers principles of conduct, and states:

Member associations and clubs, as well as their players, officials and members, shall conduct themselves according to the principles of loyalty, integrity and sportsmanship.

A breach of these principles is committed by anyone:

b) whose conduct is insulting or otherwise violates the basic rules of decent conduct;
k) who behaves in an unsporting manner to gain an advantage.

In light of the fact Adriano was suspended retrospectively by UEFA, it is apparent that where a clear-cut case of unsporting behavior is identified UEFA have the power to act after the event.

The question is: do the FA or Premier League have this same power, and, if they do, why are they not enforcing it?

N.B. This would not be applicable to Cazorla though of course as, according to his club's vice-captain, Mikel Arteta “Santi is not a player who dives - he is not that type of player.”

[CusworthRovers]

Reading this thread, it looks like there's only me and a few then who still watch England, MOTD, Euro Games and Sky Sports. I wouldn't have guessed that with all the knowledge of Prem players, clubs and games that's shown on here

[Sheepskin Stu]

This would help my enjoyment no end. I hope we were one of the clubs to back this...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20679867

[pubteam]

This would help my enjoyment no end. I hope we were one of the clubs to back this...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20679867

It says we are in the story, along with Villa, Brentford, Bristol City, Burnley, Cardiff, Palace, Derby, Hull, Peterborough, Plymouth, Watford and Wimbledon.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Reading this thread, it looks like there's only me and a few then who still watch England, MOTD, Euro Games and Sky Sports. I wouldn't have guessed that with all the knowledge of Prem players, clubs and games that's shown on here

Cussy.

It's all relative. Twenty years ago, even ten years ago, I used to live for football. I would walk over broken glass to see a top quality game.

I still watch it when I bump into it, but I don't have any love for the top level game. To be honest, I'd not lose any sleep if I never again watched  Suarez, Cazorla, Torres or any of the ridiculously over-hyped wasters who pull on the England shirt. It just doesn't mean a great deal to me. Good luck to you if you still enjoy it.

[Nudga]

On the falling down when touched I do have, , some sympathy with the players.

There was an incident on Saturday where an attacker rode a tackle in the box, which probably was a foul, stayed on his feet but in doing so the ball had got away from him and the keeper got there first. Did the referee pull it back for the penalty, no.

Graham Poll was on the radio with Sam Alladyce and Sam was asked whether they encourage players to fall over when they are touched in the box, Sam said he would stop when referees gave penalties when player didn’t fall over. Graham Poll struggled to remember an incident where he had given a penalty for a tackle when the player had not fallen over.

Now being an old Centre half myself, every Sunday morning I attempted to cheat by blocking or pulling or pushing or standing on someone’s laces to stop them just enough that I didn’t give a free kick away, but gained an advantage. Hell sometimes I would deliberately foul my opponent to try and put them on edge for the rest of the game. This in a game I couldn’t remember whether we won or lost and knowing us we probably lost.

Did I (or any other defender) cheat more than an attacking player who dived?

The cheating has always been there it is just magnified and glorified more than ever. My thought is that it is the increasing coverage and tribal nature of football in recent years that has encouraged this.

I see where you're coming from with this. I was a striker in my glory days and I used a few dirty tricks when waiting for a corner. Whilst our lad was just about to swing his corner in, I would either smack the centre half in his ear hole, pull his armpit hair or drag my studs down the back of his calf. Ball comes over, BOOSHTA!! Nudga Needham bullet heads into the top corner.
But! I would obviously get it back when i've got my back to goal and the ugly centre half is kicking f**k out of my calfs or arsehole.

Man I miss that, letting off a bit steam.

[belton rover]

For a number of years, the game has gradually morphed into something really unpleasant (and I don't agree that it's only the top end of the game). I keep waiting, or rather, hoping for the moment to come when it finally implodes. Some kind of fresh start is needed, but while people are still prepared to pay for it (yes, I subscribe to the lot) I don't see it happening.

The situation is becoming sickening. I read "An Inspector Calls" again recently and found myself comparing Priestley's views on capitalism to my views on the game at the moment; clubs need the fans, but don't give a toss about them as long as the money comes from somewhere.

The recent race row with Chelsea and Clattenburg epitomises the state of the game. When the claim was first made that the ref had racially abused the Chelsea player, I thought the outcome, whatever it was, would be devastating for the game: either a top quality, professional referee was guilty of such a dreadful act, or the football club were guilty of going to such deplorable lengths to ruin Clattenburg's reputation.

Chelsea have not even apologised (as far as I am aware) and the the powers'that be don't have the balls, the will or (ironically) the power to do anything about it. Chelsea have crawled back under their pile of Russian ruble.

Part of me feels that this is just a reflection on society in general today. Take the Australian DJs, for example: a pair of pillocks, they may be, but they are forbidden to apologise for fear of that resulting in admission of gulit and subsequent murder charge.

If I read the Daily Mail, I'd probably say we are all going to Hell in a handcart.

As it is, I am thoroughly, thoroughly disillusioned.   

[BillyStubbsTears]

Belton. Amen brother, although I would absolve Ruud Gullit of any of the blame.

I definitely see the moral mess that football has become more or less mirroring  what has happened to capitalism over the last generation. Thirty years ago, we were all more or less in it together. There were not the obscene imbalances of wealth and power that we see today. Merchant bankers earned typically 4-5 times the average wage. So did top flight footballers. These days, the most egregious examples of both of them earn more than 40-50 times the average wage.

They have, as a result, become detached from society. They live a lifestyle where they are told that they are masters of the universe and make their own rules. If anyone threatens to rein them in, they threaten to take their ball to a more accommodating employer. (Which, of course, is why Ferguson, Wenger, Rodgers and whoever is in charge at Chelsea this week will never EVER criticise their players in public or discipline them for their amoral approach to the game.)

My hope, on both scores, is that generational change comes once every 30 years or so. The old approach creaks under its own inconsistencies and collapses. Maggie swept away the statist consensus and Union power 30 years ago, and let the financial sector off the leash. Murdoch and Sugar effectively did the same thing to football 20 years back. History suggests that eventually there will be a swing back. It will certainly come in football and business if the economic disaster in Europe doesn't sort itself out.

[hoolahoop]

I'm completely with BST and graingrover on this.
I decided to watch the Manc Derby yesterday. After 10 secons Valencia threw himself to the ground after not being touched and rolled around clutching his leg. Luckily the ref wasn't conned this time.
Cue Fergie berating the 4th official.
Every time a manure player was tackled he stayed down feigning a near death experience.
Players diving used to be confined to the penalty area, now it's all over the pitch.
Dave Jones comes on the tele blaming the ref for not playing on when surrounded by irate Wendies.
The game at the higher level is disgusting.
And the fans who buy into this shite, screaming obscenities at the ref or opposing players with murder in their eyes. It makes me sick.
Thank God there's still the type of fans like us (and most 'lower league' supporters) at Chesterfield when Lewis Guy did one of his ridiculous dives. To a man we had a go at him for diving.
One of the things I liked about our previous manger was his stance against any form of cheating or ref intimidation. They should all be like him in that respect.
And what happened to the Respect policy? More empty soundbites.

I know where you're coming from tt, I too watched this match and realised that Man City are the only team that plays in the right way to a man or am I as biased as you perhaps ? Yes that was sarcastic.
Look fella I agree with your points but ALL teams have players that drive many of us away from this game but to make your point surely you have to be even-handed.........we're ALL fed up with ALL these cheating t**ts  and it's got to be stopped.

We need to bring back the respect first of all for the referees, they should be trained to the level of Rugby League refs.......mess with them and you're off.

We need to stand up to the nasty little t**ts who shout out racist remarks, daub shite on walls, intimidate young'uns, throw coins etc.

We need to pull the game back to the masses, make it affordable, safe and most of all enjoyable. One of the reasons why this doesn't happen is because the game favours the players pockets far too much at the expense of the paying punter, another is that most of the money for the 92 clubs sits in the bank accounts of a dozen or so clubs.

It's so bloody frustrating that no 'body' seems to have a balanced, even-handed vision of where exactly this national (or international)  game of ours is going not the FA, FL, PFA, EUFA, FIFA or any of the owners..........IT'S A MESS.

[RedJ]

I'd seriously have a look at introducing sin binning.

[wilts rover]

It would seem that its not only fans in this country who are becoming disillusioned.....

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/world-of-sport/udinese-cheered-serie-match-precisely-one-fan-152055117.html

[Donnywolf]

That is certainly true and probably not surprising

Trouble is we already have a 2 horse race for the title.

If Rangers had not gone bust (they) Scotland would have had the usual 2 horse race with the protagonists dropping points to Kilmarnock and ICT now and again but basicaly having the Title decided when they play the 4 games against each other

Barca and Real Madrid have of late been dominating in Espana

I think it is unfortunate that the rich Clubs wherever they are based make it almost impossible for another Club to come along and challenge them unless they too find an Oil rich Tsar or Sheik

Once in position now it is almost impossible to break the domination (unless the money men leave again) and so "failure" for such as Chelsea Arsenal and Liverpool means it only gets as bad as not being in the top 4 or 6

Another unfortunate by product of this domination is the undoubted "big decisions" that go the way of the Big Clubs. Against the likes of Wigan WBA Stoke the big boys certainly seem to get the "contraversial" decisions go their way. e.g. Arsenal v WBA this weekend saw those 2 decisions go the way of the home team,

Referees too favour the Big teams in other areas and that leads to inconsistency. In the Man derby Rooney should have been booked for the first of 2 fouls he did early on but he was not. Less than a minute later he did a second and very late challenge and the Referee pointed out the 2 offences he had just seen and produced no Card. Had this been a Stoke player ON Rooney the bloke would have been lucky to still be on the Pitch

Rooney then proceeded to challenge every decision and could clearly be seen challenging the officials and I will say "disputing" their decisions and yet again as in many games this season he remained unpunished. Some Man City guy was later ajudged to have done a foul by I think pulling down Ashley Young and he showed displeasure with the Ref and was Yellow Carded instantaneously

.... and that is why I am quickly falling out with Football


P.S. I agree I do not like Man United but please do not take the above examples as anything but an attempt to point out objectively the things I see. I am capable of being objective even where they are concened

As Hoola pointed out earlier ALL Clubs are at the cheating / rolling about / stretching the Laws beyond breaking point and I agree OBJECTIVELY
 

[silent majority]

You guys may be interested in this judging by your comments on here;

http://www.standamf.com/