in my view
John
Finch & Guests
“Don’t forget to register on our forum” Lets hear what you’ve have to say about these
articles …. or anything else
happening in the world of football.
Post your ‘opinions’, ‘rants’ and ‘praise’ on the
forum’s Main Debate’.
Disclaimer:
Comments here are those of John Finch and Guests and are not necessarily
endorsed by the Management Committee of the League.
Why begrudge
Portsmouth and Cardiff City their ‘Michael Thomas moment’?
Remember the Glory Goal? Michael Thomas beats
Bruce Grobbelaar to win Arsenal the 1989 title. Cardiff City, mid-table in the
Championship, are an astonishing 90 minutes away from being crowned FA Cup
winners. There’ll be Bluebirds over the Wembley enclosure – what isn’t magical
about that? ‘All the doubters need is a quick nudge in the direction of May
2007, when England’s two most successful teams in recent years met in an FA Cup
final. Beautiful football and unforgettable moments? I think not.’ Barcelona
1999, Istanbul 2005, Anfield 1989, Wembley 2008? Every football fan has his or
her defining ‘magical’ moment as a fan. That special moment that defines your
support for your side. Barcelona ’99, Istanbul ’05 and Anfield ’89 have had
books written on them, just focusing on these few hours. The sacred hours those
fans of the three victorious clubs will treasure forever when trophies were
claimed in the most dramatic of styles. These moments are set so high on a
pedestal that as a fan you would travel across Britain and even Europe to try
to recreate it. It’s why you attend football matches.
For Cardiff City or Portsmouth fans, Wembley
2008 could be their ‘Istanbul 2005’. A
once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience something genuinely exhilarating. Could
you say the same for Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal? Would an ugly
1-0 win for Liverpool over West Brom at Wembley, for example, have beaten the
five European Cups and numerous unforgettable nights at Anfield in the eyes of
the fans? If you’re an Arsenal season ticket holder who attended the title
decider at Anfield in 1989, you could have seen thousands of matches since.
There will have been plenty of thumping victories, cup triumphs and of course a
lot of 1-0 wins – but it’s that Michael Thomas moment that will live with you
forever. As a football supporter I want as many fans as possible to experience
these ‘Michael Thomas moments’ and this season’s FA Cup Final allows two teams
fans alien to the concept of major trophies a real chance of winning one!
Before this season began, a great deal had been
said about the domination of the major silverware in Britain by the elite
clubs. The slow suffocation of any remote possibility that any players other
than those from Man United, Chelsea, Arsenal or Liverpool would be cavorting
around Wembley with an FA Cup to parade. So let’s hope the media resist slating
the ‘quality’ of football on show or lack of internationals present when
finally someone gets a shot at the country’s number one competition. Al the
doubters need is a quick nudge in the direction of May 2007. Instead the
pundits should focus on the fact Cardiff and Portsmouth has the chance to win a
trophy of real stature and provide their fans with the ultimate of magical
days. Surely no one can deny that the day will be serving up the potential for
the most memorable day out. Just think Cardiff City, mid-table in the
Championship, are an astonishing 90 minutes away from being crowned FA Cup
winners. A possible place in Europe, the Community Shield, an open-top bus tour
and the mother of all parties which would await them back in the Principality.
Now tell me what isn’t magical about that?
Peter Evans
Are
you disappointed there’s no Big Four in the FA Cup Final? Post your comments on
‘Main Debate’ on the Forum.
~~~~~
Sin Bins, points
deduction, accountable refs:
Time to teach Chelsea,
Arsenal and Co some respect…..
The FA must introduce stringent penalties to
deal with misbehavior on the pitch – but referees should also be wired up, be answerable
to the fans. ‘For every five sin bins the club loses a point. If money will not
sway attitudes, loss of a title or Premier League status will do’. Over the
summer, while the FA have nothing to do due to the
abject failure of the national team, they need to sit down and address the
issue of respect for match officials. Half measures are not adequate; booking
and sending off players for dissent is far too ambiguous. The measures need to
seriously affect the player and the club. It is easy to ascertain that fiscal
punishments are inept. The top clubs (who are the most notorious offenders)
would not even flinch at having to hand over £10,000. Thus, financial penalties
should be made higher, which ultimately hits the smaller clubs a hell od a lot harder. Fining teams for
failing to control their players should be abolished in favour of more
immediate processes.
The first step should be to adopt a rugby-style
approach to the officials on three counts. Firstly, the well versed idea of
only allowing the captain to speak to the official – unless, of course, the
referee summons another player. No player may touch the official or raise their
voice or arms to him at all. Punishments for such offences lead me to my next
point. I f players were to contravene these laws then they would be sin-binned
for a set time of ten minutes. In the case of there being only five minutes
remaining it would simply mean them sitting out the rest of game. If players
surround the referee and find themselves down to eight men it is doubtful they
will offend again. If a player receives a certain number of ‘sin bins’ he
should be banned for an extended period. Similarly, clubs should be punished
for not being able to control their players. For every five sin bins the club
loses a point. If money will not sway attitudes, loss of a title or Premier
League status will do. Thirdly, it should be necessary for referees to be wired
up to the sound system so that he is accountable to the crowd. Most of the
anger towards the referee is because people do not understand why he has given
such a decision he has taken.
For example, although it was a European game,
I’m sure the viewers would have liked to know why Arsenal were not awarded a
penalty I their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Liverpool. The
logic is simple; respect is earned and if referees become more accountable then
players will subconsciously feel more respect. If the FA were to implement
something like this it would be necessary to introduce it straight away at the highest
level, the Premier League. The temptation to test it a lower level might be
strong in case it fails. Yet they must remember why it is being introduced in
the first place – so that watching kids do not emulate their ‘heroes’ when they
themselves play the game. If the see the likes of Chelsea skipper John Terry
and his Arsenal counterpart William Gallas demonstrating respect on the pitch,
the trickle down effect will be immediate.
What is most imperative is that such
legislation is set in stone with a zero tolerance policy. Chelsea’s Ashley Cole
is a poor ambassador of the game and his occasional irrational actions could be
the trigger that finally leads to action being taken. The backlash was immense
to the Javier Mascherano incident at Old Trafford. If the FA can show some
backbone and back up their words with significant actions then it can only be a
positive for the game that many believe is losing its soul.
David Combe
What would
you introduce to regain respect on the pitch? Post your comments on ‘Main
Debate’ on the Forum.