The Beautiful Game?

Just finished watching the Phoenix win against the Fury – a very good result considering the conditions.

I don’t normally watch them play simply because the football is just not up to the same standard you can see when watching the Premiership.  This is not a dig at the Phoenix – they operate in a lower level then the professional European leagues and no one would argue with that.

One thing that particularly puts me off when watching them play, and this does not apply solely to the Phoenix, is the utter contempt too many players in the league show towards officials.  Football is my game, and there has been a “Respect” campaign pushed at all levels for quite some time now.  To be honest, it is farcical as the top players consistently show no respect for any of the officials.

To be fair sometimes I shake my head at some decisions that are made, but it is all too often that blatant fouls are committed and players get up and give the ref a mouthful of abuse for dearing to pull them up on it.

It is also quite clear that the higher the level the players are at, the more the officials seem to allow them to get away with it.  It is quite clear that the penalty for showing dissent to an official is a yellow card.  You yell and scream at a ref down at the park on a saturday playing club level and it is almost certain that a card will follow – even of the red variety. However when one of the professional players turns around and blatantly abuses the ref more often that not the ref trots off and no further action is taken.  It is only when a player goes on with it that it is even considered.

The message this sends the players of course is that it is OK to abuse the ref and so it continues.  The sad thing about it is that it also provides the example for younger kids who are watching – the ref is fair game.

There is no doubt that the paying public want to see the players out on the field and it should never be about the officials being at the centre of attention, however if we want to maintain our game as the beautiful game that it so clearly is we have to get tough with the players.  A consistent message can only help to get rid of what is clearly the ugly side of the game.

One other thing that really gets to me after watching the game.  It is being played at what is upposedly one of the best stadiums in the country.  Why then are the coaches and reserves made to sit out in the open on plastic chairs?! Quite frankly it is a disgrace that athletes in a professional sport are made to sit out in the wind and rain with no protection.

Surely there could be a moveable bus shelter type set of seats that afford some protection.  It could be wheeled on and off the pitch with no damage to the surface.

Come on Westpac Stadium – everything else about your set up is first rate.  This is clearly dropping the ball and makes it look like an amateurish set up.