We have just finished our latest training
course for prospective referees. I have mentioned before that in
Reading we run a unique course. No one else carries out
practical training for referees. This includes refereeing part
of a real match under supervision of a qualified referee for
which we are grateful to the Reading Sunday League. Visitors
come from time to time to see what we do, and last season some
came from Eastleigh.
During one of the matches, a club official
shouted instructions to his team from the touchline, making
plentiful use of the f-word. The qualified referee went over and
reprimanded him about his language. The instructor from
Eastleigh told me how pleased he was to see that happen. In
Eastleigh they have had several recreation grounds closed for
football, because local residents had objected to the continual
use of offensive language. These were people whose houses backed
on to the grounds, people exercising their dogs or families
walking with their children in the park.
It hasn't happened in the Reading area yet
but that's not to say it won't. The local Reading leagues, have
received complaints from bodies like parish councils threatening
to close their grounds to football because of bad language.
Discussing the incident after the match, the referee said that
standing alongside the mouthy official was a woman with two
small girls. The woman thanked the referee for his action and
remarked 'I thought he would have had more respect for me and
the children.'
I believe that many people find the use of
bad language at football matches offensive but don't have the
opportunity of making their feelings known. Last season one
player came into the referee's dressing room after a match to
congratulate me on my stand against the use of offensive
language during the game. He obviously didn't want to say it in
front of his team mates but I valued his support. As anyone who
has been refereed by me will know, at the first sound of this
type of language I tell the player concerned, in a voice loud
enough voice for everyone to hear, that I don't want to hear it
any more. Mostly they co-operate. Of course the odd word slips
out, particularly during periods of stress but often they then
apologise. Sometimes I find that the offenders don't even know
they are doing it. At Christchurch Rec which has a public
footpath running through, I spoke to a big burly player who
seemed unable to string a sentence together without liberal use
of the dreaded word. 'What swearing?' he said. At least he kept
quiet for the rest of the game.
Some think I have no right to ask them to
modify their language, but I point out that the Laws of the Game
forbid offensive language and if they continue I will have no
option but to send them off. Am I being too sensitive? Is my
tolerance level too low? I don't think so, because this type of
behaviour is not only offensive, it is by its very nature
aggressive. Aggression breeds aggression. Last season.
Premiership player Dion Dublin, headbutted an opponent, which
seemed totally out of character. It was suggested at the time
that the opponent had made a racist remark to him. This was
later refuted and it was said that it was just normal industrial
language. Another euphemism for offensive language. In a Reading
Sunday League match, only this season, I had to send two players
off from the same team for fighting one another. It seemed that
one didn't like what his team mate had said to him.
Offensive language on the football is not
necessary and all of us, referees, clubs and players, should do
our best to curtail it, otherwise football is the loser in more
ways than one.
Dick Sawdon Smith