CityFanFromRome wrote:johnpb78 wrote:If the referee is worried about the consequences/abuse, then the FA have a simple rule which should be implemented If they complain, book each and every one stood around you. If they are still there 5 seconds later, start sending them off.
It will only happen once or twice more in that country, and it will be over - never to be seen again.
FIFA only need implement this rule, by the end of the first weekend, the problem will have gone, as managers will start fining their players for stupid sendings off and diving, cheating and abusing referees becomes self regulated
This might take care of the abuse from players, and another rule could be implemented to take care of any abuse that should come from the fans, ensuring the team of those fans loses the game 3-0 if they throw things at the referee or anything like that (it has happened, maybe not in England but it has, I remember a Champions League game between Roma and Dinamo Kiev where at half time the referee was hit by a coin thrown from a Roma fan, because he had sent Mexes off.)
The biggest problem, though, is that I think referees are afraid of being taken apart by slow motion replays, and generally by post-match analisys programmes, like MOTD and similar, and that making mistakes that will be highlighted by the TV will lead to a decrease of their reputation, and thus of their "importance".
Nothing can really ever be done about the crowd's reaction save for behind closed door games, which if an FA is serious about implementing sanctions to clean up the game, they will do - and again it becomes self regulating, because if I see someone acting a cunt in the crowd, I am more likely to raise the issue with a steward / police or tackle it myself.
In terms of referees making mistakes - promotion and relegation of match officials to me is all wrong. Just because someone fucks up in a game, they get relegated to the isthmian league for a week. What happens to Rooney when he has a mare - he plays next week because his manager wants him to get through it. A lot of refs in this country fear for their position - and this political game of avoiding making difficult decisions has become farcical. If the referees were secure in their appointments for a full season then they wouldn have the balls to make a decision, without a player falling theatrically to make it for them.
Sad indictment of our game this whole thread.