06-10-2020, 12:49
I'd agree completely if it weren't for the fact that lots of clubs, beloved by their fans, would be collateral damage.
And it isn't just Elleray, bookings became a waste of time once wages across the country made the fine for being booked become insignificant even for amateur players. My view is that if Mr Atkinson, who I use as an example because I think he is an excellent referee, took a player aside and gave him and his captain a stern warning that next time there'd be consequences ...... that might work if the consequences were really serious and losing the ability to make substitutions would make teams pay. At the moment a booking is either nothing, or a disaster if a player later gets caught out again for what is often a truly minor infringement. You might as well let VAR roll a dice.
I got booked once. We were playing Barlow in a "big game". We were infamous for our offside trap, which operated almost at the halfway line. To make it a success we had two very fast defenders who could cover if it went wrong, but this match we had neutral linesmen and we had no confidence in the bloke running our line. So I told our back four if the trap broke down I'd stop the attack (as keeper) but it would cost me a booking, so I couldn't do it twice. Local football attracted supporters back then. Barlow brought two coachloads to Newbold Road, our car park was full of cars, Newbold Rd was littered with parked cars, some were even down on Highfield Lane. There were Barlow villagers all round the ground. As usual we went off like a train and were all over them. We were good and played some nice football and our high offside trap meant Barlow could hardly get out of their own half. Perhaps 20 -25 minutes in the linesman did exactly what we feared and missed a really obvious offside, and the ref was waving play-on. Barlow were away. They even had a couple of supporting players behind the man on the ball. We'd had it ..... except, as we played the offside, I was permanently stationed on the edge of the area for the ball over the top. So as I'd promised I came way out of my area and when their bloke pushed the ball into the open space to the side of me I rather gently rugby tackled him to the floor and apologised nicely. I'm sure the howls from the Barlow villagers could have been heard back at The Peacock, if there'd been anyone left behind. The ref' booked me as I knew he would and there was a free kick we defended easily. At the time if what you'd done wasn't dangerous and didn't involve swearing, you didn't get sent off. I was only perhaps 19 and I was booed and hated throughout the match by the crowd, but what I'd done had worked. We scored only a few minutes later. The linesman never lost concentration again. And unusually for us we maintained our grip on the game, never let Barlow back in and ran out 2-1 winners. WE OUGHT TO HAVE LOST. I RUINED THE GAME FOR ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO CAME TO SEE BARLOW WIN. I CHEATED AND ALL I GOT WAS a £5 fine. It meant nothing, but the fact I cheated still does. I used to walk at cricket. I don't cheat. I'd turn myself in now to Martin Atkinson for a bollocking.
Now endemic, persistent, minor cheating is regarded as the way to stop better teams playing. A booking means nothing, less than it did 50 years ago. With the huge squads some clubs carry five bookings and a suspension is just an occupational hazard, another one you should take for your team. So you have had my confession and Barlow villagers will probably be pleased to learn I can still hear them shouting at me as we left that field victorious. It didn't help that towards the end I pulled off a couple of good saves to rub salt in the wound.
And it isn't just Elleray, bookings became a waste of time once wages across the country made the fine for being booked become insignificant even for amateur players. My view is that if Mr Atkinson, who I use as an example because I think he is an excellent referee, took a player aside and gave him and his captain a stern warning that next time there'd be consequences ...... that might work if the consequences were really serious and losing the ability to make substitutions would make teams pay. At the moment a booking is either nothing, or a disaster if a player later gets caught out again for what is often a truly minor infringement. You might as well let VAR roll a dice.
I got booked once. We were playing Barlow in a "big game". We were infamous for our offside trap, which operated almost at the halfway line. To make it a success we had two very fast defenders who could cover if it went wrong, but this match we had neutral linesmen and we had no confidence in the bloke running our line. So I told our back four if the trap broke down I'd stop the attack (as keeper) but it would cost me a booking, so I couldn't do it twice. Local football attracted supporters back then. Barlow brought two coachloads to Newbold Road, our car park was full of cars, Newbold Rd was littered with parked cars, some were even down on Highfield Lane. There were Barlow villagers all round the ground. As usual we went off like a train and were all over them. We were good and played some nice football and our high offside trap meant Barlow could hardly get out of their own half. Perhaps 20 -25 minutes in the linesman did exactly what we feared and missed a really obvious offside, and the ref was waving play-on. Barlow were away. They even had a couple of supporting players behind the man on the ball. We'd had it ..... except, as we played the offside, I was permanently stationed on the edge of the area for the ball over the top. So as I'd promised I came way out of my area and when their bloke pushed the ball into the open space to the side of me I rather gently rugby tackled him to the floor and apologised nicely. I'm sure the howls from the Barlow villagers could have been heard back at The Peacock, if there'd been anyone left behind. The ref' booked me as I knew he would and there was a free kick we defended easily. At the time if what you'd done wasn't dangerous and didn't involve swearing, you didn't get sent off. I was only perhaps 19 and I was booed and hated throughout the match by the crowd, but what I'd done had worked. We scored only a few minutes later. The linesman never lost concentration again. And unusually for us we maintained our grip on the game, never let Barlow back in and ran out 2-1 winners. WE OUGHT TO HAVE LOST. I RUINED THE GAME FOR ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO CAME TO SEE BARLOW WIN. I CHEATED AND ALL I GOT WAS a £5 fine. It meant nothing, but the fact I cheated still does. I used to walk at cricket. I don't cheat. I'd turn myself in now to Martin Atkinson for a bollocking.
Now endemic, persistent, minor cheating is regarded as the way to stop better teams playing. A booking means nothing, less than it did 50 years ago. With the huge squads some clubs carry five bookings and a suspension is just an occupational hazard, another one you should take for your team. So you have had my confession and Barlow villagers will probably be pleased to learn I can still hear them shouting at me as we left that field victorious. It didn't help that towards the end I pulled off a couple of good saves to rub salt in the wound.