Question Number: 15382

Character, Attitude and Control 5/4/2007

RE: 1 Professional

Jon of London, UK asks...

This question is a follow up to question 15294

Thank you guys also for your kind words of support. What I would like to know from this guy if he reads this is if he would prefer to have the referee teams he sees in England every weekend who understand that football is a contact sport (particularly in the uk) and allow a lot to pass or would he rather have what us snoby, jealous EPL refs call "the cream of Europe" who every time a player like Crouch, Drogba Rooney jump to win a ball he gets blown for use of hands or force or something equally against what the Laws were originally invented to be and are misinterpretted, in my opinion and the opinion of many of my collegues, totally incorrectly in Contiental Europe, ie Spain, Portugal, Belgium. Love to know what his preference is. again, i already know his true answer!!

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

I remember awhile back when a coach and his parents were very vocal in their displeasure in my allowing too much contact (of course, only when the OTHER team was doing the contacting). At a stoppage I announced we'd play the way they wanted and for the next 5-10 minutes I whistled EVERYTHING until the coach was begging me to call the game the way I saw fit. This was a low level recreational game and I think everyone got the point. Bottom line is the most vocal complainers are never happy. I watch a lot of UK games and agree with you. Your referees have become adept at watching the players and then deciding what is fair play and what is not!

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

When I started playing Football, middle of last century, we didn't take all that much blood from each other, ruggers kept that in their Game. Since then WE, referees, have allowed players to up the level of violence in The Game, me, you and your colleagues are equally at fault. Now this spectator says we're ruing The Game by intervening every so often.

Churchill used to make a "V" sign before VE-Day. I'm making that sign for the spectator who pays our match fees. If he doesn't attend any more matches I'll take the pay cut simply because life would be ever so much better without his input, his screams, his rants and his carbon dioxide footprint...

Keep 'em honest Jon and book a few swimmers, faller downers and divers just for general principles.

Regards,

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 15429