Arcticle two- Respect the Ref

Referees in the football are making a stand to stop the foul and abusive language and behaviour they are getting from the players. This season the Football Association launched the ‘Respect the Ref’ campaign in a bid to kick this type of behaviour out of football.

Premiership players are role models to the young sporting children hoping to one day step into the shoes of their idols. So why do these ‘stars’ feel its ok to show verbal abuse to the officials of the game?

It’s not just the players but the managers to who are being pulled up for this behaviour. Manchester united manager Sir Alex Ferguson this week undertook his second touch line ban for going on an angry tirade at Mike Dean after the game against Hull City at Old Trafford. Fergie also got fined £10,000.

Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear was also in the headlines after calling referee Martin Atkinson a ‘Mickey mouse referee’. Behaviour like this from the managers of clubs who are meant to be looking out for their teams is not good encouragement for young children.

The ban was also brought forward to cut out players questioning referees decisions and trying to apply pressure to overrule them. It was also introduced to try to get rid of the diving in football. But has it worked?

Since the beginning of the season we haven’t really seen a change in players attitude towards the ref, but there has been a change in the strictness levels put in place by the FA whether to fine a person for their behaviour towards the game.

Players have to understand that referees have the most difficult job on the pitch and it is very difficult to make every right decision. Top flight referees have enough on their back with the thousands of angry football fans waiting to shout and scream at them for making a wrong decision they don’t need the extra pressure from the players.

Suggestions have been made for there to be a digital referee to be included in football. This means the ref can refer to others by using video footage and replays to make sure the correct decision is made. But some believe that this is removing the true spirit of football.

Eastleigh and district mini league football officials were one of the first to start this campaign in grass roots football. From watching a high number of youth team matches it was occurring that players were being booked for foul language against others and sometimes towards the ref. If we want adults to follow the respect the ref campaign it is also important to introduce it to the young football players in youth leagues.

Youth league referee Lewis Burgess said “I haven’t really noticed any swearing from young children in the game, but I think that the campaign has defiantly hit the parents and I have noticed at improvement in the behaviour of some team coaches”.

Article one - Under 8's Banned from League and Cup Football

The FA have decided to ban under 8’s from competing in league and cup football. Youth football is being taken too serious and there is too much emphasis on winning leagues. Over four million children play in youth leagues in the UK and the FA believe that we are not at the same level as other countries.

Under 8’s are still allowed to play in teams and play competitive matches every week but the difference being that the results cannot be published to form league tables. For example in the Mid Lancashire Colts league the teams are seeded in groups after Christmas in relating to the amount of games each team has won. They are also not permitted to compete in cup competitions where trophies will be presented.

Parents in control

Parents and coaches are one of the main factors as to why the decision to ban leagues for mini soccer players came across. Violence and abuse from parents trying to ‘support’ their child cause tension and can affect a child’s game. Some think that the coaches sometimes forget the age of the players and become too aggressive with them in order to gain the win and the three points.
“There’s not a massive problem with kids football, it’s the parents that’s the problem”. Kevin Kealey, Chairman of the Mid Lancashire Junior football League.

Understanding the laws

All ages of youth football from under 6’s to under 18’s parents are now told to stand behind a rope at the side of the pitch and only coaching staff and managers can stand beyond this line.
Youth football should be a fun and enjoyable introduction for young children to the game of football, and by making it less competitive the focus will be trying to improve the skills and fitness of the players. But will the ban work?

Below is a slideshow including videos of youth football and features an interview with Youth Football Referee Lewis Burgess.

Broken record

Last week we heard the news that the record number of runs scored by a batsman in test cricket had been broken. It was broken by Indian batsman Sachin Tendulker with a total of 12,027 runs. The record was previously held by cricket legend Brian Lara. Tendulker broke the record on the first day of the second test again Australia.

It makes you wonder how far the man will actually go. He has demolished practically every bowling attack put infront of him. Also he holds the record for 39 centuries in ISI test cricket.

Australian star Shane Warne has placed Tendulker as his number one in his list of top 50 greatest cricketers of all time. Followed closely by Brian Lara in second. But after watch this man play, to be frank can you blame him?

All about money??

The Stanford Super Serious, a five series cricket match is due to take place in November between England and a Caribbean team. The winner recieves a cash prize of £11.5million, the biggest cash prize in English cricket. The majority of the money goes to the players themselves, with each player earning £577,500 each.

Many of the critics have stated that the match would not be important to english cricket had there not have been a cash insentive. England batsman Alistair Cook told the bbc "The actual cricket is unimportant, apart from financially". To be honest i have to agree, if it wasnt for the cash prize i couldn't see England sending their star players to play in a pointless game. It raises the question could cricket be turning into football, all about the money??

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/7660653.stm