Paris.
Respect the Officials or Respect the Game?
By Azeem Banatwalla
Football is a beautiful game, but I’m starting to get a bit disillusioned by this whole Respect for Referees campaign that seems to be getting eerily similar to those groups who protest outside abortion clinics. You know the ones I’m talking about.
The last few days have seen Sir Alex Ferguson handed a generous 5-game touchline ban, and a massive fine of around a third of his weekly wages. Forgive my thinly-veiled sarcasm, but I think that’s as logical as repeatedly throwing a drunk out of a bar and telling him he can come back after a week when he’s learnt his lesson. What do they hope to achieve with touchline bans?
We live, for the most part, in a democratic world, where that “freedom of speech” jazz that our forefathers rambled on about is supposed to be a big deal. So why can’t that apply to football as well? The FA, at this moment of time is analogous to a municipal corporation that’s protecting its servants when they’ve clearly messed up and angered the people they’re supposed to be serving. Why shouldn’t Sir Alex Ferguson, or for that matter, any manager at the top level have a go at a referee when he’s clearly made a wrong decision? Why should he be punished for stating plain fact?
Dream…
It’s weird how all of your dreams, aspirations and ideals can be changed in an instant. It may be from a piece of writing, someone you meet or an event. It has happened to me before, its exciting.
I want to be the person that changes someone’s world.
I’m pretty sure it will happen, Until then.
Dream…
