I, like many of my fellow referees no doubt, have been called a cheat while blowing the whistle. And at the risk of being boring I want to mention the most high profile one for me.
This was when I red carded Bryan Robson the then Manchester United and England captain at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on the 25th July 1993.
The occasion was a pre season tournament involving United, Arsenal from the EPL, Kaizer Chiefs, and Orlando Pirates from the now PSL.
It was the opening game of the tournament when the two visiting teams United and Arsenal played each other.
Mr Robson was looking for a penalty and I refused. He then ran past me and in my left ear (the one I hold the phone to, so there was no doubting his words) he said “ref, you’re a f***ing cheat.”
I immediately pulled out the red card in terms of Law 12 which states that a player “is sent off” for “using offensive, insulting, or abusive language and/or gestures.”
I make the point about a player calling me a cheat when, in fact some players and/or coaches and managers are bigger cheats, and will stop at nothing to achieve the desired result for their team.
We only have to watch the “modern game” where cheating and/or deception of one kind or another appears to be endemic today.
Players diving all over the place looking for penalties and free kicks. Players claiming hand balls and corner kicks. Players simulating yellow and red cards to the referee for innocuous and frivolous tackles and fouls to get their fellow players in trouble.
The most recent shameful episode comes from Nigeria where two teams needed to win their respective games by a large score to secure promotion to the Nationwide League.
Sadly there appears to be no video evidence available of the incidents but journalists covering the game reported that referees didn’t even walk the ball from the goal back to the centre circle, as is customary, but instead relied on ball boys to quickly throw a different ball on the field and get the game restarted quickly.
One game ended 67-0 and the other 79-0, I kid you not.
What makes this all the more incredible is that the people involved couldn’t recognise that someone might be a little suspicious of these goings-on?
With the teams leading 6-0 and 7-0 at half time, how could both teams could go on to score more than 130 goals between in their second halves?
The score lines prompted an immediate investigation by the Nigerian FA and severe punishment was dished last Monday.
All four teams, including their players and coaches were banned for life and each club faces a 10-year ban from playing in a domestic league.
What surprised me is that the referees were also banned.
What can a referee do if clubs conspire to fix a game? How are the referees at fault, unless they gave some dodgy free kicks and penalties which resulted in goals being scored?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that some referees are not crooked. I’m not saying that some referees don’t take bribes, not at all.
Regardless of their role in the game, anyone found to be trying to influence any game in an unfair or biased way, regardless of what game it is, should be banned for life – period.
Happy whistling
Dr Errol Sweeney
aka “The Hanging Judge”
www.drerrolsweeney.com
email: thehangingjudge88@gmail.com
twitter: @dr_errol
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