The Loneliest Job in Football
Anders Frisk, one of the most respectable and iconic (Jon Bon Jovi) referees has been forced into retirement recently..
What has happened to force a man who has devoted and sacrificed immense time and effort for the Love of the Game to abandon a job he commited himself to ?
The supposed 'beautiful' game is changing.. While we do understand and emphatise that the stakes in the modern game are increasing (League Championships, Cup matches as well as the GREAT UEFA Champions League), a referree being threatened (both physically and emotionally) by the supposed 'fans' of the modern game, crucified and slaughtered by the press and utterly humiliated by the tabloids is just shameful and disgusting.
As the Guardian aptly puts it "the beautiful game is getting uglier, bordering on anarchy"
While I admit that even myself would curse a referree and his decisions during BIG matches and I don't know alot of people who don't, threatening a referee after a match and his respective family is not just disgraceful but criminalistic and unjust.
Being vilified by Jose M. after the 1st Leg round of 16, being hit by a coin in the Roma match and even being unfairly cursed by the 'iconic and likeble' Claudio Ranieri "the way he refereed the Valencia Vs Werder Bremen match, no wonder he got hit by a coin" is just taking emotional punishment a step too far.
Anders Frisk has refereed since 1978, due to his immense Love for Football and how has he been treated recently, shows the amount of 'gratitude' and lack of respect fans, supporters, managers and owners (Roman A.) alike have for this respectable man. The worst part? Mr. Frisk is a boyhood Chelsea supporter and the vilification he has received from Jose M. and the Chelsea fans is one of the saddest incidence in his life.
Urs Meier, after his controversial disallowed Sol Campbell 'goal' has had his details published in a tabloid newspaper with supposed 'fans' email-ing and calling him threatening his life and of his loved ones. He had to be protected in the same light as a witness protection programme.
Is it truly fair to subject these people who devoted a part of their lives to such cruel and disgraceful behaviour?
What can be done?
Firstly, managers should 'try' to not only just severely criticise a referree but by not deliberately increasing the pre-match tension by claiming 'Conspriracy Theories' (think Jose M. aka the Special One at the post-match Barca V Chelsea) and by humiliating referees who have been in this line before some of us even understood the meaning of the offside-rule, by asking for a 'referee with a greater personality" (think Jose M. again by shaming Mr. Frisk and asking for Mr. Collina)
Fans of the Beautiful Game should act more like supporters and not only should be banned from the GREAT Stadiums of the world (and Anfield and Highbury) if they directly or indirectly threaten referees and their families but be subjected to a criminal sentence and severe and in-depth anal punishment in prison.
Due to the competitive nature and the stakes involved, we all tend to forget and take for granted what the referees have done to make this wonderful game, even more amazing. It truly is a ridiculously difficult job to perform at the highest levels and the men in black have performed to their best abilities which is all we as fans can ask for.
We would like to thank Mr.Anders Frisk for his time and devotion that have made watching Football even more enjoyable. Your immense contributions to the Beautiful Game will NEVER be forgotten ..
What has happened to force a man who has devoted and sacrificed immense time and effort for the Love of the Game to abandon a job he commited himself to ?
The supposed 'beautiful' game is changing.. While we do understand and emphatise that the stakes in the modern game are increasing (League Championships, Cup matches as well as the GREAT UEFA Champions League), a referree being threatened (both physically and emotionally) by the supposed 'fans' of the modern game, crucified and slaughtered by the press and utterly humiliated by the tabloids is just shameful and disgusting.
As the Guardian aptly puts it "the beautiful game is getting uglier, bordering on anarchy"
While I admit that even myself would curse a referree and his decisions during BIG matches and I don't know alot of people who don't, threatening a referee after a match and his respective family is not just disgraceful but criminalistic and unjust.
Being vilified by Jose M. after the 1st Leg round of 16, being hit by a coin in the Roma match and even being unfairly cursed by the 'iconic and likeble' Claudio Ranieri "the way he refereed the Valencia Vs Werder Bremen match, no wonder he got hit by a coin" is just taking emotional punishment a step too far.
Anders Frisk has refereed since 1978, due to his immense Love for Football and how has he been treated recently, shows the amount of 'gratitude' and lack of respect fans, supporters, managers and owners (Roman A.) alike have for this respectable man. The worst part? Mr. Frisk is a boyhood Chelsea supporter and the vilification he has received from Jose M. and the Chelsea fans is one of the saddest incidence in his life.
Urs Meier, after his controversial disallowed Sol Campbell 'goal' has had his details published in a tabloid newspaper with supposed 'fans' email-ing and calling him threatening his life and of his loved ones. He had to be protected in the same light as a witness protection programme.
Is it truly fair to subject these people who devoted a part of their lives to such cruel and disgraceful behaviour?
What can be done?
Firstly, managers should 'try' to not only just severely criticise a referree but by not deliberately increasing the pre-match tension by claiming 'Conspriracy Theories' (think Jose M. aka the Special One at the post-match Barca V Chelsea) and by humiliating referees who have been in this line before some of us even understood the meaning of the offside-rule, by asking for a 'referee with a greater personality" (think Jose M. again by shaming Mr. Frisk and asking for Mr. Collina)
Fans of the Beautiful Game should act more like supporters and not only should be banned from the GREAT Stadiums of the world (and Anfield and Highbury) if they directly or indirectly threaten referees and their families but be subjected to a criminal sentence and severe and in-depth anal punishment in prison.
Due to the competitive nature and the stakes involved, we all tend to forget and take for granted what the referees have done to make this wonderful game, even more amazing. It truly is a ridiculously difficult job to perform at the highest levels and the men in black have performed to their best abilities which is all we as fans can ask for.
We would like to thank Mr.Anders Frisk for his time and devotion that have made watching Football even more enjoyable. Your immense contributions to the Beautiful Game will NEVER be forgotten ..
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1 Comments:
do you think sepp blatter's idea of professionalising refereing would make things better?
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