Interesting interview with James Willstrop in The Times

(yes I am stuck on a train reading the paper in case you couldn't guess)

He's a top squash player and he says this about football: "Footbsll seems a great example of a sport that's losing its way. The whole sport is infested. Managers jump up and down and shout at referees. They have lost it. You can't do that in other sports; you can't swear at people live on TV; that's not how it works. But the people commentating on football have lost sight of that - they are inured to people diving and screaming in people's faces and don't think it's odd. That's really sad for the sport."

I must say I think he has a point, especially about the way players scream in the ref's face. I wish a solution could be found for that because it's very poor sportsmanship and football just tolerates it.

Posted By: Old Git on October 29th 2013 at 08:59:03

Message Thread

Interesting interview with James Willstrop in The Times (Other Football) - Old Git, Oct 29, 08:59:03
- Still on the bright side we've not seen scenes like this in the EPL (Other Football) - Old Man, Oct 29, 09:18:20
- Ought to be simple, oughtn't it? (Other Football) - Arizona Bay, Oct 29, 09:04:56
  - I've always said that footy refs should be microphoned up like rugby refs, (Other Football) - I Am Hoot, Oct 29, 11:13:41
  - When I played rugby I was once sent off for "foul & abusive language". I had (Other Football) - CB41, Oct 29, 10:27:29
    - that's going too far the other way imo (Other Football) - Ralf Scrampton, Oct 29, 10:34:23
      - but there is a problem with the intent... like diving it is difficult to spot intent (Other Football) - Maillot Jaune, Oct 29, 10:40:45
        
        that's what the ref is there to do though, use his (or her) judgement (Other Football) - Ralf Scrampton, Oct 29, 11:01:54
        
        That's what he said in the bar after when I told him I thought he'd been unreasonable. He (Other Football) - CB41, Oct 29, 10:43:42
        
        Can still get that on sunday mornings with some Ref's. Will warn you the first time they (Other Football) - megson, Oct 29, 10:50:47
      - It was 1974 - it is different now. (n/m) (Other Football) - CB41, Oct 29, 10:37:07
  - Exactly right: it would take 2 weeks, and that would be that. (n/m) (Other Football) - paulg, Oct 29, 09:45:19
  - Where you sitting tonight? (Other Football) - duke of york, Oct 29, 09:33:03
    - If anyone ends up with a spare ticket I'm sure I can get out of taking my dog to training. (n/m) (Other Football) - trafford_canary, Oct 29, 10:09:13
    - East Stand Tier 1 Upper (Other Football) - Arizona Bay, Oct 29, 09:35:03
      - East Stand Tier 1 Upper (Other Football) - duke of york, Oct 29, 09:40:12
        
        Driving or cabbaging? (Other Football) - Arizona Bay, Oct 29, 09:50:32
        
        Driving (Other Football) - duke of york, Oct 29, 09:51:51
        
        Aha. Plan. (n/m) (Other Football) - Arizona Bay, Oct 29, 09:55:41
  - I don't think they really do back off any more (Other Football) - norway, Oct 29, 09:09:37
    - Isn't it a psychological ploy too, that some teams pressure the ref (Other Football) - Maillot Jaune, Oct 29, 09:18:43
  - Not remotely a fan of egg chasing. But Rugby has got this right. (Other Football) - Old Man, Oct 29, 09:06:58
    - Don't even talk to the ref unless you're the captain. (n/m) (Other Football) - HairyBobbingManAss, Oct 29, 09:14:08
    - They also do retrospective punishment for stuff the ref misses (Other Football) - Maillot Jaune, Oct 29, 09:10:47
    - That is kind of the case in football re (n/m) (Other Football) - norway, Oct 29, 09:10:10
      - ...really. (Other Football) - norway, Oct 29, 09:10:51
        
        You can lip read that sort of thing all the time on TV (Other Football) - duke of york, Oct 29, 09:28:16
        
        No it should be zero tolerance towards the ref... any swearing directed at the ref is an (Other Football) - Maillot Jaune, Oct 29, 09:14:19
        
        It's hard to say the former without implying the latter though (Other Football) - Old Man, Oct 29, 09:12:22

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