Battlefield Football

Football is a physical game, England’s league in particular. During an average England’s game rarely can you see the referee blows his whistle for fouls. In a typical English understatement, the referee doesn’t stop the game after players being lightly fouled and instruct them to continue instead. True, the nature of the refereeing makes the game more dynamic: fast and flowing, unlike Italian games where the whistle is blown every 10 seconds. But lately that leniency is questioned, after several accidents in the past 3 months, involving players in the field.

First, there’s Ben Thatcher from Manchester City whose elbowing on Pablo Mendes from Portsmouth made him unconscious and hospitalized for several days. Thatcher got away with it, not a single yellow card from the referee. Luckily FA inquired that incident and gave Thatcher 8 games-ban. His own club also punished Thatcher with a similar ban. Itself a rare occasion proving this is a serious incident, since most clubs prefer to protect their player. Their own interest to be precise. But the public outcry was too strong to be easily dismissed hence damage control need to be done.

Then there’s Shay Given, Newcastle United’s goalie. Given needed emergency surgery for a perforated bowel after being clattered by Marlon Harewood from West Ham United. Given described the pain as like “having acid poured into my stomach”.¹ Perforated bowel, I can imagine the pain.

And then the last incidents, when not one but two keepers had to be stretched out in Chelsea vs. Reading game. Petr Cech from Chelsea has his skull fractured after a challenge by Steve Hunt from Reading, when Cech dove to catch the ball. Whether the challenge was intentional or not is still hotly debated. The fact is it’s a life threatening injury, and Cech has to undergo an operation to safe his life. On field, Carlo Cudicini replacing him only to be knocked unconsciously down in a collusion with another Reading’s player. No card shown for both incidents.

Blaming the referee, here’s Arsenal’s Jens Lehmann. “I have never injured a player in my life and I really want to retain this record because I respect my opponents. But now if they want to have a go at me then I will have to change my game because there is no protection from the referees”². Is that a threat Jens?

But Lehmann has a point. The nature of the game has changed since FIFA introduced back pass rule several years ago. Chris Woods, the former England international and current goalkeeping coach at Everton, explained: “Goalkeepers were always an option before the introduction of the back pass rule but because you can't use your hands anymore it has given the forward more encouragement to keep running at you. Before the back pass rule the forward knew the goalkeeper could pick the ball up and would see no point in going for the ball. Now he knows he might have a chance if he keeps going as the goalkeeper might have a poor first touch or clearance. There is more pressure on the goalkeeper now in that sense”.³

In fact this is exactly what Reading’s coach said in defense for Hunt. “There's no way Hunty went in to damage the keeper but he has a right to put geographical pressure on him”⁴. You mean: a geographic area with a size of one man’s head?

Anyway worth to wait for FA’s decision on this issue, or even FIFA perhaps. Football has been slow in adopting latest technology both to improve refereeing and to protect the players. Is it because the football body leans more towards Europe rather than America? I mean, the American has embraced the latest technology in sport faster than its European counterparts. For instance radio, 2 referees, video playback have been used to improve refereeing in American’s games. Whereas the football czars in FIFA are not too keen to introduce technology in football, relying on gentlemanly refereeing instead. “To err is human, and the extensive use of technology would only diminish the spirit of the game”, or something like that.

Well, I just hope that the spirit of the game doesn’t cost any life in the future. After all football is only a game, while human’s life value much much more than that. Even the notorious Chelsea’s coach Jose Mourinho can come up with a touching remark this time, aptly summarizing the situation, “I do not care about football. I do not care about Barcelona (their opponent in the next match). I care about my friends”.⁵

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1. Independent, Oct. 17, 2006
2. VitaFootbal.co.uk, Oct. 16, 2006
3. Independent, Oct. 17, 2006
4. The Guardian, Oct 16, 2006
5. The Guardian, Oct 16, 2006