Republic of Ireland V Georgia - Sunday, 2nd June, 2013 - Friendly

[tricky_colour]

It's not the referee's responsibility to ensure or maintain a competitive spectacle though. His sole responsibility is to oversee that the laws of the game are applied and executed correctly.


true but if he keeps ruining matches he may find himself out of a job. ie a red card from the FIFA for "conduct likely to lead to drop in gate receipts."

[tricky_colour]

Absolutely.

The goalkeeper ended the match as a spectacle by rushing outside the box and fouling Long. I hate this idea of blaming the ref for that.


But he is not being blamed for that he is being blamed for red carding him, if I were the red I would probably have given a yellow, or
sent Long off to liven up the match a bit!!!

[tricky_colour]

Anyone able to point me in the direction of full highlights?

Full game available here to watch ( not downloadable as far as I can see, but no need really)

Actually you can download the second set of halves it seems or indeed do watch whilst downloading!!

http://livefootballvideo.com/fullmatch/world/friendlies/ireland-republic-vs-georgia

Russian commentary, also has a few adverts in it which I think is a good idea, I can't understand why more
sites don't show games like that.

[pineapple stu]

But he is not being blamed for that he is being blamed for red carding him, if I were the red I would probably have given a yellow, or
sent Long off to liven up the match a bit!!!
But that's not what the ref is there for. He's there to apply the rules (and is being independently assessed while doing so, in all probability). If it was a red card offence, he has to send him off. To do otherwise brings us down the route of lack of consistency, which is another hobby horse people beat refs with.

[Crosby87]

You board heavyweights need to move off Georgia and onto the Pharaoh's Island.
But unfortunately Its:
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQG-n-6OU4ODo73XGVIRs2BNTrapD2F5p2STKc3aO9nOGY6v6xNLw

[BonnieShels]

Stutts already Forget(s) Georgia.

[tricky_colour]

But that's not what the ref is there for. He's there to apply the rules (and is being independently assessed while doing so, in all probability). If it was a red card offence, he has to send him off. To do otherwise brings us down the route of lack of consistency, which is another hobby horse people beat refs with.

Well I could understand that if it were a competitive game but it wasn't, I think refs should have a bit more leeway in friendlies.
Maybe with it being a home game for Ireland influenced him but perhaps he was playing it by the book.
But to me it felt in a way as if Ireland were being punished as we were trying out players against a below strength team
making it difficult to assess the performance. I hope that does not lead to over confidence and carelessness against the Faroes.
We nearly went a goal down in this one before 2 minutes was up!!

[pineapple stu]

Well I could understand that if it were a competitive game but it wasn't, I think refs should have a bit more leeway in friendlies.
But what you think doesn't matter. It's what FIFA thinks that matters.

So by all means blame FIFA for not allowing more lenient refereeing in friendlies, but it's not the ref's fault he had to send the player off.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Even allowing for a degree of exaggeration...
;)

[DannyInvincible]

true but if he keeps ruining matches he may find himself out of a job. ie a red card from the FIFA for "conduct likely to lead to drop in gate receipts."

But FIFA don't employ referees to create entertaining spectacles. The referee's responsibility is to apply the laws of the game. Nowhere in any FIFA rule-book does it state that referees ought to disregard the letter of the law in certain situations/friendly fixtures in favour of avoiding "conduct likely to lead to drop in gate receipts". That would be ludicrous and I'm not sure from where you've imagined this notion. The referee's "conduct" was in line with what FIFA expected of him. He did exactly what his role demanded of him as the keeper had left him in no position but to issue a red card. If anything "ruined" the game, it was the keeper's foul; the referee just did what he had to.


But he is not being blamed for that he is being blamed for red carding him, if I were the red I would probably have given a yellow, or
sent Long off to liven up the match a bit!!!

I'll assume you're not being serious. Anyway, you're not a ref and it's unlikely FIFA would entertain any application from you to be one if your preference is to apply the laws of the game inconsistently, or even to disregard them completely in favour of "entertainment".


Well I could understand that if it were a competitive game but it wasn't, I think refs should have a bit more leeway in friendlies.
Maybe with it being a home game for Ireland influenced him but perhaps he was playing it by the book.

He was. Take your issue up with FIFA. Maybe they'll codify a separate set of laws for friendly fixtures for you...

[ArdeeBhoy]

One thing you didn't mention though is the inconsistency of referees.
And the exaggeration/simulation factor alluded to above.

And not just in this instance, but virtually every game...

[pineapple stu]

No matter how much you mention it, Long didn't exaggerate his fall.

And I did mention lack of consistency - people complain when different decisions are given for the same thing, and now people are complaining that a different decision isn't given for the same thing.

The ref can't win really.

[DannyInvincible]

FIFA seek to stamp out inconsistency though. Inconsistent referees won't get very far. Just because inconsistency can occur - due to error/our human nature - it doesn't mean it should occur. Likewise, just because referees have been inconsistent in the past, and unintentionally so, didn't give licence to Sunday's ref to dodge his responsibilities.

[ArdeeBhoy]

No matter how much you mention it, Long didn't exaggerate his fall.

Aye, but that's just your opinion...
;)

[Charlie Darwin]

How on earth does one exaggerate a fall? You either fall or you don't. When people talk about players exaggerating falls, I think they mean diving.

[Stuttgart88]

I don't see any exaggeration in the fall. Watch the second replay in that youtube clip.

Long actually sees the tackle coming and tries to vault the keeper. He was already airborne when he was taken out so had no control over how he fell, other than getting his hands down to soften the impact.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Ok, so he exaggerated the contact then.

It happens all the time and officials get conned, sometimes unwittingly. Get over it...

[Charlie Darwin]

Exaggerating contact? He was in the air and he got nudged. There's absolutely nothing unnatural about his fall. You're finding fault where it doesn't exist.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Ok, if you say so...
IMO he did. As seen it happen many times.

[Stuttgart88]

I've seen it happen many times too and I know exactly what you're talking about. Except I just don't see it happening in this instance. He was already airborne at some speed and was upended. It was a spectacular fall but wholly natural, nothing manufactured about it at all. I think you're looking to find fault and I'd have no hestitation agreeing with you if I thought Long had tried to con the ref.

For what it's worth I don't actually see anything wrong with exaggerating a fall if it makes the difference between the ref not noticing a definite foul and noticing it. But there has to be a foul. That's an aside though, as it has nothing to do with this incident in my opinion.

[DannyInvincible]

A compilation of Hoolahan's contribution against Georgia:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qWAK7lzXXj8

[Stuttgart88]

That's a classy collage of Hoolahan. I like a midfielder whose instinct is the carry the ball forward into space if it's there. Iniesta does it a lot and I noticed a lot of Eastern Europeans do it at the Euros last year.

[tricky_colour]

But FIFA don't employ referees to create entertaining spectacles. The referee's responsibility is to apply the laws of the game. Nowhere in any FIFA rule-book does it state that referees ought to disregard the letter of the law in certain situations/friendly fixtures in favour of avoiding "conduct likely to lead to drop in gate receipts". That would be ludicrous and I'm not sure from where you've imagined this notion. The referee's "conduct" was in line with what FIFA expected of him. He did exactly what his role demanded of him as the keeper had left him in no position but to issue a red card. If anything "ruined" the game, it was the keeper's foul; the referee just did what he had to.


Of course it won't be in the rule book for every one to see, it will be a bit more subtle than
that, ie a passing comment from a FIFA official such as "that was a bit of a one sided game wasn't it?"
or "have you ever considered a career as a lines man?"




I'll assume you're not being serious. Anyway, you're not a ref and it's unlikely FIFA would entertain any application from you to be one if your preference is to apply the laws of the game inconsistently, or even to disregard them completely in favour of "entertainment".


I think they would take note of anything said by a commercial sponsor.

They are not exactly a whiter than white organisation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA#Allegations_of_corruption_and_legislative_int erference



He was. Take your issue up with FIFA. Maybe they'll codify a separate set of laws for friendly fixtures for you...

Yes providing pay them enough money........

[tricky_colour]

A compilation of Hoolahan's contribution against Georgia:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qWAK7lzXXj8

He brings an element of calm and confidence to the midfield, even when he is in a pretty tight spot and the midfield seems
to be under a bit of pressure he seems for be able to find a way to diffuse it quickly. He would not look out of place
playing for Barcelona.

[pineapple stu]

Of course it won't be in the rule book for every one to see, it will be a bit more subtle than
that, ie a passing comment from a FIFA official such as "that was a bit of a one sided game wasn't it?"
or "have you ever considered a career as a lines man?"
Please tell me you're on a troll now. Please?

Cos otherwise...Wow.

[ArdeeBhoy]

No. It's just called another opinion...

[tricky_colour]

No. It's just called another opinion...

Yes people are allowed to have different opinions, so I am lead to believe anyway!!

In every business profit comes before everything else and FIFA is very money orientated, it's sponsors certainly are,
they are not concerned about fair play just the number of eyes on their adverts!!!!

[CraftyToePoke]

A compilation of Hoolahan's contribution against Georgia

Nice to watch, that. You could argue the opposition was weak and weakened further by the sending off, but he still had to get on it and make it happen, which I don't believe Whelan would in similar circumstances. In fact I'd be interested to see a similar highlights sequence of a Whelan contribution in Vs similar opposition.

[Stuttgart88]

I think you'll find Whelan's main contribution at Wembley was Sturridge being carried off.

[DeLorean]

Bumping thread.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7zn9ZscYbQ

[DeLorean]

Closed thread.