Red card for dissent

With the recent Rooney clapping the ref event in mind, I flicked onto a Spanish game at the weekend (Barcelona vs Real Betis) and saw a Betis player get sent off for exactly the same thing. He was running shoulder to shoulder with a defender for a ball, fell over looking for a free kick and threw his arms up at the ref when he didn't get one. The ref pulled out a yellow card, and he promptly applauded the decision whereupon the ref showed him a red.
IMO this clampdown on dissent is long overdue, I only hope that it carries over into the serious abuse that some refs get from some players as well as just sarcastic applause. What do people think about this? Answers on a postcard...

The Portsmouth manager was sent to the stands for exactly the same thing.

I think booking a player for clapping at the ref is a bit extreme. I was at the Man U game where Rooney did that and I thought it was a bit unfair to send him off. It doesn't warrent a yellow card, I think the ref should just warn the player as to his behaviour and if he does it again then book him :ball:

Good. Bring back a bit o decency into the game.

About time someone took discipline seriously, I'm delighted with the red cards in both cases and hope more will follow, the comparison to rugger is too easy to make, but I hope what "Oh Graham Poll is a fcukin assss hole" says below is introduced, it will end the petulence and make idiots stop being idiots fairly quickly if a three game ban follows every time:

Graham Poll rated the new hi-tec equipment used for the first time during Saturday's Newcastle versus Manchester City game "a huge success". And Poll, set to be England's refereeing representative at the 2006 World Cup finals, spoke about the possibility of having an open-mike throughout the game so conversations with players could be recorded.

Poll said: "I thought it would be useful and, having experienced it, I think it could have a big benefit for refereeing. It worked perfectly with no outside interference as previous systems have suffered.

"I found it particularly beneficial in making me feel more part of a team of officials as opposed to being out there on my own. That wasn't something I had anticipated but it was good to be able to talk to someone during the game, if only "well done" after an assistant made a correct tight decision.

"I was hardly aware of the 2lb pack which I wore in a cummerbund. The earpieces - which also serve as the microphone - would need to be personalised, with a mould taken of each individual referee's ear to ensure maximum comfort. I had a couple of strange looks from players at times, who thought I was talking to myself but they soon got used to what was happening.

"If the system proves a success and has Fifa's blessing it could benefit refereeing and perhaps be used by referees in Premier League and Football League games. A knock-on positive effect here could be that if players know what they say to the referee will be heard by a third party - the match assessor - and possibly even recorded, it could help to continue the reduction in offensive, insulting or abusive language which has been noticeable over the past six weeks.

"I spoke to some rugby referees and they told me when a player approaches them they say 'careful, it's on mike'. The rugby officials said that helps a lot in their sport so it should also benefit football. Also, in an age of claims and counter-claims as to who said what and to whom, it could be that any conversation between referee and player is recorded. Then there could be no denials, a player would not be able to say 'I didn't say that'.

"It would also force a referee to take action against any offender, knowing his assessor could be aware of any offensive, insulting or abusive language directed at the official. There would be a lower 'acceptance rate' of such excesses.

"Another benefit is that if the fourth official is in direct contact with the referee, managers and coaches in the technical area might think twice before saying something out of turn, though like players, this is another aspect of the game that has improved significantly in the early weeks of 2005/06.

"At the moment it is a press-to-speak system but there could be discussions about the possibility of having an open-mike throughout the match though not heard by spectators, only the other officials and assessor."

Poll, who will use the system again for Sunday's Premiership game between Liverpool and Chelsea, believes the system could be used to assist the training of the next generation of referees.

He said: "People say my best attribute is my management skill in controversial or flashpoint situations, being able to defuse players in an acceptable manner without necessarily having to take action, calming them down and getting them to understand my point of view.

"That could be recorded and played as a 'commentary' with the video of the situation, allowing referees to hear what I said. As a young official I would have loved to have heard how George Courtney, who was my idol as I started out in refereeing, spoke to players. That must have been able to help me early in my career and maybe it can be part of the education of new referees."

Roddy Collins, who was sent off against Derry at the weekend, was lucky he wasn't sent off the week before in Finn Park as well. When a Rovers player was rightly sent off 'The Rod Squad' ran onto the pitch to applaud the ref. He was ushered back into the technical area and the ref choose to ignore him. Right he was too as Collins is just looking for as much publicity as he can get, normally to the detriment of Rovers.

Interesting article from Poll and I'm all for it. It can only help the game if it reduces individual errors.

About time. Players should be getting cards for dishing out abuse. Maybe we need a system like in Rugby where only the captains can converse with the ref or question a descision. I'd be giving cards aswell for putting hands up for offside, why should that make any difference, it's like diving, last defence of a rubbish defender. Foul and abusive language, cards aswell. When the players start to act like thugs/knobs themselves it promotes a general feeling in the watching crowd that that kind of behaviour is tolerated. I do accept that in the heat of the moment things can get out of hand, but you wouldn't abuse your manager or sarcasticaly clap him if he made a bad decision.