Rugby now more popular than football AND GAA?!

**geysir** · 17/10/2011, 12:03 PM

Unfortunately soccer is riddled with moaning, starting at schoolboy level, as soon as kids start playing soccer they're moaning, moaning at the ref, in contrast to other sports.

In the professional sport, soccer managers moan, whine and act ungentlemanly after a game. Players moan, supporters moan, journalists moan, everybody moans, sarcasm and cynicism reigns. Moaning is in fact the auto response, entrenched in the game of soccer.

**pineapple stu** · 17/10/2011, 1:11 PM

Originally Posted by geysir

Unfortunately soccer is riddled with moaning, starting at schoolboy level, as soon as kids start playing soccer they're moaning, moaning at the ref, in contrast to other sports.

Don't forget the parents too, teaching the kids to disrespect the ref.

**tetsujin1979** · 18/10/2011, 9:08 AM

Wales considered faking injuries in semi-final against France, says Warren Gatland: http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugb...d-2908568.html
But obviously they never would actually go through with it.

**jbyrne** · 18/10/2011, 9:31 AM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Wales considered faking injuries in semi-final against France, says Warren Gatland: http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugb...d-2908568.html
But obviously they never would actually go through with it.

wales have always been known as rugby cheats. there were spear tackles on ferris and rog in our 1/4 final that went unpunished and i lost count of the times a welsh player (maybe we were at it also!) pushed one of our players head into the ground during a ruck, held them on the ground after the ball had gone etc etc

**tetsujin1979** · 18/10/2011, 1:11 PM

Heaslip left his hand in the ruck a few times against the States that was missed by the ref as well, not exactly cheating but definitely an unpunished infringement.

**Stuttgart88** · 18/10/2011, 2:32 PM

What, like Simon Cox? Shame!

**Jinxy** · 18/10/2011, 5:44 PM

It's a better class of cheating though.

**paul_oshea** · 18/10/2011, 6:32 PM

There is a difference, i think the moaning is almost a release, roaring at a ref. If you get told off in rugby you can channel that aggression by going in with a big hit straight away on the opposition.

You don't have that outlet for any pent up frustration in soccer really. So the "moaning" is more than just moaning.

**Spudulika** · 18/10/2011, 6:39 PM

From personal experience I've heard more bitching and moaning on the football pitch than rugby and GAA combined. Not to say it's not there in other codes, just that it's part and parcel of the sport. Rugby is better policed (often policed from within sides) while GAA has it's moments but is generally more at ease with itself. One of the worst sports I've ever known for non-stop bitchfesting is ice hockey. Constant stream of abuse from benches, mouthing on the ice and it's not just in N America, it's around Europe too. Yet it seems to escape the same punishment as, say, football gets.

I'd love to see refs give out straight reds for players who swear at officials in football. A stream of red cards would quickly happen, followed by a general copping on and clampdown by sponsors and tv people.

**MeathDrog** · 18/10/2011, 8:23 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

There is a difference, i think the moaning is almost a release, roaring at a ref. If you get told off in rugby you can channel that aggression by going in with a big hit straight away on the opposition.

You don't have that outlet for any pent up frustration in soccer really. So the "moaning" is more than just moaning.

You do, it's called self control.

**Charlie Darwin** · 18/10/2011, 9:02 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

There is a difference, i think the moaning is almost a release, roaring at a ref. If you get told off in rugby you can channel that aggression by going in with a big hit straight away on the opposition.

You don't have that outlet for any pent up frustration in soccer really. So the "moaning" is more than just moaning.

I never thought about it like that but it's a good point. I wouldn't overstate it though - intimidating/putting doubt in the mind of the referee as a tactic is rife in soccer but doesn't really exist in rugby.

**old git** · 18/10/2011, 9:10 PM

Originally Posted by Spudulika

From personal experience I've heard more bitching and moaning on the football pitch than rugby and GAA combined. Not to say it's not there in other codes, just that it's part and parcel of the sport. Rugby is better policed (often policed from within sides) while GAA has it's moments but is generally more at ease with itself. One of the worst sports I've ever known for non-stop bitchfesting is ice hockey. Constant stream of abuse from benches, mouthing on the ice and it's not just in N America, it's around Europe too. Yet it seems to escape the same punishment as, say, football gets.

I'd love to see refs give out straight reds for players who swear at officials in football. A stream of red cards would quickly happen, followed by a general copping on and clampdown by sponsors and tv people.

agree with you on bitching & moaning on a soccer pitch, but on the plus side soccer does not have the upper class eye goughing ,players punching one n other / and wrestling & dragging as game goes on during rugby clashes and the good old gaa mass brawl everybody in 30 players / subs hurleys the lot and referee stands and watches and throws in ball in after they all calm down... lets be honest every sport has its fair amount of swearing at referees these days .

**peadar1987** · 19/10/2011, 8:22 AM

I heard and interview with Sir Clive Woodward where he was asked why rugby players were so much more respectful towards match officials than footballers. He said that the only reason was because they wouldn't get away with it. If players were penalised in football like they were in rugby for abusing the ref, we wouldn't have the problems we do today.

I'd bring in a league rule at the beginning of the season, and publicise it so everyone is clear that if they abuse the ref, it's a straight red card, and a week's wages to charity. Then we'd see how quickly Wayne Rooney would open his mouth to protest that throw-in.

**Macy** · 19/10/2011, 8:33 AM

Originally Posted by peadar1987

I'd bring in a league rule at the beginning of the season, and publicise it so everyone is clear that if they abuse the ref, it's a straight red card, and a week's wages to charity. Then we'd see how quickly Wayne Rooney would open his mouth to protest that throw-in.

Wouldn't need to be as extreme - keep moving the ball forward 10 metres, as per rugby. If it turns into a penalty, so what. The Blazers have no interest in it, they'd rather ponce about with "Respect" campaigns....

**pineapple stu** · 19/10/2011, 9:16 AM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

There is a difference, i think the moaning is almost a release, roaring at a ref. If you get told off in rugby you can channel that aggression by going in with a big hit straight away on the opposition.

You don't have that outlet for any pent up frustration in soccer really. So the "moaning" is more than just moaning.

When I reffed in the UCD Superleague many moons ago, someone told me that alright. Ignore any mild abuse ("F@*# off ref!!") for that reason. Obviously if people are getting right in your face, then that's different. Seemed to work for me.

**OwlsFan** · 19/10/2011, 9:35 AM

Despite the moaning, opinionated pundits talking through their anal passages, diving, cheating, 0-0 draws, defensive formations, people who think Ireland are world beaters, overpaid players, violence from supporters, hang ups about the EPL, hang ups about the LoI, monotonous chants, spectators rather than supporters, barstoolers who criticise, boos for poor performances, the impossibility of getting many offside decisions correct, poor refereeing decisions, FIFA, Sepp Blatter, Davey Keogh as a celebrity, myopic managers, myopic supporters, millionaire owners of clubs, "Champions" league for 4th place teams, weakened sides in cup competitions, Wednesday in the 1st division etc etc - it is still the best sport by a country mile because it is truly the people's sport played in every country on earth. No other sport compares.

**Fixer82** · 19/10/2011, 1:28 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

There is a difference, i think the moaning is almost a release, roaring at a ref. If you get told off in rugby you can channel that aggression by going in with a big hit straight away on the opposition.

You don't have that outlet for any pent up frustration in soccer really. So the "moaning" is more than just moaning.

not buying any of that for a second. It is to do with ill-discipline and lack of respect. This lack of respect is evident because it goes unpunished. In GAA a ball can be moved another 10 yards up the pitch for moaning or in Rugby it can lead to a yellow card.
In soccer it is part of the culture and ignored for the most part

**Acornvilla** · 19/10/2011, 3:14 PM

Originally Posted by Fixer82

not buying any of that for a second. It is to do with ill-discipline and lack of respect. This lack of respect is evident because it goes unpunished. In GAA a ball can be moved another 10 yards up the pitch for moaning or in Rugby it can lead to a yellow card.
In soccer it is part of the culture and ignored for the most part

at least twice I've seen lads sent off for descent this season for longford so Moaning does get punished!