Match Officials + Impartiality

[osarusan]

I don't think so. Singling out somebody for something unrelated to their performance or character is the most petty and hurtful type of abuse.


Of course, but most abuse is at least performance-related and generally non-specific.

I'd say a player or (particularly) a match official gets abuse about their appearance just as much as their performance. "Fat ****", "Ugly *****, "Short ******", "Bald *****", "Ginger ****" etc.

It's no less unacceptable if the target of such abuse is a man, in my opinion.

[Charlie Darwin]

I'd say a player or (particularly) a match official gets abuse about their appearance just as much as their performance. "Fat ****", "Ugly *****, "Short ******", "Bald *****", "Ginger ****" etc.

It's no less unacceptable if the target of such abuse is a man, in my opinion.

It's not really. A stadium full of men shouting abuse at a woman because she's a woman/focussing on her physical features is a lot different to the garden variety abuse male players get.

[PartySaint]

It's not really. A stadium full of men shouting abuse at a woman because she's a woman/focussing on her physical features is a lot different to the garden variety abuse male players get.

They are shouting at her because she is the ref not because she is a woman

[Charlie Darwin]

Are refs particularly known for their culinary skills?

[gormacha]

It's unsurprising that there are so many apologists for shouting abuse at a woman because she is a woman as its acceptable practice in most football environments. Doesn't make it right though. Ye can try and justify any which way you want, but its indefensible. I have no problem with the likes of "phuq off ref" if she made a poor decision, but shouting abuse at a woman on the basis of her gender in a crowd that will be at least 95% male is about as intimidating as it gets. That chant to the physio mentioned above is beneath contempt.

[osarusan]

It's unsurprising that there are so many apologists for shouting abuse at a woman because she is a woman as its acceptable practice in most football environments. Doesn't make it right though. Ye can try and justify any which way you want, but its indefensible. I have no problem with the likes of "phuq off ref" if she made a poor decision, but shouting abuse at a woman on the basis of her gender in a crowd that will be at least 95% male is about as intimidating as it gets. That chant to the physio mentioned above is beneath contempt.

I wasn't at the match, but I think it is far more likely that she was being shouted at because she was the referee. I'd guess that her gender influenced the kind of abuse she got, rather than being the sole reason she was getting abuse.

[nigel-harps1954]

Not once have I condoned the abuse given to people at games. I just said it happens. It's part and parcel of any referees job.
I never, EVER, condone personal abuse or sexism or racism or what have you, I simply am saying, it happens.

If you honestly believe a referee shouldn't prepare to deal with that then you are seriously deluded.

[Charlie Darwin]

The question of whether they should prepare to deal with it is completely separate from the question of whether they should have to deal with. If you want to equate sexism with calling somebody fat or a ginger, that's your decision. You might even laugh at it and think it's funny that the crowd is picking on and belittling somebody based on their gender. Maybe it's really funny, I don't know!

Or maybe the abuse that women, particularly in a male-dominated sport like football, have to endure on a daily basis isn't funny at all.

Or maybe it's absolute quality.

[dfx-]

That was the same match as the bread board incident. Sometimes i miss the first division.

I think it was a table top...had to run the length of the pitch too, great stuff.

[mypost]

He is a terrible referee anytime he is involved in a Rovers game. He did the postponed UCDD game last season. Shocking. Only in the LOI could you find worse in Buttimer and Hancock.

And at that game, he sent a Rovers player off. He gave it half an hour before deciding to even up the teams.

As for Kelly, I remember him reffing a Cork-Drogheda game in Cork in the Setanta Cup. Cork were struggling to hold on to a narrow lead so with 15 minutes left, he sent an away player off. He enjoyed it so much that he sent another one off 3 minutes later. Cork duly took advantage within minutes and won the game. Not too many complaints then.

If you can't see why singling out one person in the stadium based on no other characteristic than their gender isn't totally out of order then I'm afraid you'll never understand. This isn't political correctness gone mad, it's just basic common decency.

You're watching the wrong sport I think. Anyone for a game of Polo?

[Dodge]

I'd say a player or (particularly) a match official gets abuse about their appearance just as much as their performance. "Fat ****", "Ugly *****, "Short ******", "Bald *****", "Ginger ****" etc.

It's no less unacceptable if the target of such abuse is a man, in my opinion.

[gormacha]

You're watching the wrong sport I think. Anyone for a game of Polo?

Unlike what your comment suggests about your opinion, I don't accept that football has to be a place where sexism, racism and homophobia have to exist.

Twenty years ago it would have been acceptable to comment on a player's skin colour. Most people now regard this as totally unacceptable. My point is that sexist abuse is equally unacceptable, and its important when the discussion comes up anywhere where football supporters discuss stuff that it is challenged.

I'm no shrinking violet, and I give as good as I get at matches. But when I shout something, its about what someone does, not their gender, their colour or whatever.

[Macy]

All those years in the 1st Division, and you never once call Philly Hughes a fat b@stard?

[Dodge]

All those years in the 1st Division, and you never once call Philly Hughes a fat b@stard?

In that case wouldn't he be commenting on Hughes actions; ie eating too many snack boxes?

[Spudulika]

Who ate all the pies - with the refrain - Philly Hughes did, Philly Hughes did (in place of you """""""""""""")

[sundance kid]

Was there a reason that the linesman/woman used to run the same side as the bulk of the more vociferous rovers fans back then? I always thought it would have made more sense for them to run the other half of the pitch on our side, and the the opposite on the riverside.
There was a lineswoman we used to get regularly back then, and she was well able for the banter. I've met her through work a few times and she remembers those days with good memories, but she's always glad that our lot didn't find out that she's in a relationship with a now former bohs director.

[Sonny]

It's not really. A stadium full of men shouting abuse at a woman because she's a woman/focussing on her physical features is a lot different to the garden variety abuse male players get.

Tallaght is far from a stadium of men these days.

[askmehoop]

It's not really. A stadium full of men shouting abuse at a woman because she's a woman/focussing on her physical features is a lot different to the garden variety abuse male players get.

Two words, Bobby Ryan

[El-Pietro]

Two words, Bobby Ryan

Clive Delaney
Jason Gavin

[nigel-harps1954]

The question of whether they should prepare to deal with it is completely separate from the question of whether they should have to deal with. If you want to equate sexism with calling somebody fat or a ginger, that's your decision. You might even laugh at it and think it's funny that the crowd is picking on and belittling somebody based on their gender. Maybe it's really funny, I don't know!

Or maybe the abuse that women, particularly in a male-dominated sport like football, have to endure on a daily basis isn't funny at all.

Or maybe it's absolute quality.

But you're not getting my point, it doesn't matter whether they SHOULD have to deal with it or not, because really they do have to deal with it, because like I keep saying, it's something that comes with being a referee, regardless of gender, size, or weight, it's part of the job of being a referee.

I applaud you sticking up for common decency, and for the rights of others, but I'm simply saying, in reality, they have to deal with this sort of thing.

I'm not laughing because as you said "the crowd is picking on and belittling somebody based on their gender", I'm laughing because it was a funny joke. I've heard linesmen get worse abuse over the years, are you going to say to me now, "it's a disgrace they got that sort of abuse simply because they were a man." I think not.