Bad week for our beautiful game of football. It’s had the Pieman spluttering and the Piegirls rushing for cover. Fair play mate is the Pieman's code and we are a bit short of it at present.
I will begin with four players and then a custard pie for some managers.
Chelsea striker Didier Drogba faces an FA ban following goal celebrations in the mid-week Carling Cup defeat by Championship side Burnley at the Bridge. Drogba is said to have made a crude gesture at some Burnley supporters and tossed a coin back at them. This story blew up after my latest Pieman podcast so this is what I think: Drogba is in trouble and has to answer on both counts. But this is also a classic case of the retaliation being punished and the cause getting off scot free. The Pieman asks: who threw the coin and can the Police with all their sophisticated cameras and equipment discover the culprit? Coin throwing is highly dangerous. A close shave when an Aston Villa supporter threw a coin aimed at Harry Redknapp earlier this season..............
Then there is the Ipswich player David Norris who did a cross-wrist handcuff gesture for a goal-scoring celebration in support of his friend, former Plymouth Argyle goalkeeper Luke McCormick whose dangerous and drunken driving got him seven years in prison following the death of two innocent brothers aged 10 and 8 in a crash that left their father seriously hurt. This was in June when McCormick was returning from the wedding of Norris. Ipswich, fair play, have fined Norris two weeks’ wages for the insensitive gesture and paid the same amount to a road safety charity. But the FA should take further action against the player. Otherwise football will look weak once again in failing to punish offenders. What sort of role model are players at times?
Next up is Sheffield United captain Chris Morgan elbowing Ian Hulme which left the Barnsley player with a fractured skull. The referee Andy D'Urso only gave Morgan a yellow card - so under FIFA guidelines there may not be much our FA can do and I am sure that Morgan did not realise that the outcome would be so bad. But it was still violent conduct. More on refs and managers in a moment but the manager cannot have it both ways. Some scream their players are not protected, as Simon Davey of Barnsley understandably does here, while others go potty on some red cards saying the foul did not warrant it when elbows are used. The Pieman needs to know when is it leverage of arms and/or dangerous play?...................
And finally there is the Joey Barton v Gabby Agbonlahor incident. Some say it might have been a racial remark. We don't know because Gabby does not want to report it even though his club Villa said they would support him. Not a word from Barton's club Newcastle. Now I read comments from Agbonlahor complaining that Joey has not apologised to him. If this is correct you cannot have it both ways, Gabby!...............
Now to the managers. They are threatening to abandon the Respect the Referee campaign. Great, just what the game needs. Sure, the refs have made some errors but not out of bias. They have always been the Aunt Sallys. No technology, no help from players (protesting, intimidating, swearing) or managers (raging, abusing, and making public statements against the refs). We need zero tolerance. Refs and their bosses have apologised to managers for the odd error. When did a manager ever apologise to the referee in public? Come to think of it, when did a manager ever criticise his players in public, usually making excuses for them or refusing to comment or just verbally whacking the ref! As for Joe Kinnear talking about referee Martin Atkinson making a Mickey Mouse decision four years after getting a touch line ban for calling another "Coco The Clown" - will he ever learn his lesson? The foul in question was not easy to spot for most people without TV replays................
Now for some good news. Arsenal's brilliant youngsters continue to make progress in the Carling Cup. After thrashing Sheffield United earlier in the season they easily beat a strong Wigan with 16 year old Jack Wilshere and 19 year old Jay Simpson, the pick of a string of brilliant youngsters. Arsene Wenger has taken some unreasonable stick lately. But the kids underlined his belief in future success. It all changes pretty quickly in football......
What do you think fellow football fans? Let me know by email or text and I will read them out on my next show on Tuesday November 18th.
Fair play, mate!
Yours in pie
The Pieman
I will begin with four players and then a custard pie for some managers.
Chelsea striker Didier Drogba faces an FA ban following goal celebrations in the mid-week Carling Cup defeat by Championship side Burnley at the Bridge. Drogba is said to have made a crude gesture at some Burnley supporters and tossed a coin back at them. This story blew up after my latest Pieman podcast so this is what I think: Drogba is in trouble and has to answer on both counts. But this is also a classic case of the retaliation being punished and the cause getting off scot free. The Pieman asks: who threw the coin and can the Police with all their sophisticated cameras and equipment discover the culprit? Coin throwing is highly dangerous. A close shave when an Aston Villa supporter threw a coin aimed at Harry Redknapp earlier this season..............
Then there is the Ipswich player David Norris who did a cross-wrist handcuff gesture for a goal-scoring celebration in support of his friend, former Plymouth Argyle goalkeeper Luke McCormick whose dangerous and drunken driving got him seven years in prison following the death of two innocent brothers aged 10 and 8 in a crash that left their father seriously hurt. This was in June when McCormick was returning from the wedding of Norris. Ipswich, fair play, have fined Norris two weeks’ wages for the insensitive gesture and paid the same amount to a road safety charity. But the FA should take further action against the player. Otherwise football will look weak once again in failing to punish offenders. What sort of role model are players at times?
Next up is Sheffield United captain Chris Morgan elbowing Ian Hulme which left the Barnsley player with a fractured skull. The referee Andy D'Urso only gave Morgan a yellow card - so under FIFA guidelines there may not be much our FA can do and I am sure that Morgan did not realise that the outcome would be so bad. But it was still violent conduct. More on refs and managers in a moment but the manager cannot have it both ways. Some scream their players are not protected, as Simon Davey of Barnsley understandably does here, while others go potty on some red cards saying the foul did not warrant it when elbows are used. The Pieman needs to know when is it leverage of arms and/or dangerous play?...................
And finally there is the Joey Barton v Gabby Agbonlahor incident. Some say it might have been a racial remark. We don't know because Gabby does not want to report it even though his club Villa said they would support him. Not a word from Barton's club Newcastle. Now I read comments from Agbonlahor complaining that Joey has not apologised to him. If this is correct you cannot have it both ways, Gabby!...............
Now to the managers. They are threatening to abandon the Respect the Referee campaign. Great, just what the game needs. Sure, the refs have made some errors but not out of bias. They have always been the Aunt Sallys. No technology, no help from players (protesting, intimidating, swearing) or managers (raging, abusing, and making public statements against the refs). We need zero tolerance. Refs and their bosses have apologised to managers for the odd error. When did a manager ever apologise to the referee in public? Come to think of it, when did a manager ever criticise his players in public, usually making excuses for them or refusing to comment or just verbally whacking the ref! As for Joe Kinnear talking about referee Martin Atkinson making a Mickey Mouse decision four years after getting a touch line ban for calling another "Coco The Clown" - will he ever learn his lesson? The foul in question was not easy to spot for most people without TV replays................
Now for some good news. Arsenal's brilliant youngsters continue to make progress in the Carling Cup. After thrashing Sheffield United earlier in the season they easily beat a strong Wigan with 16 year old Jack Wilshere and 19 year old Jay Simpson, the pick of a string of brilliant youngsters. Arsene Wenger has taken some unreasonable stick lately. But the kids underlined his belief in future success. It all changes pretty quickly in football......
What do you think fellow football fans? Let me know by email or text and I will read them out on my next show on Tuesday November 18th.
Fair play, mate!
Yours in pie
The Pieman
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