Content area
Full Text
LAST week a popular newspaper, briefly misjudging its public, ran a sob story about the new-style refereeing introduced at the World Cup. A subsidiary headline referred to 'the rules that could destroy soccer' and leading witnesses in support of this odd notion included Vinny Jones and Neil Ruddock, who said: 'Aggression is an important part of my game - if you take that away, I won't be the same player.' In other words, the case dismissed itself.
Intimidation, thank goodness, is out of fashion, along with the offside trap and other habits that prevent football from fulfilling its potential as an entertainment, and to the Daily Mirror's credit they admitted as much the following day after assessing faxes from readers. My own view is one of delight that Fifa have refreshed the spirit of the game and that the FA have shown such enthusiasm for the revolution. If referees continue to apply the amendments and interpretations as observed in the United States, the Premier League season which begins on Saturday could be a classic.
A strong nerve will be needed. Already the players' leader, Gordon Taylor, has talked about red and yellow cards being distributed like confetti and the dreadful prospect of an 'outcry'. Too bad. People do cry out. There was an outcry in the early stages of the World Cup. It was a price worth paying. And players have a choice, as the FA's refereeing supervisor, Ken Ridden, pointed out last week. They can indeed...