This football 'respect' spiel.

[rohrl]

XCP said:

I think the refs would get more respect if the first person to backchat or question a decision got a red card.

I wish the referees would do this and I really don't understand why they don't. To see professional players with their faces contorted, hurling obscenities at the referee and his assistants is disgusting. Wayne Rooney is a regular offender. A few straight red cards would sort it out in no time flat, especially if a ref sent off three or four players at the same time.

[iphonedyou]

Sheets Tabuer said:

Adverts tend to work when one is about to purchase a product, the intention is to make you aware of a brand and influence your decision to buy that brand.

I doubt a person with deep seated hatred would change their opinion of a race based on a sign at the side of a football pitch.

I think we're more in agreement than you might think. So the 'respect' adverts should raise awareness - your words - of the issue, and influence decisions. By publicising the issue, so it becomes less socially acceptable. Much like efforts to reduce the prevalence of smoking. I doubt very much the intention is to instantly change an individual's mind. Rather, it's to promote a gradual sea change in collective opinion.

[El Guapo]

jayb289 said:

so even a campaign about respect(not just racism) is a problem and needs a thread? have they erected a billboard outside your home, work and hangout spot with their respect sign? i hope i never reach that stage in life where i watch a football match and feel all the signs with the word respect is "spiel" and i need to go have a chat with my cyber buddies on ph about it.

You're missing the point. UEFA's banners achieve very little other than convincing UEFA that they are "doing something" about "the problem". They might just as well have made a bunch of banners saying "Eat your veggies". It's a similar situation to the drinkaware links on booze adverts - trite and meaningless.

[XCP]

rohrl said:

I wish the referees would do this and I really don't understand why they don't. To see professional players with their faces contorted, hurling obscenities at the referee and his assistants is disgusting. Wayne Rooney is a regular offender. A few straight red cards would sort it out in no time flat, especially if a ref sent off three or four players at the same time.

Quite.
Youngsters and amateurs seem to emulate them.
Some of the language at my local amateur club has to be heard to be believed!

[Use Psychology]

XCP said:

rohrl said:

I wish the referees would do this and I really don't understand why they don't. To see professional players with their faces contorted, hurling obscenities at the referee and his assistants is disgusting. Wayne Rooney is a regular offender. A few straight red cards would sort it out in no time flat, especially if a ref sent off three or four players at the same time.

Quite.
Youngsters and amateurs seem to emulate them.
Some of the language at my local amateur club has to be heard to be believed!

i've often fantasised (perhaps slightly too strong a word) about what would happen if, at the next world cup, FIFA replaced their usual referees with top class rugby referees. I reckon it'd be great. the first few games would be interesting but I think the players would soon learn the new regime.

[XCP]

10 minutes in the bin for a yellow card might focus a few minds too.

[Gogoplata]

Respect is earned, not given.

[jayb289]

El Guapo said:

You're missing the point. UEFA's banners achieve very little other than convincing UEFA that they are "doing something" about "the problem". They might just as well have made a bunch of banners saying "Eat your veggies". It's a similar situation to the drinkaware links on booze adverts - trite and meaningless.

your the one missing the point, the respect campaign is not just about racism fyi. there are millions of campaigns that we see on billboards everyday, from drink driving, speeding, child abuse, date rape, road safety etc. the billboard will not necessarily stop somebody from committing date rape, but by running the campaign you are highlighting the issue and placing it in people`s thoughts. this makes it less acceptable and will provoke more of a response from society as a whole when they see it.

so unless your gonna tell me that the government should take down all the posters about domestic abuse, rape etc then i dont see why a campaign about a simple request such as respect is worthy of being labelled "spiel". cant seeing remember seeing a thread about why is their "spiel" about domestic abuse, if a man is gonna beat his wife a poster aint gonna stop him.

[XCP]

Gogoplata said:

Respect is earned, not given.

Indeed.
And anyone who officiates, in any sport, at whatever level, is worthy of respect.

[Gogoplata]

XCP said:

Gogoplata said:

Respect is earned, not given.

Indeed.
And anyone who officiates, in any sport, at whatever level, is worthy of respect.

Why do you think that it only seems to be a problem in football? Other sports like Rugby don't seem to suffer the same issues, especially with regards to abuse aimed at officials.

[Use Psychology]

because the rules that are in place to prevent it in football are not enforced by referees.

[12gauge]

Gogoplata said:

Respect is earned, not given.

Exactly. And besides, whenever someone says 'respect' I automatically think of Ali G and cant take them seriously.

[wolves_wanderer]

Gogoplata said:

Why do you think that it only seems to be a problem in football? Other sports like Rugby don't seem to suffer the same issues, especially with regards to abuse aimed at officials.

Because nobody cares about Rugby, not even the players.

[El Guapo]

jayb289 said:

the billboard will not necessarily stop somebody from committing date rape, but by running the campaign you are highlighting the issue and placing it in people`s thoughts. this makes it less acceptable and will provoke more of a response from society as a whole when they see it.

This is the bit that you and I disagree on.
My mind may be playing tricks on me but I think there were also banners with the one-word slogan "Diversity" on them. Why not "Effort" or "Kindness", both important considerations of modern life?
"Generosity" - that would be a good one too. I'd double my charitable giving immediately if I saw such a banner at a football match.

[martin84]

It's mostly a load of guff to be honest but football has come a long way in the last 20 odd years so maybe there's something to be said for it. Personally I don't think UEFA should get Casillas and Ronaldo to read out prepared equality statements when UEFA's fine for wearing pants they don't like is five times greater than the amount they fine entire associations for racist abuse of players.

[XCP]

Use Psychology said:

because the rules that are in place to prevent it in football are not enforced by referees.

This basically.

[Starfighter]

XCP said:

I think the refs would get more respect if the first person to backchat or question a decision got a red card.

This.

XCP said:

10 minutes in the bin for a yellow card might focus a few minds too.

This.

Gogoplata said:

Why do you think that it only seems to be a problem in football? Other sports like Rugby don't seem to suffer the same issues, especially with regards to abuse aimed at officials.

Use Psychology said:

because the rules that are in place to prevent it in football are not enforced by referees.

This.

Gogoplata said:

Respect is earned, not given.

And especially this.

[TheHeretic]

wolves_wanderer said:

Gogoplata said:

Why do you think that it only seems to be a problem in football? Other sports like Rugby don't seem to suffer the same issues, especially with regards to abuse aimed at officials.

Because nobody cares about Rugby, not even the players.

I think the difference is that in many other sports there is communication between the players, and the referee. All too often in football you see a decision, and the ref just standing there like the demon headmaster, pointing his arm to one end, and a Heinrich Himmler expression on their face. I think most of the annoyance is from frustration. Refs should communicate more, and players should be yellow carded, sin binned, or red carded depending on the severity of their abuse.

[martin84]

Maybe if referees got decisions right then less players would feel the need to hurl abuse at them. Pulling the game back last night for that free kick when Nani had gone clear through is a case in point. There are times when berating the referee is fully justified tbh. I remember Darren Fletcher being banned for a Champions League Final for no reason at all and UEFA's draconian appeal process meant they can't even amend their referees mistake. This whole 'we back the ref at all costs even if he's got it wrong' thing is probably the route of much angst. How many of us get 100% unswerving backing of our employer when we make a monumental fkup?

[rohrl]

martin84 said:

Maybe if referees got decisions right then less players would feel the need to hurl abuse at them. Pulling the game back last night for that free kick when Nani had gone clear through is a case in point. There are times when berating the referee is fully justified tbh. I remember Darren Fletcher being banned for a Champions League Final for no reason at all and UEFA's draconian appeal process meant they can't even amend their referees mistake. This whole 'we back the ref at all costs even if he's got it wrong' thing is probably the route of much angst. How many of us get 100% unswerving backing of our employer when we make a monumental fkup?

Only a total moron would expect referees to get every single decision right. They've been assessed any number of times by any number of different people and top-level football referees get accuracy results well into the high 90's percent. Probably 99% accuracy.

I'd be willing to bet that Premiership and International referees get a greater proportion of their decisions right than Wayne Rooney does.

If we accept that referees will occasionally get a decision wrong then we have to ask ourselves what happens when they inevitably do so. Is it reasonable to allow a situation in which they are surrounded by grown men bellowing obscenities in their face? I would argue not.