Eurosport - Mon, 10 Nov 22:23:00 2008
FA chiefs will seek an urgent meeting with league managers to try to get their Respect campaign back on track after being disappointed by the latest outbursts against referees.
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson was charged with improper conduct last week for coming onto the pitch to remonstrate with match official Mike Dean, while Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear is likely to face similar action after labelling Martin Atkinson "a Mickey Mouse referee".
Now the FA are seeking meetings with the League Managers' Association and individual managers to shore up the Respect programme.
FA director of governance Jonathan Hall said: "It has been disappointing to witness various incidents of managers publicly criticising referees over the past few weeks.
"The FA will seek to meet with the LMA and individual managers regarding the Respect programme as soon as possible and offer them a further opportunity to raise any concerns.
"The LMA were fully involved in the pre-season consultation and we welcome their continued support for the programme."
Hall said managers needed to be more understanding of match officials.
He added: "We accept that it can be very frustrating for managers when an incorrect decision is taken, but no referee does so deliberately, just as players and managers do not deliberately make mistakes.
"It is easy to support officials when a decision goes your way, the real test is the ability to show understanding when a call goes against you.
"There are already various official channels for managers to provide their views on refereeing performances and managers are actively encouraged to use these channels rather than criticising referees through the media."
Hall insisted the campaign has had a positive impact.
"There have been some positive signs at the top end of the game, in particular the drop in instances of players harassing referees," he said.
"Additionally, we should also make clear that there have only been a small number of
league managers who have chosen to publicly criticise officials on the field or through the media.
"This is a long-term commitment and the FA will continue to work with all other organisations to improve behaviour across the game."
The programme started after the FA consulted 37,000 people involved in grassroots football and were told that improvements in behaviour were needed.
Hall added: "There has been real progress at grassroots level.
"We will not give up on it and will continue to strive for that improvement at all levels of the game."
Comment 1 - 11 of 11
well said ROB O but sadley he will never learn
SAF knows the rules; you don't cricitise the match officials, you don't confront them, you don't point the finger and you don't abuse them. His problem is that he gives in to the emotion instead of having a halfhour cool down and THEN going to request a meeting with the officials to explain matters. Instead, he thinks that he can do as he pleases, he ignores the rules all over the place, cos of who he is and that he believes that its justified. It never is. Whether the decisions is correct or not, he should not confront the ref in the manner which he does. He's petulant, vindictive and a poor loser and I have no respect for his actions.
The RESPECT Campaign is a joke. The FA is totally giving the referees a free-hand in running the game at the football club expense. It is true when decisions go the other way, of coz the manager will be happy. But nowadays one can hardly see the remonstrating or challenging the decisions of the referee and if so, cards will be shown for dissent. This is absolutely nonsensical. Then instances when referees gives stupid decisions which will ultimately affect the game course, its is not as simple as saying sorry or giving them a couple of game bans. If the referee's decision is firm by the law of the game, whatever is made on the field should be final and not overturning the referee's decision after the game by the FA; example John Terry's red card! So what, if there are thousands of referees who quit their jobs. It only goes to show that these are the ones who are incapable of doing their job good and professionally.
sadley referees are human even if most of you think different therefore they make errors its just part of the game & unless they bring in replays they will continue to get things wrong at times & even with replays they will still get it wrong sometimes.
the likes of furgie should just shut up & accept it & remember that although they are supposed to stay nutural winding the referee up is just more likely p*** them off & that can lead to most 50-50 decisions going to the opponants
stupid fergie,hahahahaha!!!!stupid face
Alex Ferguson has every right to rant and rave on the officiating of matches that to him definitely looked unfair and dubious. He(AF) had made statements that seemed uncalled for in the past, but he had duly and professionally paid the price for his outburst. He righfully spoke out when something has gone amiss. And AF may be right in certain quarters here. Ever since the EPL season started, the decision of match officials on and off the field have been atrociuos, bordering on the ludicrous. But obviously the FA, in more ways than one, have turned a deaf ear and dumbfoundedly made decision which many regard as daft! For example, case in point- overturning John Terry's red card (this one stinks of biasness to high heaven!).
EPL might be the best league in the world, but if you have sleeping bureaucrats and high-paying doodlers in the FA sitting at the helm, then you'll have an organisation that is partisan, bias and one tha treeks of favouritism!
Alex Ferguson has every right to rant and rave on the officiating of matches that to him definitely looked unfair and dubious. He(AF) had made statements that seemed uncalled for in the past, but he had duly and professionally paid the price for his outburst. He righfully spoke out when something has gone amiss. And AF may be right in certain quarters here. Ever since the EPL season started, the decision of match officials on and off the field have been atrociuos, bordering on the ludicrous. But obviously the FA, in more ways than one, have turned a deaf ear and dumbfoundedly made decision which many regard as daft! For example, case in point- overturning John Terry's red card (this one stinks of biasness to high heaven!).
EPL might be the best league in the world, but if you have sleeping bureaucrats and high-paying doodlers in the FA sitting at the helm, then you'll have an organisation that is partisan, bias and one tha treeks of favouritism!
I can't understand why the clubs put up with the FA and FIFA these organisations officials line their own pockets take to much money out of the game and act like dictators they have too much power and don't care about the fan base on the terraces only the big TV deals, the FA has priced the premier league out of China and many other countries in Asia which is very detremental to the clubs global marketing. FIFA is filled with corrupt officials like Sep Blatters crony Jack Walker, dump the governing bodies and establish honest organisations who actually care about the clubs and fans organisations who will train referies to a high standard and punish poor performances and bad refereeing decisions.
When a referee makes a mistake, chooses not to see an insident or imagines he saw something that did not happen he can cost a club millions, he can cost the manager his job and his future but he cannot be criticised. I like many people do not believe all the wrong decisions are mistakes.There's to much money in football there's to much money at stake.
Coaches should set a proper example of "grace under pressure".
always him.
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