Will be very interesting to see how this places out. Basically, Steve Bennett gets duped by a reporter from a tabloid into talking at a bar on a UEFA training trip. He admits that many stars have intentionally asked for cautions over the years. The PGMOL has asked for a clarification from him and he might face disciplinary action (though I'd be interested as to whether the action would be a sanction for talking to the reporter in general or for acquiescing to these alleged requests). Already, Graham Poll has come out and said this never happened to him, which is nice, but why would Bennett say these things if they weren't true? http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/new...g-booked-deliberately-to-skive-off-games.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-1139191/Graham-Poll-You-know-better-Steve.html?ITO=1490
Poll says it never happened to him -- that anyone asked for a card. But in the next breath he gives two examples of 'intentional' 5th yellows. I don't know how the Match Officials can discipline Bennet--maybe for being duped in a bar. But what I do know is that Poll's reputation as a man of character is heading south, accompanied by a loud flushing noise.
In one way, I see the problem with this, but in another way, it is a logical result of mandating suspensions for accumulated yellows (which I think is a necessary practice, by the way). The thing is, I don't see how it is Bennett's fault - if the player comes and asks for a card, then in the match launches in to a cautionable tackle, should Bennett not show the card so the player must play? I dare say none of us recommend that course. By coming to have a word with him, the player is able perhaps to avoid committing a dangerous tackle and possibly injuring someone - if the player will do what it takes for the card, why not give it for encroachment before he does something really bad? Bennett should have known to keep his mouth shut, and you'll notice England's generous libel laws kept the player's names out of the paper, but I really think this practice is not wrong, at least as far as referees are concerned. As for players, those who get suspensions just so they can have holidays are, in my opinion, breaching their contracts and should be ashamed. But what about players who pick up suspensions for tactical reasons - I recall Beckham a number of years ago picking up a yellow to reset his count, as he'd be out with injury for the next match anyway; as I recall, he was praised for having the intelligence to do so. (edit: naturally, Poll mentions the incident in his article) I think the focal point should be players who genuinely want to play getting injured so someone else can rest - if he wants the 3 game suspension for a suspension, I'd rather a player have a word with the, then come up and say something nasty for the cameras - I'd rather my pride hurt than someone's ankles.
As for Poll's response, I agree with his points that Bennett should have known better than to speak to someone he hardly knew in a bar about quite confidential experiences, but I do think he is unfair to insinuate Bennett's statements are not true
No, he said that no player in the Premiership had asked for a card, then he gave two examples of non-Premiership games where players got intentional 5th yellows.
The HS league in NC I used to work had a similar problem. Late in the season we'd have guys commit a foul in order to get their 5th yellow, so they wouldn't have to sit out a playoff game. Nothing like seeing their face when they tried a little to hard to get the yellow, and ended up with a red.
How does a statement that it never happened to him insinuate anything about another person? Talk about trying to make something out of nothing.
It seems to me that this is going to be Poll's legacy. It is a real shame. In his day, he was a fantastic referee. Unfortunately, history will remember him for only 2 things. Not sending a player off in the WC after receiving his second caution, and not shutting up and going away when he should have. The referee should use all of the information available to help him or her referee a match. If a coach or a player tells me that they are going to go out and try to earn a caution ON PURPOSE, then that tells me something. THe mandatory suspension for accumulated cautions is to deter people from acting in a way that earns them one. I think planning your way around that rule is inapropriate and unsporting. It is not the referee's place or job to protect a team or player against their own prior bad behavior. I would even take the step of calling the league or competition authority to inform them that this is happening. If I know that you are commiting a foul for the purpose of getting a caution, purely out of selfish or tactical reasons (if I get one this match then I can sit out a meaningless one and be available for our rival, or the playoff game), then I have to think about that. There is a fairly good chance that, since you are acting on purpose, and knowing what could happen to your opponent on this foul, that you might just be endangering their safety. So after I send you off for SFP, you can sit out the suspension for THAT (usually 3 matches around here), postseason matches and all, and then come back to the very next match with your 4 accumulated cautions intact. Hopefully you don't draw me as your referee in that match, too.
As refs I don't know if it is our place to get too involved. If a player comes to me and tells me they need a caution in the match, I would probably suggest to them to find a way to get it that doesn't involve a foul or something to p$$$ me off. Its a management issue, I would rather keep the game safe and make a friend. If you tell them it is out of your hands then the player will resort to the easiest way they know how to get a caution, which of course is to kick the crap out of someone. If they want a suspension they will find a way to get it one way or another.
I won't make up a caution to give a player when asked, but I would remind him there are several "safe" ways to get a caution: DR, FRD etc.
Normally, they were smart enough to not tell us before hand. But one coach was aught telling his star to get his yellow before the end of the game. Coach got sent for that one. and the kid WAS stupid enough to do the same. As you say, we knew the schools most likely to do this, but it could be a guessing game, since you didn't always have statics in front of you. I believe the state was aware of this, and didn't seem to have a side, which was troubling. maybe they wanted more from the refs, I'm not sure. When I ran into it, I gave the red if there was any possibility of deserving. And yes, some fouls were not harsh, but were premeditated and SFP. Sadly, it was one of the things we had to del with.
Because that was the subtext I read in Poll's comments; you can read something else, but an insinuation is exactly that, the message that was not explicitly said. I felt he did not accuse Bennett of lying, but made it quite clear he doubted his version of events was accurate.
Wouldn't the proper thing to do be a note in your match report that player X approached me and asked that I caution him during the match? Isn't that the sort of thing which should be documented?
I thought I heard on a recent Prem League telecast that this was Steve Bennet's last year. Is their retirement age a hard and fast rule? And do you think that the ref's know who is on 4 yellows? Or in the case talked about, they only knew because of the request? I also don't think the story holds true anymore. I don't see the top players getting a fifth yellow to sit out a match at the holiday period and being allowed to leave training. If the schedule goes like this...4 matches in a 12 day period with one of them being a 3rd round FA Cup tie.....when exactly would the squad be allowed to go on holiday? I would love to hear Englishref's take on this one. I might be prone to call BS on this whole thing.
In an EPL match, I think that there is a near 100% chance that the referee is aware of the players that are on the pitch, and the number of cautions they have. That is proper preparation for a game of that caliber. On the other hand, there is usually no way possible that I could know the card count in a local youth match. If the player just kept his mouth shut and played smartly, I wouldn't know, nor care, how many cards he had, and probably wouldn't give him one if he behaved.
I think its 48 or 49 in England. I think Poll on WSD a few months ago said four or five of the national list refs are approaching that age in the next year or two. I hope everyone is ready for Atwell full time.
Agreed. Is Graham Poll vying for the position of "Official Apologist for the FA and Premiership"? I don't see how any disciplinary action could be taken against Bennett. I'm sure the comments were made in the strictest confidence and he regrets that they were taped and reported, but you can't shoot the messenger. I have no doubt that some players have and will continue to undertake these selfish actions. Look at the action of professional players in the US. We've all seen players tank it. Look at Manny Ramirez this past spring with his mysterious knee injury while on the Red Socks. He created so much chaos that the team had no recourse but to release him. Look at his miraculous recovery and his improved hitting while at the Dodgers. The sad thing is that it creates a situation where the game falls into disrepute because of these players actions. Between the simulation and players tanking it for a "paid" vacation the game suffers. What a charade. What a farce and what a sad statement on the integrity of these players. Particularly in these uncertain economic times.
I agree if a player approached me and asked me to caution him, I would be very inclined to report it in the match report. I've had one of two players ask to be cautioned, but it was all in jest. If I ever had a player in earnest ask for a caution, I'd tell him to stop right there and to walk away. If he persisted I would write it in the match report. He is cheating the game, the fans, and himself.
Top refs should have some idea - with all week to prepare for a match, you are expected to know what import the game holds for the two teams, what the players form is of late, and who you should look out for as a hot-head. Somewhere in there the issue of who is on 4 yellows should come up. I admittedly didn't even consider that - as far as I know, an EPL suspension is not like an NFL suspension where players aren't even allowed at the team facility. I don't see why a team would let a star skip out on two weeks of training so he can go tanning. However, a player could certainly "time" his suspension so it would fall when premiership ties were the only fixtures on the calendar.
Heard Poll say that Bennett was in his final year, but could apply for a waiver to work one more year. Before this incident, he would probably have received it easily. The way I took what I've heard Poll say about this isn't so much an issue about whether Bennett's statements are the truth, but the fact that Bennett showed poor judgment in letting himself be caught in a trap. As an aside, I find Poll's media strategy to be quite interesting. In addition to his regular columns, he regularly appears on two podcasts - I find him quite entertaining and informative.
Not sure he's on 606 regularly, I don't listen to that one. The 2 I hear him are World Soccer Daily (WSD) and Chapper's.
Another related point worth pondering is that suspensions (and card count) are not limited to EPL games. There have been more than an occasion or two where the timing of a 5th card has sure looked like the card "might" have been taken strategically so that the player gets suspended for a non-league game (i.e., Carling Cup) that the player might well have been rested for anyway. I'm a little surprised if the players are doing it to take a vacation, but I'm not surprised at all by the notion that some cards are being pursued for tactical reasons to miss specific games and then re-set the card count. And I suspect that many see nothing wrong with it in principle (with some feeling that there isn't even anything wrong with discussing it openly or telling the ref what you're trying to do).