The Poolie Bunker

I'm getting more embarrassed about the game we love with every game/red card.

Players behaving like tits and refs sending them off for fuck all. Absolute fannies game these days.

One of the guys I go to pools with is a big Aussie rules football fan. He has family in Australia and goes there every year.

He said that you can't send players off in Aussie rules, technically you could punch someone deliberately in the face in front of the ref and yet still not get sent off. You would no doubt get banned for 6 months afterwards but nothing would happen during the game.

We have all seen games where a player is sent off incorrectly and even if it was a correct sending off, the game is often ruined because of it and the more I think about it, I think the Aussies are onto something here. Folk pay good money to watch 22 players on a pitch, not 21, 20 or 19 and so why don't players simply get bans after games. Hypothetically, the ref could give out as many yellow cards as he liked and the players would suffer afterwards dependent on the severity of the card.

Maybe harder to introduce into the lower leagues but with the number of cameras at premiership games, it would soon see players racking up bans for diving, play acting, dangerous play etc.

Probably needs some thought but if you take the Newcastle sending off for instance after 17 mins today. Defo red by the letter of the law but ruined the game. Haven't seen the Stoke sendings off but the same principal goes.

For the first sending off in the Stoke game everybody involved with that including the crowd who were present watching utter fannies behaving like that should be embarrassed with themselves.

Nobles was a good tackle n never a yellow never mind a red.


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I'd be embarrassed to pretend that a slight brush of a hand against my cheek could almost down me. It'd pathetic, no red and book the one play acting!


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Or the players could just behave themselves

Agree with that one, and there were some soft decisions made today in the Premier, but there is so much play acting going on, refs are bound to get it wrong from time to time. The players need to man up, but that's not going to happen whilst there is so much money at the top.

The refs dammed if he does n damned if he doesn't.

Coutinho could have easily got a final warning for the foul on payet my friend argued. But then If coutinho stays on the field n influences the result you get people hammering the ref for that (coquelin against palace a fine example)

Coutinho was on a yellow, you fly in n you lose any control over where you end up n your asking for a second yellow.

Of the Reds yday I think the first Stoke one was soft, Charlie Adam was stupid to do that infront of a lino, noble was very soft but coutinho can have no complaints.

2 outta 4 right. Bout normal these days


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Watching MOTD at the moment, and to be fair to the officials, a lot of decisions were justified. I think something like a card between a yellow and red may help. Once a player had this, then he would just have to sneeze and then he was off ,eg the first Stoke player that got sent off yesterday, this would render the player almost ineffective, therefore you would expect the manager to replace him, thus ensuring the spectacle of 11 v 11 is not ruined as Chessington alludes too.

As an ex ref I will say the score at the time can influence your decision. If it is borderline and the player in question plays for a team losing 3-0 on 60 minutes, you are inclined to cut him some slack, this is the common sense players and managers are always calling for. A couple of times I have anxiously awaited full time as said team pull a couple of goals back. Of course if it goes wrong the players and officials of team that were winning have your ar*e.

Also what you don't see on MOTD is what a player is saying to the ref throughout the game, or what he is up to off the ball. Sometimes you just get so fed up with an individual ruining the game through constant bickering/moaning, you think to yourself first chance I get to send him off I will. Wrong I know but human nature

Oh n the Newcastle red, no arguments, raked his foot down his shin. He's been trying to get sent off since his debut.


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I don't know how Mark Hughes can claim Charlie Adam shouldn't have seen red. It was a blatant stamp and Adam has a history of doing it - a straight red if ever I saw one.

Mark Hughes is a horrible human being.

Even my mrs, who hates football, asked why he stamped on him like that. You could see his momentum going backwards but he leaned forward just so he could stamp on him. I hope he does appeal and gets an extra game ban for a frivolous appeal

Completely different sport. Players push and punch each other all game which is not deemed against the rules. I watch a few games a week and follow the Richmond Tigers. To compare it with football is like comparing kelly brook to lily savage.

Mark nobles red card is the worst I have ever seen giving. Clearly wins the ball and never touched him. Ref should be fined and suspended himself.

If they appeal I am sure that will be rescinded.