Indiscipline among our Footballers is cause for serious concern
Surely, referees do not mean to deliberartely show the 'red card' to players, if they play clean and fair - File pic
Sport is the great leveler. Sport teaches one to be humble in victory and determined in defeat. Sport too teaches several other virtues that help to bring out the gentlemen in life. Success in Football is not to be measured by results alone on the field of play. The real value of the game is seen in the spirit it is played. Unruly and unsporty behaviour among Football players, both on and off the field, has increased alarmingly. Not only do players frequently question the referee, they challenge, openly insult and, in some instances even assault them. It is pathetic to see some of our present National players getting involved in these ugly incidents. National players will have to set an example to the young and upcoming players.
oung players need guidance and sound advice. Unfortunately today, they see a lot of bad examples which they are tempted to imitate – there is too much illegal tackling and unwanted arguments with referees. Much of these incidents are due to ignorance of the laws of the game. If you want to play fair and clean Football don’t argue with the referee. Referees don’t change their minds. It’s a waste of time. Just get on with the game. Arguing only gets you into trouble, you lose focus on the game, you get booked, suspended and then you can’t improve. There is a very simple way of looking at things, and it is absolutely right. It made me realize that playing unfairly, fighting and arguing is really plain stupid.
I could never understand it as a player and, quite honestly, I still don’t understand it as a coach. Footballers are also entertainers. They have to entertain the general public who come to witness a match. Nobody wants to see you play foul or misbehave on the field. As an entertainer, the public comes to see your perform and it’s your duty to ensure that you are there to perform. If you are out of action, because you got suspended or banned through bad behaviour, you are denying the public the pleasure of seeing you playing. I never saw great players in the calibre of Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, Stanley Mathew, Eusebio, Puskas or Uwe Seeler committing serious foul or misbehaving on the field.
Even our local stars of the past such as Peter Ranasinghe, M.M. Hassimdeen , Mahinda Aluvihare, Andrew Fernando, Tom Ossen, Amidon to name a few, never resorted to foul play nor misbehaved. They don’t need to. We all remember them as great players, while the others who fouled their way through their career are easily forgotten. The best way to promote fair play is by advising and encouraging it in the schools and youth teams. Coaches have a big responsibility, but I think the important thing is for them to talk to players individually. It should be one–on-one. Coaches who talk to the team as a whole about their mental approach to the game, don’t get their message through as clearly as those who work on each player according to his own character.
It’s true that coaches themselves are under lot of pressure to succeed these days. While we also should not forget that, no matter what any coach does or does not say, the ultimate responsibility for a player’s behaviour lies with no one but the player himself. Certainly, discipline and character of a young player should be initially nurtured at home by his parents, before they send the child for any sports activity While it is necessary to eradicate dangerous and foul play, we must not withdraw fair, hard and robust play. After all, Football is mainly a man’s sport and, in the absence of a fair degree of aggressiveness, it would lack lustre and appeal. It is in these areas that Football referees could help raise the standards of the game
The initial function of a school or a club is to offer young players the opportunity to play regular, organised Football, while maintaining a high standard of discipline and behaviour, on an off the field. It is imperative, it creates a strong social spirit among all its members at club and league level, bringing together as they do will help the country at large to built a strong and disciplined National team to excel at international competitions, which must remain as top priority, because of the wide impact it has on all Lankans. Football has been played in Sri Lanka for over a century, and there is a wealth of knowledge among coaches, players and spectators, who, I am certain, greatly appreciate the contribution made to the game by good referees.
The function of a referee in any sport is to ensure that no individual or team gets an advantage over an opponent through unfair tactics. The laws of the game have been written to cover every unfair play on the field. A referee should know all these laws and apply them in a uniformed manner. Unfair play by one team that goes unnoticed by the referee leads to frustration in the opponents mind, and frustration could be difficult to control, as Football is a blood-boiling game. Players’ frustration creates trouble spots which increase a referee’s difficulties in the game and lessens his own enjoyment of it.
The Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) which is the Controlling Body, must appoint match inspectors or coordinators to monitor and submit reports on referees’ performance, players’ behaviour and coaches in the playing field, which helps the disciplinary committee to act against the wrongdoer. The Tournament committee on the other hand, appoints knowledgeable and experienced referees to handle, particularly, 1st Division tournament matches. We must have referees, not only knowledgeable of the laws of the game, but unquestionably, men of integrity, independence and sans conflict of interest. They must command a high degree of faith and respect in the public eye.
They must also realise they are judges of a sort, who administer justice without fear or favour. A referee’s erroneous decision in a crucial match could ruin the performance of a well trained team, and switch the outcome in favour of their opponents, which is a crime. Discipline must be instilled in players when they a young, otherwise, when they mature, things go out of control. The best people to guide them are their coaches who are both professionally knowledgeable and exemplary in conduct. They also must make it a point to teach the laws of the game and its interpretation to the players they handle. The FFSL and its affiliated Leagues must deter abuses and indiscipline of players and coaches, on and off the field, by taking stern action.
They must urge them to encourage players and coaches to make sportsmanship a natural characteristic of their personality, so that, the highest ideals and the best traditions of the sport will influence everything they undertake throughout their lives. The FFSL officials should lay emphasis on players’ and coaches’ behaviour and take measures to prevent embarrassing incidents which very often take place on the Football field these days. The Disciplinary committee should definitely look at fining or suspending players who behave badly. In conclusion, I would suggest that the FFSL, through regular seminars, educate the players, coaches and referees on the interpretation and application of the laws of the game, and be firm with the wrongdoers for the good of the game.