PARIS — Europe faced a new terror threat Tuesday, four days after devastating Islamic State attacks in Paris, when German officials evacuated a soccer stadium over an apparent plan to set off a powerful bomb.
Authorities in Hanover, Germany, abruptly called off a friendly soccer match between Germany and the Netherlands that Chancellor Angela Merkel had planned to attend to show resolve against terrorism and support for the victims of the Nov. 13 attacks that killed at least 129 people in Paris. One target of Friday’s attacks was a crowded soccer match at a stadium north of Paris. ...
See the whole story here, courtesy of the Washington Post.
Kicking Back Comments: I hate to say that this may be the norm for a while in Europe ... and only a matter of time before it transitions to here in the US.
If you are a referee working such a match ... what is your exfil plan? What is the plan for the teams?
Know before the first whistle as if something happens like it did in France, things will come unglued quickly.
Sick as a parrot: One Direction fans tweet premier ace death threats after crunching tackle that made Louis Tomlinson throw up
Footballer Gabriel Agbonlahor has felt the wrath of One Direction's fanatical fans.
The premier ace received death threats from irate One Direction fans after flying into a challenge with pop star Louis Tomlinson at Stiliyan Petrov's charity match.
The Aston Villa forward left the boyband member in a heap on the floor, with Tomlinson - who signed for Championship side Doncaster for charity last month - vomiting after the tackle. ...
See the whole story here, courtesy of Mail Online.
Kicking Back Comments: My angle here is not bashing Tomlinson, or his incredibly successful band, One Direction for what some have called crumpling on the pitch after a modest challenge. Tomlinson was there to take part in a charity match for Stiliyan Petrov and spent his time to bring a great draw to the match. Just listen to the fans on the video whenever he touches the ball.
That said, my angle is this ... what is a referee to do in such a case?
Tomlinson, while a footballer (he is signed to a 3rd division club, the Doncaster Rovers as a walk on to the development team) was clearly not prepared for the match, or if he was, for no serious action in the match. As the video shows Gabriel Agbonlahor essentially knocked Tomlinson over awkwardly, not in a foul or carless way, yet we see a player in a heap on the field.
I felt for the referee at that point. Here we have a friendly match, in fact a charity match, with teams that have mostly present and just past football stars, and a couple of celebrities that I would not call "regular" athletes. What is the referees role here? Protect the celebrities at all costs? Protect the football stars? Make it a good show for everyone? Enforce the LOTG and assure the match comports with tradition?
Yes. It is all of those things.
It is an impossible challenge that requires the balancing skills of a Wallenda.
While I can go into war stories about my most vidid experiences about friendlies between international and MLS team, or the most dangerous with Steve Nichol's Boston Bulldogs agains the "Brazil Legends" (many of the 1994 Brazil World Cup team), I will leave it at the following for each to ponder.
If you are asked to do a friendly ... or even "worse" a charity match, think very carefully about how you will comport yourself, the match, and work with the players and promoters to come to a mutually acceptable outcome.
Such matches are really fun as you rub elbows with people you likely never do, but they are the ultimate high wire act for a referee. Success can lead to better matches. Failure can lead to a quick fall.
FIFA extends Luisao's two-month ban to all competitions
FIFA has announced that it has extended the two-month ban incurred by Benfica defender Luisao to cover all competitions.
The 31-year-old was already suspended from domestic games until Nov. 14 after attacking a referee in a preseason friendly against Fortuna Dusseldorf in the summer. ...
Kicking Back Comments: I've said it before, and I'll say it again, friendly matches are not friendly, they are dangerous to referees. This incident is another good example.
Here is a true story for you. In the mid/late 1990's I was on the cusp of being a National Referee for US Soccer. I was already participating, and refereeing D3 and A-League games on a regular basis, and 4th and JAR in MLS locally.
I was asked to referee a friendly between our local A-Leage team, the Boston Bulldogs (formally Worcester Wildfire). Before taking the match I asked who the other team was, and was told it was a group of "Brazillian All Stars." Digging just a bot deeper raised no other concern for me as I was assured, and I believe not deceptively so, it was a local group of former pro's just playing friendlies.
Well, you can imagine my surprise when a significant number of players starting that day were from the 1990 Brazilian World Cup Team including, Dunga, Branco, and Bebeto.
A friendly huh.
Coaching and playing for Boston was Liverpool legend, Steve Nichol. Can you see where I'm going?
Now for sure, Steve knew it was a friendly, and even before the match we joked and laughed with each other expecting a "friendly" match. It was clear however that when the temperature got turned up a bit, he would have none of it and correctly demanded equal protection for his players.
Friendly or not, I had to send one of his players for a tackle from behind in front of the Brazilian bench, and had to caution several players from Brazil for similar tackles, and antics.
It was not friendly, and could have easily got WAY out of hand, because like it or not, athletes (current or former) compete when you mix them together. It's almost chemical.
There is no clearer example than the O-40 "beer league" I play in on Thursday night. Guys really knock the crap out of each other. Cycling (as I write this) is similar too actually. While less contact is made on the bike, it is just as intense at times.
If this match was not in control, it would have damaged my career I am afraid to say. There comes a point when even town line scrimmages for a referee can be problematic if they go sour. Always remember, referees are the "red shirts" of FIFA and US Soccer. We are, sadly, expendable.
So, when you go out to referee. Every time you go out to referee, be ready for anything. Even former World Cup stars coming out to play.
So this evening I was watching the New England Patriots play the New Orleans Saints in a pre-season gridiron football game. While not a gridiron football junkie, I do enjoy watching sometimes ... and certainly the home team whenever I can.
It got me thinking about fall and all it has to offer, including some tune up matches for some colleges or other amateur teams in the late summer, maybe even a high school match or two. It was then I remembered some advice I received a long time ago regarding such matches:
There is no such thing as a friendly match.
During these matches a referee can be at their most vulnerable. It is here that everyone involved can have the best of intentions in getting the teams together to "get the cobwebs out" or to prepare for an upcoming season. It is here however that players can lose their perspective and while not aiming to, really forget they are under the auspices of a referee.
If you accept a pre-season, scrimmage, or exhibition match, understand before hand what the expectations are. If it is a formal friendly or exhibition that is under the control of some state organization or league, chances are there is some understanding about what the expectations are and how they should be enforced. If not, you may want to find out before accepting the assignment.
That said, just because the match is not a league match does not give license to abandon the Laws Of The Game. For example, I was asked once to referee an O-30 scrimmage in my youth and "... not give any cautions". Well, you can guess what happened. I tried to oblige ... right up to the point there was a (2) footed, over the ball tackle that wound up in a fight.
Not so friendly after all.
Don't misunderstand me, there is a place for tuners. Not every match has to be a league game of some sort. Players need real game situations for practice too, and having a referee there helps. Friendlies are an essential part of what needs to happen for a team to prepare for a season or tournament.
My only point is to go into that match prepared like any other, and exercise the Laws as we have all been trained to do. Otherwise unwanted results may occur, for everyone.
