Even before the recent Olympics; and as demonstrated by earlier blogs over the past year (see SPORT category - right) Association Football (to give it its proper title) is becoming less and less attractive from my personal point of view. At my time of life, most of my 'participation' in sport is restricted to watching it on TV; and, more than once over the past year, I've remarked on how - given the choice - I have found that watching Rugby Union, for example, has become far more appealing than football.
There are a variety of reasons for this and many of them are contained in this excellent article. Interestingly, however, it doesn't deal with some of the issues which have contributed towards my own disenchantment; and that is what I can only describe as cheating - and, going on from that, the failure of the authorities to address the problem. Cheating, by the way, comes in many forms (far too many to mention in a single blog) but I mean things like shirt-pulling or elbowing, but - put simply - anything contrary to the rules of the game.
The greatest problem, however IMHO, arises from actions designed to mislead (or 'fool') officials. In particular, diving or feigning an injury - especially those perceived to have been caused by an opponent which could lead to a penalty or a dismissal. Worse still, I find the practice of surrounding officials - often in a threatening manner - whilst attempting to influence decisions is disgraceful and, probably more than anything else, highlights a fundamental difference between football and rugby (both codes) where the decision of the referee is final. The notion, for example, that an eighteen-stone prop forward could call a referee, "a f*****g whatever" - and face no disciplinary action is completely out of the question.
Sadly, despite murmurs from that direction, I don't have very much confidence that the English F.A. is likely to do anything to resolve the problem; and, insofar as FIFA are concerned, who could take seriously any organisation that thinks that England are the third best footballing nation in the world?
There are a variety of reasons for this and many of them are contained in this excellent article. Interestingly, however, it doesn't deal with some of the issues which have contributed towards my own disenchantment; and that is what I can only describe as cheating - and, going on from that, the failure of the authorities to address the problem. Cheating, by the way, comes in many forms (far too many to mention in a single blog) but I mean things like shirt-pulling or elbowing, but - put simply - anything contrary to the rules of the game.
The greatest problem, however IMHO, arises from actions designed to mislead (or 'fool') officials. In particular, diving or feigning an injury - especially those perceived to have been caused by an opponent which could lead to a penalty or a dismissal. Worse still, I find the practice of surrounding officials - often in a threatening manner - whilst attempting to influence decisions is disgraceful and, probably more than anything else, highlights a fundamental difference between football and rugby (both codes) where the decision of the referee is final. The notion, for example, that an eighteen-stone prop forward could call a referee, "a f*****g whatever" - and face no disciplinary action is completely out of the question.
Sadly, despite murmurs from that direction, I don't have very much confidence that the English F.A. is likely to do anything to resolve the problem; and, insofar as FIFA are concerned, who could take seriously any organisation that thinks that England are the third best footballing nation in the world?