Over Hill, Over Dale - Tuesday 14th February (H)

[TANGODANCER]

Bookings for celebrating are pathetic. What's the point. Absolute jobsworth nonsense.

Such is the circus that is football today...Rugby players regularly boot the ball into the crowd...

[officer_dibble]

Aye fcking ref has done us there. Where was he from, the cnut?

Re Trotter I think he's a better player in games we need to press the ball less. Away at Bradford or Sheff U there is a better chance we'll fall behind or be under the cosh and need to block shots etc. I said previously when we redponded to going behind at home he may have been a better substitute than a forward because he uses the ball better when we have possession.

If I was picking a team for Sat and we had no suspensions I would be tempted with going back to Spearing/Thorpe as holding mids.

Maybe we could go to 4231, with Derik and Thorpe as holding mids. feck knows who plays right back then though!

[BWFC_Insane]

Aye fcking ref has done us there. Where was he from, the cnut?

Re Trotter I think he's a better player in games we need to press the ball less. Away at Bradford or Sheff U there is a better chance we'll fall behind or be under the cosh and need to block shots etc. I said previously when we redponded to going behind at home he may have been a better substitute than a forward because he uses the ball better when we have possession.

If I was picking a team for Sat and we had no suspensions I would be tempted with going back to Spearing/Thorpe as holding mids.

Maybe we could go to 4231, with Derik and Thorpe as holding mids. feck knows who plays right back then though!

Agree entirely. When we have a lot of the ball Trotter is comfortably the best passer in our midfield.

However when under pressure he just gets swamped as he doesn't have the speed of thought or action to cope.

[Bruce Rioja]

Bookings for celebrating are pathetic. What's the point. Absolute jobsworth nonsense.

Really? The ref's doing his job - he doesn't invent the laws of the game. Maybe in legal circles these days you can shift the rules of law to suit the actions of your defendant, Pru. Can you ?

What I saw was a highly experienced footballer, one who knows full well that he's one booking short of a two game ban, get himself banned for nothing other than a totally pathetic, unbelievably unprofessional act, one for which he knew he'd pick up another booking that see him ruled out for games against two of our absolute rivals at a pivotal time of the season. Maybe he was looking for a weekend in Es Paradis again instead? How else could this be explained?

Anything other than recognising that Spearing has just let every single one of us down enormously through pathetic imbecility.

Not having a go at you, mate, but I'm absolutely exasperated with Spearing's silly action.

[Peter Thompson]

Bookings for celebrating are pathetic. What's the point. Absolute jobsworth nonsense.

Really? The ref's doing his job - he doesn't invent the laws of the game. Maybe in legal circles these days you can shift the rules of law to suit the actions of your defendant, Pru. Can you ?

What I saw was a highly experienced footballer, one who knows full well that he's one booking short of a two game ban, get himself banned for nothing other than a totally pathetic, unbelievably unprofessional act, one for which he knew he'd pick up another booking that see him ruled out for games against two of our absolute rivals at a pivotal time of the season. Maybe he was looking for a weekend in Es Paradis again instead? How else could this be explained?

Anything other than recognising that Spearing has just let every single one of us down enormously through pathetic imbecility.

Not having a go at you, mate, but I'm absolutely exasperated with Spearing's silly action.

Completely agree with Bruce on this....

As Bruce said perhaps he's got another mid season Ibiza weekend break booked - for an experienced 'so called' professional its shocking, and if I was Parkinson I'd be fuming at Spearing

[BWFC_Insane]

It's possible to consider Spearing a bit unprofessional, whilst at the same time thinking the rules are dogshit.

That's where I am at least. Frankly we've all done stupid things in the heat of the moment. He should know better though.

[Prufrock]

I'm not sure that is a booking by the rules. It might well be, I genuinely don't know. What's he booked him "for"?

Assuming it is, it's possible to think Spearing is an idiot for doing it whilst also thinking the rules are pathetic. We've just scored a v late winner in a big game, I want players to be going mental. We're always saying they don't care enough. What "harm" that booking is supposed to prevent is beyond me.

[Bruce Rioja]

Players taking their shirts off doesn't cause any "harm" either, but players know that they'll be booked for doing it, so why do it?

[Nicko58]

Players taking their shirts off doesn't cause any "harm" either, but players know that they'll be booked for doing it, so why do it?

I don't know whether he actually knew that he would've been booked for doing what he did, though. Fair enough if it was for taking his shirt of or for running into the crowd to celebrate, but since when has kicking a ball into the stands been a bookable offence?

[Bruce Rioja]

Players taking their shirts off doesn't cause any "harm" either, but players know that they'll be booked for doing it, so why do it?

I don't know whether he actually knew that he would've been booked for doing what he did, though. Fair enough if it was for taking his shirt of or for running into the crowd to celebrate, but since when has kicking a ball into the stands been a bookable offence?

How is kicking the ball away before a restart any different from kicking the ball away before a free kick?

[Lord Kangana]

Players taking their shirts off doesn't cause any "harm" either, but players know that they'll be booked for doing it, so why do it?

Is where I'm at. Its a known known.

[Bruce Rioja]

CAUTIONABLE OFFENCES

A player is cautioned if guilty of:

delaying the restart of play
dissent by word or action
entering, re-entering or deliberately leaving the field of play without the referee’s permission
failing to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a corner kick, free kick or throw-in
persistent infringement of the Laws of the Game (no specific number or pattern of infringements constitutes “persistent”)
unsporting behaviour

[Nicko58]

Players taking their shirts off doesn't cause any "harm" either, but players know that they'll be booked for doing it, so why do it?

I don't know whether he actually knew that he would've been booked for doing what he did, though. Fair enough if it was for taking his shirt of or for running into the crowd to celebrate, but since when has kicking a ball into the stands been a bookable offence?

How is kicking the ball away before a restart any different from kicking the ball away before a free kick?

Probably because it would've been done in dissent or to waste time. I doubt that Spearing had either of those intentions when he kicked that ball. If the referee deemed him guilty of delaying the restart of play then he might as well start booking players for celebrating full stop, after all doesn't celebrating a goal delay the restart of play?

[Bruce Rioja]

Players taking their shirts off doesn't cause any "harm" either, but players know that they'll be booked for doing it, so why do it?

I don't know whether he actually knew that he would've been booked for doing what he did, though. Fair enough if it was for taking his shirt of or for running into the crowd to celebrate, but since when has kicking a ball into the stands been a bookable offence?

How is kicking the ball away before a restart any different from kicking the ball away before a free kick?

Probably because it would've been done in dissent or to waste time. I doubt that Spearing had either of those intentions when he kicked that ball. If the referee deemed him guilty of delaying the restart of play then he might as well start booking players for celebrating full stop, after all doesn't celebrating a goal delay the restart of play?

I imagine that it was possibly also to do with accumulation. Spearing is constantly the one who delays our opponents from taking free kicks etc by walking away with the ball under his arm before dropping it elsewhere. Mate, make all the excuses you like for him but when I see our club captain who's an integral part of our side acting like a cock whilst on 5 bookings (or whatever it is) ahead of two crucial games at a pivotal part of our season then it's not the ref that I'll be calling out on this one.

[Prufrock]

I thought the taking off of shirts ban was because it was thought "unseemly". Daft, but there's an identifiable "harm". Even FIFA dont make up rules completely arbitrarily, even if their "reasons" are sometimes daft. For the record, I don't think taking your shirt off should be a booking either.

There's clearly a difference between kicking the ball away when someone is trying to take a free-kick, it being dissent/gaining an advantage. There's no way what Spearing did "delayed the restart", there's 15k people in seats around the pitch ready to chuck it back. I wasn't there but I'd be *astonished* if that ball wasn't back at the centre-circle before our lot were back lined up after their celebration. If that was the reason the whole lot of the should've been booked for having a group cuddle for a minute instead of sprinting back with a Bobby Moore handshake.

But in any case, it's the rules I'm really having a pop at rather than defending Spearing. They're fecking stupid. I understand banning people going into the crowd (safety) or inciting away fans, but we should be encouraging that sort of passion when you score a last minute winner in a local derby.

As for Spearing, I don't think it's that clear cut. I'm seen people nice person the ball into the crowd before after a goal and don't remember seeing them booked so I'm not sure he would have known he'd get it (could be wrong though and just not noticed). It's different to the shirt off rule anyway which is clear cut. I think that's a fecking ridiculous rule too, but anyone who gets booked wants fining because that one you absolutely do know. I'm not sure here.

If it is a rule it's still ridiculous, mind.

[Bruce Rioja]

I won't be hiring you anytime soon then. The law is an ass but it still needs upholding. Had Spearing not been such a prick then none of this would have arisen anyway.

I do recall that it was you who raised the point when I bleated about being done for going 37 in a 30 on an open stretch of road that it wasn't down to me as to which laws I could choose to obey.

I await footage of players booting the ball into the crowd as part of a goal celebration 10 minutes from the end of a game and getting away with it also.

[Prufrock]

I'm with you on the principle, I'm just not sure it *is* clear here. As I say, I'm sure I've seen players kicking the ball into the crowd celebrating and don't remember seeing any booked. The only way Spearing is a prick is if he knows he's going to/is likely to get booked for that.

It's more than possible that it is in fact standard for those players to get booked and I've just missed it and therefore Spearing should have known. If so, then yes he's an idiot.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Look on his face afterwards tells me he knew he'd been a dick. A bit like when a scouser is wondering if anyone saw the flat screen tv go up his jumper.

[Hoboh]

I'd hazard a guess the opposing team who have just gone behind might not been to enthusiastic about his actions either given you are usually at one of the most vulnerable points just after scoring and they needed a 'quick' reply.
Nope, he's let himself and us down badly and I hope the club fine him.

[Jugs]

I won't be hiring you anytime soon then. The law is an ass but it still needs upholding. Had Spearing not been such a prick then none of this would have arisen anyway.

Bit harsh that mate