It would be bad enough if this only affected football itself, but that is not so. The millions who watch are clearly influenced, and for the worse, by what takes place on the field of play. In the days after the Second World War, when I stood on the terraces of Middlesbrough’s Ayresome Park, the cheating that is now rife was virtually unknown. The home supporters, with whom visitors min- gled in a sporting, friendly spirit, would applaud a goal scored by the visitors, some- thing unheard of today. The segregated spectators these days are


more likely to shout foul-mouthed insults at opponents. Before the recent England v. Wales game, home supporters whistled throughout the Welsh national anthem, dis- regarding a loudspeaker request that it be respected. A particularly offensive form of crowd


behaviour is the mass singing of racial abuse directed at opposing players or managers. Despite the efforts of campaigns like Kick Racism Out of Football, and the adverse pub- licity caused by disputes such as the race row involving QPR player Anton Ferdinand and England and Chelsea captain John Terry, racism still lingers in the stands. A simple remedy would be to require the next home match to be played behind closed doors. It is football’s influence on the young that should be of greatest concern, above all with those of us concerned with their upbringing and education. Players are hero-worshipped by youngsters and, if those heroes give the message that winning games by cheating is OK and referees are undeserving of respect, you do not need a degree in child psychology to know what the effect is likely to be. And if cheating is acceptable in football, doesn’t that imply that it is in other aspects of life too? Clearly, in the interests of the game and those of the wider society this state of affairs must not be allowed to continue. If the bodies responsible nationally and


internationally


were so minded, a few simple rule changes could bring about a transformation. One idea would be the intro- duction of referrals to a second referee with access to TV monitor replays. The benefit of such a proposal is already evident in other sports, such as in last winter’s Ashes series in Australia and the recent Rugby League Challenge Cup final between Leeds Rhinos and Wigan Warriors, which showcased that sport. Other simple changes could include the awarding of yellow cards for any form of dissent and the coupling of 15 minutes in a rugby-style sin bin with the present sanctions which those cards incur. The football authorities, however, have repeatedly shown that they have no intention of introducing such changes, offering instead the excuse that they would simply interrupt the game. Nor can we expect managers or directors to give a lead – as well as being complicit they too seem to prefer what they


call “flowing” to “fair” football. Perhaps par- liamentarians and especially the Secretaries of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, and for Education, might give a lead as Ministers have done in Scotland – though there they have the additional vicious element of sectarian bigotry. So too might journalists. Such initiatives are long overdue. The widespread acceptance of cheating in football presents a challenge to teachers and especially to those who teach sport. It is they who must inculcate the values of fairness, truthfulness and respect for opponents in their charges. Above all, they need to teach their pupils that how they play a sport is a moral issue, a matter of conscience, and that cheating is wrong; that the spirit in which they play is even more important than the skills they practise. For those with talent to progress to the professional game, those val- ues, if learned, will immediately come under pressure and may well be ridiculed. There is, thankfully, one influential voice


which has been raised to call for an end to the present sorry state of affairs. Gordon Taylor, the admirable chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association, has called for young entrants to be shown “the true meaning of sportsmanship”. He has also called for rule changes, such


as the introduction of the aforementioned sin bins, and for players to recognise that they have social responsibility as role models for the young. But will his words ever be heeded? As the new season opened, the Premier


If cheating is acceptable in football, doesn’t that imply that it is in other aspects of life too?


League issued a call, strongly supported by Taylor, for players and managers to show restraint and respect for match officials. Yet in the first week of the season, in the Newcastle v. Arsenal match, several players from each side squared up to each other like rival gangs, totally ignoring the referee. Joey Barton, then of Newcastle, the agent provo- cateur of the episode, fell as though poleaxed when slapped on the cheek by an opponent. The following week there was a similar brawl involving Sunderland


and Newcastle players. TV


pictures showed Sebastian Larsson of Sunderland using his hand to prevent a goal and, as the unsighted referee went to consult his assistant, Larsson ran across gesticulating that the ball had struck his face. So much for respect and the spirit of the game. What sort of role models for the young are these present-day players? Very different, clearly, from that of Sir Bobby Charlton. And what of the game itself? Football, often described as “the beautiful game”, has long been called our national sport. In its present sorry state is it not, in reality, a national dis- grace and more aptly called the ugly game?


■John Mulholland is chairman of governors at Blessed Thomas Holford Catholic College, Altrincham, and a trustee of Shrewsbury Diocese.


Website: www.emmauscentre.org.uk 12 November 2011 | THE TABLET | 9


“No one can speak about justice who is not fi rst seen to be just. So the Church must examine herself and the way she acts”


On the 40th anniversary of the International Synod of Bishops on


Justice in the World its message about poverty, peace, education for justice, and the Church’s duty to practise what it preaches remains fresh and urgent.


Our World and You


is a new summary of Justice in the World published by Columban JPIC, National Justice & Peace Network and Pax Christi.


£2.00 including postage from: Pax Christi, St Joseph’s, Watford Way, London NW4 4TY 0208 203 4884 www.paxchristi.org.uk


Layhams Road, West Wickham, Kent BR4 9HH Tel: 020 8777 2000 Fax: 020 8776 2022 enquiries@emmauscentre.org.uk


Calendar of Events


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40