‘I cannot live without it’: grassroots referees on passion and handling abuse

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The new film In the Middle shows officials are not safe, with Premier League behaviour influencing actions across football’s pyramid

Let’s be honest, Paolo Di Canio pushing over Paul Alcock; Manchester United players hunting a backpedalling Andy D’Urso; Aleksandar Mitrovic’s tantrum at Old Trafford, punished by an eight-game ban: not the least hilarious things we have seen.

And why shouldn’t we laugh? Though being aggressively confronted by professional athletes must be stressful, elite referees know they are safe, so the aggravation is simply due punishment for their effrontery in seeking power, just part of the show and good, clean fun.

Continue reading...

from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/apr/09/grassroots-referee-mitrovic-in-the-middle

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