Sometimes its frustrates me that football is run by people that don’t seem to understand the game. They don’t understand the passion that it evokes, and how important it is to both players and spectators. Season after season, I witness moments on the football pitch where bad decisions are made, and whether or not those decisions end up being pivotal, it annoys me that they could have been prevented.
One such moment that certainly wasn’t pivotal, occurred on Sunday afternoon in the match at the Reebok Stadium. Bolton’s Tamir Cohen was brought on for the final five minutes against Arsenal, and from a corner in the final minute, he headed home the winning goal. In honour of his late father Avi Cohen (a former Liverpool player) who was killed in a motorcycle accident, he took his shirt off to reveal a t-shirt with a picture of his father.
A poignant moment. However, referee Mike Jones was forced to caution the Israeli as removing your shirt is a bookable offence. I don’t blame the referee; I’m sure failure to show the yellow card would have resulted in Jones getting suitably punished for not following the guidelines.
In this instance, Cohen’s booking was irrelevant. Bolton won the game, and it was a fitting tribute to Avi Cohen. But what if there were different circumstances? What if it was a cup final, with thirty minutes remaining, and Cohen had already been booked? Referees can’t be sentimental, and surely it should make no difference what the scenario is. Therefore, he would have been sent off for displaying a genuine moment of emotion. Even if a player takes their shirt off for no real purpose other than to express passion, why is it deemed an offence worthy of a yellow card?
FIFA don’t know.
Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct: "A player who removes his jersey when celebrating a goal must be cautioned for unsporting behaviour."
Yes we know that, but why?
FIFA don’t know.
Baring the torso? Potentially revealing something offensive underneath? Time-wasting? Inciting the crowd?! They all seem very unlikely and utterly ridiculous. Yet this is a rule which could play a major role in a game of football.
Here’s poor Eric Hassli, striker for the world famous Vancouver Whitecaps, getting a second yellow card for removing his shirt after scoring a penalty. (Hilariously, he has an identical shirt underneath to try and get away with it!)
There are some rules in football which I disagree with, but can sort-of understand why they exist. If you jump into the crowd to celebrate a goal, fans could possibly get crushed as they rush down to celebrate with the goalscorer. Therefore you deserve to get booked for risking the safety of the fans.
But I don’t believe there is any risk involved with removing ones shirt. It’s a moment of passion, and I can only assume that the people who make the rules don’t know what that is. They certainly don’t know what it’s like to score a goal.
I’m just glad that Tamir Cohen's had the opportunity to pay tribute to his father. And it only cost him a yellow card.
No comments:
Post a Comment