Source: Daily_Mail
Players and managers face crackdown on behaviour
Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore has warned players and managers they will be met with severe punishment if they show disrespect to referees this season.[LNB] On Thusrday Scudamore revealed all clubs, managers and referees had been in talks over the summer aimed at stamping out the indiscipline which blighted the English game last year.[LNB] No more: Premier League want to stop players attempting to intimidate refs[LNB] Scenes of players surrounding referees were still commonplace last term and indiscipline was not just confined to the pitch, with Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson finding himself in trouble with the league for his on-camera tirade against referee Martin Atkinson.[LNB] Scudamore announced this afternoon that a new 'reinvigoration' of the 'Get on with the game' initiative launched three years ago had been agreed by all parties this summer.[LNB] The main aims of the new directive are to eradicate disrespectful behaviour towards match officials, stop players surrounding referees or turning their backs on them, and promote respect between officials and managers during and after games.[LNB] Any refusal to adhere to such laws will be not be tolerated, Scudamore warned.[LNB] 'We`ve gone to the Professional Game Match Officials Board (PGMOB) and asked them what will help them,' he said.[LNB] 'We came up with a reduction in disrespectful behaviour towards match officials, turning backs on referees and we don`t want players surrounding referees, as well as the conduct of managers.[LNB] Under orders: Managers must respect referees[LNB] 'We don't want players surrounding match officials. That will be dealt with more severely this season than it was the last.[LNB] 'In post-match interviews we don`t want to stamp out constructive criticism. If a manager thinks a referee has got something wrong then he is perfectly entitled to say that, but it's more about the colour and the disrespectful language.'[LNB] The promise of a crackdown will inevitably be met with some scepticism given that many similar campaigns have so far failed to stop such incidents in the English game.[LNB] Scudamore is confident it will work, however.[LNB] 'My confidence is borne out of discussions we had over the summer,' he said.[LNB] 'It's the first time we've met with all the players together. We met with [Professional Footballers' Association chief executive] Gordon Taylor, representatives of players from all the clubs. That was very positive.[LNB] 'They to a man said the relationship between the referees and players had improved since the 2008 launch.[LNB] 'They were keen to make sure we didn't throw all those things out. The players themselves understand.[LNB] 'All the managers have been to pre-season meetings - again, very very constructive.[LNB] 'Of course we're all waiting on the first incident - there are always going to be incidents. We're looking to reduce the incidents, but we won't eliminate them.'[LNB] West Brom manager Roy Hodgson admits managers have a responsibility to make sure they keep their end of the bargain.[LNB] 'Referees are an integral part of our game and sometimes we are less kind to them than we should be,' he said.[LNB] 'We all make mistakes, managers, players and referees.[LNB] 'If we are caught out letting our emotions run away with us, we all know the day after we are wrong and that we shouldn't do it.[LNB] 'These initiatives are really important and we really need to stress it.'[LNB] Football Association chairman David Bernstein gave his backing to the campaign, stressing the importance of footballers being good role models.[LNB] He said: 'On the pitch behaviour is so important - both directly in the way it affects youngsters playing football but also in terms of wider behaviour.'[LNB] Spurs v Everton off as Premier League consider bringing kick-offs forward after riotsLa Liga on strike! Casillas and Puyol among stars to protest over emergency pay dispute[LNB] [LNB]
