Source: Daily_Mail
Let the respect campaign begin: Remember we will be naming and shaming
SPORTSMAIL CAMPAIGNThe Stamp It Out campaign to clamp down on the abuse of referees, launched by Sportsmail, is the burning issue as the season reaches its thrilling climax. [LNB]Here top-flight bosses have their say even though the Premier League will wait until next season to punish players who transgress. [LNB]But from today we are watching and will identify the sinners. Gentlemen, you have been warned...[LNB] Feeling the heat: referee MartinAtkinson is surrounded by playersfrom Aston Villa and Tottenham inthe sort of scene the game can dowithout[LNB]CARLO ANCELOTTI - Chelsea [LNB]I try to ref every day here in training and there are a lot of people shouting against me. The worst is Nicolas Anelka, who always shouts against me! But I have a big advantage; I don't have a yellow card, I just fine the players. Who gets the money? The manager, of course! Who else would? They shout against me. I've earned a lot of money! Sometimes I try to maintain good control (on the touchline) and it's not easy necessarily to do that. [LNB]But if you think it is a problem just in the Premier League, you should look at other games and other leagues. It's worse in Italy, 100 per cent. I don't tell my players that they have to respect the referees because they know that. They know they have to respect the officials and their opponents. That's maybe the first rule of football.[LNB]Stamp it out on Twitter!Help the Daily Mail clamp down on players and managers behaving badly towards match officials on and off the pitch. Tweet us the incidents you spot here...[LNB]www.twitter.com/DMstampitout[LNB]HARRY REDKNAPP - Tottenham [LNB]It's probably better than it was (players trying to intimidate the referee). If you look back at the 1970s it was the done thing to get round the ref as a group. The most successful teams were known for doing that - the great championship-winning sides - and people said it showed how much they wanted to win. [LNB]Players want to question decisions but they should be kept away. You get nothing out of chasing referees. It's very rare that they change decisions so chasing and harassing referees is not a lot of use to anybody and it shouldn't happen. It's not an easy job, so you have to give them all the respect in the world. They do an honest job and sometimes they make mistakes. [LNB]Everyone makes mistakes. What's changed is that you get a microphone shoved in front of you within 10 minutes of a game finishing. Sometimes you say things on the spur of the moment. I think there should be a cooling-down period and maybe a chance to speak to the referee after the game.[LNB] ALEX McLEISH - Birmingham [LNB]I have impressed upon every player at Birmingham City the need to adhere to the principles of the Respect campaign. You can see, for instance, that the way players like Roger Johnson now behave towards officials shows they are learning. Of course, there is no doubt that we are all aggrieved at refereeing decisions from time to time. [LNB]Throughout my own playing career I had a good rapport with them and I try my utmost not to berate modern-day referees. In our defence, after one of the derbies against Aston Villa earlier this season, Howard Webb told me that the disciplinary side of our game was exemplary, which pleased me and showed we are making progress. You can't hide emotion in football, but it is a difficult job that they [referees] do and we should all try to understand that.[LNB] Cut it out: Harry Redknapp has ordered his Tottenham players to step in line with a new crackdown campaign[LNB] ALAN PARDEW - Newcastle [LNB]I think the FA's Respect campaign was a noble effort to address some of the issues and some of the pressures the referees are under, at least they have brought attention to it. It has highlighted the lack of respect towards officials and more importantly, not just at the professional level, but grassroots too. [LNB]The things that go on there are disgusting at times. I go and watch my cousins play and the behaviour of parents, in particular, is awful and that gets down to their sons and daughters. If the campaign has done anything, I hope it has addressed that. I am certainly a bit calmer now. I used to bang on the door a bit more and wanted to strangle a couple of them more regularly. But I am a bit calmer, although not that calm![LNB] ARSENE WENGER - Arsenal[LNB]WE all want more respect. Who would disagree with you on that? Never has anybody say they didn't want to be respected. It's a good campaign. You want respect on all fronts and sport has to be an example. We can be inspired by what happens in rugby, for example, but sometimes the referees get too close to the players as well, and they have to keep the right distance with the players.[LNB] HAVE YOUR SAY... Stamp it out! Join Sportsmail's campaign to wipe out ref rage Sportsmail has launched a campaign to crack down on abuse aimed at referees that has tainted the English game for too long. You can help us out by naming and shaming those players who continue to rage at refs. Give us your views on the campaign... TELL US WHAT YOU THINK ROBERTO MANCINI - Manchester City [LNB]The behaviour of managers and players in the Barclays Premier League is very good. If one manager can say his opinion, that is normal. I don't know why they want to see an improvement. [LNB]I think really that the managers have good behaviour - same for the players. When you play, it is normal that when you are under pressure during the game, sometimes one player can say something to the referee. That's normal. [LNB]But, for me, the Premier League is the best championship in Europe for behaviour because the players have a lot of respect for the referee, and the same for the managers.[LNB] STEVE BRUCE - Sunderland [LNB]There has to be more respect both ways. It is a difficult job and I know that just from trying to referee on the training ground. It is always competitive, there are always disputes and it is really hard work. And that's just in training. The Respect campaign worked initially but for some reason we've gone away from it and we need to find common ground.[LNB] DAVID MOYES - Everton [LNB] IN a lot of situations this year we have asked for respect from the referees and asked them to tell us why they have made a certain decision. But we have not been given that back. I do actually think managers give referees a lot of respect but I don't think managers get the same back. I'm supposed to sign something every year that is about Respect but I don't know why I sign it. Respect is a word, but people have to earn respect.[LNB] JEZ MOXEY - Wolves chief executive [LNB]We accept there is still too much haranguing of referees by players who need to show more restraint. The main culprits seem to be the more high-profile players with the so-called bigger clubs, who appear to think that they are, at times, above the law. It's outrageous for a player to turn his back on a referee when he is being booked and for players to be 'ganging-up' on officials. This behaviour is conducted so they can gain an unfair advantage over the opposition. We should eradicate this behaviour. Outward shows of disrespect should be punishable by a booking. If continued, it should result in a sending-off. In some cases two or three players might be dismissed. But the message would then get through quickly.[LNB] CLARKE CARLISLE - PFA chairman [LNB] The truth of the matter is that the actual number of incidents that occur throughout the course of a season is very low. It is just that when those incidents happen the media highlight that and it is blown out of all proportion. Respect has not failed at all.[LNB] IAN HOLLOWAY - Blackpool [LNB]We see referees on a Saturday night and they are wrong. We see camera angles that the fourth official could easily see, could quickly see. Until they actually get that right, I think the game is in a mess. The technology is there but we are not using it. Why not? Let us trial it, let's start it now. Let's get it right. It is complete nonsensical rubbish [that] we can't change it right now. Let's see a smile on everyone's faces, particularly the referees. I would hate to do their job.[LNB] ROY HODGSON - West Brom [LNB] No-one in their right mind can argue against it. Of course, we should have a Respect campaign. But maybe one day there will be a campaign also for the public to show some respect. The last person who really went out on a limb to demand respect from the public was Brian Clough. I don't think that football matches are nicer places these days to take your family. I don't believe fans think they have to show respect to anybody, be they players, coaches, the referees - but we never mention that. Maybe one day there will be a campaign for them to show more respect, too. [LNB] Leave them alone! Harry backs Sportsmail campaign to end Premier League ref rage Graham Poll: Show some Respect... this abuse of referees must end nowDavid Bernstein: Dissent declined with Respect campaign but it's not enoughMatt Lawton: No excuses - let's remove this stain on our proud game[LNB] [LNB] Explore more:People: Brian Clough, Ian Holloway, Steve Bruce, David Moyes, Harry Redknapp, Roy Hodgson, Roberto Mancini, Roger Johnson, Nicolas Anelka, Carlo Ancelotti Places: Newcastle, Birmingham, Italy, Europe
