Chairman’s Comments. Spring 2015
Just when the League seems to be running without too many problems, along comes a Sunday morning where quite a lot of disruption and trouble crops up out of the blue, and Sunday, the 15th. of March, was such a Sunday.
The first sign that all was not well was when a player approached the changing rooms at some pace and appeared to be extremely angry with life in general, his anger was directed towards the official in charge of his game and his interpretation of the referees language used towards him was that it was racist.
Exactly what the referee had said wasn’t clear to me, and I must say that I would be very surprised if any of our referees had used the type of language as the player described. We do have occasional problems regarding complaints about referees but it is very rare that we get any notification of a referee using any kind of racist language even when tempers are boiling over.
The main problem regarding this incident is that it was played out very loudly right in front of families of women and children who were watching a Camden Sunday League Cup Final on Show Pitch number one in front of the Hackney Marsh centre, and quite frankly it showed up our League in a vey bad light. Fortunately Jermaine, our Referees’ Secretary, led the player in question away from the scene and calmed him down.
Jermaine handled the whole situation perfectly and therefore the whole incident didn’t get out of control, but it just goes to show that this question of racist tension seems to still be around after all these years, and although great strides have been made in getting all sections of the community to participate in our great game in a league that we are proud to be a part of, it is obvious that more has to be done to convince people that nothing is perfection and we as a Management Committee have always insisted that respect and sportsmanship is utmost in our principles and we would expect all or members, clubs and players, to be on their best behaviour and not give any observers the opportunity to criticise the Hackney & Leyton League.
That was the first incident to give us a headache last Sunday, but there were others and if they come at all they usually flair up as the games finish and the teams and officials arrive back in the changing room area. As probably you all know, Ted, Alec, and myself are mostly seated at a table in the foyer, and we are taking the scores, the referees cards, team sheets, and Alec, ,if he is lucky, will be taking money owed to the league which was promised to be paid to him after the games. All this is hard enough given the chaotic nature of a crowded foyer, but we often have to listen to individuals moaning about the official in charge of their game, and how bad they were.
Well this same Sunday was one of those sort of days and we had to listen to an almighty row about how a referee had allowed a goal to stand after the game should have finished when apparently it was well over the time. This hullabaloo continued unabated whilst we were trying to do our particular jobs, and poor Alec in particular was trying to listen to people coming up to the table with money towards what they owed for permits and fines. The referee involved and the manager of the team continued at some length and it was a quite heated argument that I became involved in when asked to turn over the referee’s decision regarding the award of a goal in the so called extra time.
Now I realise how upsetting this type of incident can be and how it can effect a team and their Manager or Secretary, and even if I was sympathetic to their cause and the reason they were upset, I can’t possibly overturn a referees decision and rule out a goal, or even order a replay as was suggested, and to debate such a situation round our table in front of all the other teams, members of the general public, the Marshes Rangers and staff, just wasn’t the place and time, and even though I have known the team Manager involved for many long years and respect his passion for the game and his sheer hard work and history of running his club, all this and the fact that I really like him doesn’t alter the fact that as the League’s Chairman I have to make decisions that follow rules and procedures and there is no grey area where I could possibly alter a referees decision, and all the disturbance around our table was a complete waste of time and a hindrance to our organisational efforts, and I am sorry to say these disturbances shouldn’t happen at all as we only have Sunday mornings to deal with most of the League’s business.
Whilst on the subject of referees, most of you understand that the job they do has many pitfalls, and I hope everyone makes allowances for the fact that they have no assistants to help them, especially when it come to the offside law as it is at present. It was bad enough in the old days, but now and since the rule has been changed I assume we all struggle to understand it. For instance how many goals have stood when there is an opposition player standing in an offside position and obstructing the keepers’ vision. How can that player not be interfering with play?
In my opinion FIFA have largely created a different game from the one I knew as a player and referees have a far more difficult job interpreting the present day laws. I realise that they sometimes make mistakes, don’t we all? but just look at the televised fixtures we see every week and the cock ups that those referees make. And for another thing, I hate to see players who try to get another player a yellow or even a red card. It didn’t happen in the old days, mainly because it was rare to receive a caution. There were the occasional reds handed out, but nothing like the numbersissued these days.
So please ease off a bit and try to evaluate calmly your referee’s performance when marking him, and even more, think twice before you give us a headache right after the game. If you have a real complaint regarding your referee, write your relevant points on the back of your team sheet and hand it in. You may not realise it but our League, through Jermaine, are proud of the fact that a league of our size provides a referee for almost 100% of our games
On a completely different note, our first cup final was Boroughs United versus Wojak Sunday for the H&L Junior Cup. It proved to be a very hard fought battle which went to extra time and penalties, and as per usual one poor soul happens to miss his spot kick and his unfortunate error loses the cup, in this case it was Wojak Sunday FC. However both teams were a credit to the League and the game was played in the best example of sportsmanship.
So congratulations to both those clubs. The second final once again was contested by Boroughs United in the Jack Morgan Cup Final and this time their opponents were Delta Athletic. Once again, as in the previous Final the game went to extra time and penalties but this time the spoils went to Delta Athletic. It was a tremendous game and again it was bad luck on the team who missed their penalties. They must have had the same feelings as their opponents in the previous final, but again, both teams were a credit to the league.
Our third final, for the Albert Daniels Senior Cup was contested by FC Bartlett against Young London Meteors. Previously both teams had competed in hard fought semi finals which went to penalties so the competition to win this Cup was quite hot.As you would expect, both clubs fielded what appeared to be their strongest line ups and the encounter was vey skilful although quite physical throughout the game with the superior possession switching from one team to the other. It was almost spoilt near the end when a nasty tackle upset players on both sides as well as some angry supporters on the line.
The ensuing outburst seem to be dragging on far too long for my liking and I made my way to the referee and told him that I wouldn’t blame him if he abandoned the game, but to my surprise and my gratitude, the referee who was Dave Bushell, said he could handle it, and handle it he did with the capable back up of his assistants who were also excellent throughout the whole game.
Bartlett FC won this final and I think they just about deserved it on the day although it was a shame that it had to be marked down by a show of bad temper.
We have the two biggest Finals to come at the end of May, different Sundays of course, and let us make these two finals great sporting occasions whoever the finalists are, especially the Jack Walpole Cup which honours Jack, our much loved former colleague and long serving General Secretary. We always expect his family to attend and hope they enjoy the experience of the day we set aside for their Dear Father and Grandad.
Just a final note that ends my comments in a positive way, AT LAST THE EAST MARSH IS BACK, only nearer 2 years later than everyone promised and with no facilities, but surprisingly everyone who has played on the new pitches has said they’re marvellous and so far not mentioned the lack of facilities. Mind you that’s OK for now with the weather a bit better, but it may prove a bigger problem in the ice, snow, rain and gales. But as I have previously stated, even if money for new facilities was provided, the busy body ever increasing user groups would scream blue murder and oppose everything and anything on what they consider is their Marshes. And of course they are liable to think they can get money off of the council to plot another so-called edible garden on our pitches, just like the character who is the Chairman of the militant Mabley Green User Group, and the council listens to their rubbish, you couldn’t make it up!
Best regards to all as usual, and enjoy the rest of the season.
Johnnie