In the aftermath of a flurry of Premier League managers being pulled up for daring to praise a referee prior to a game, what would happen if one took it upon themselves to give the FA bigwigs a bell and clarify the situation…
Manager: Hi, just after your help in clarifying what I am able to say about referees before games? Wouldn’t want to be getting into trouble, so what am I allowed to say and what am I not?
FA: You are not allowed to comment on the referee before a game.
Manager: So what if I’m asked in a press conference what I think about him? Do I just say ‘no comment’?
FA: No, because that would sound like you had negative feelings towards him. ‘No comment’ is a phrase often used to show disgust at a subject. It would be disrespecting the referee.
Manager: How about if I just remain silent if I’m asked?
FA: Hmm. It would depend on how you managed the silence and the length of it.
Manager: What do you mean?
FA: Well if the silence was unnecessary prolonged it could become humorous and as such disrespect the referee. If the silence was too short and you moved onto the next question quickly it could be construed that you were being dismissive of referees and their role in the game.
Manager: I don’t think I can pull that off, and I’m not allowed to praise him?
FA: That’s correct. You are not allowed to praise a referee before a game.
Manager: So when asked could I just say he was an average referee?
FA: No, our referees are anything but average having been selected to be part of an elite.
Manager: Ah right so I’ll simply say he’s part of an elite.
FA: No, that would be praise and as such could be seen as an effort to influence the referee.
Manager: How about if I say he’s just like all the referees as they’re all the same?
FA: That could be interpreted as a negative reaction to referees and stereotyping. All referees are not the same, they are individuals and should be respected as such.
Manager: I’ve got an idea. How about I just keep to facts? I could just say ‘Ah that referee gave us a penalty and sent a player off last time we had him’ or ‘He had a quiet game last time with us, no cards’. Then I’m not giving an opinion just facts everyone already knows.
FA: Absolutely not. You could be inferring the referee was too quick to make decisions or alternatively was apprehensive of making decisions. Either way you could be undermining some aspect of his refereeing.
Manager: I can see this is going to be difficult. I may just refuse to do any pre-match press conferences for fear of saying the wrong thing.
FA: You can’t do that. You must do pre-match press conferences.
Manager: Whilst I’m on the phone could I ask whether you’ve decided who the FA are going to support in the FIFA elections? How you’re getting on saving the grassroots game? Whether you’ve earmarked a successor for the national job rather than leaving it until the last minute?
FA: I’m afraid we haven’t got around to any of that yet. Far too busy.
———
Written by The Mirror’s Annie Eaves. Follow her on Twitter.
Man Utd News 24/7
Fergie can’t avoid FA charges as they make the rules up in response to anything he does. Other managers avoid charges by not being Fergie.
Brilliant
Absolutely spot on.
FA = Fusking Arseholes
Spot on. That’s how ridiculously bureaucratic the FA is!
Very funny.
haha
spot on
I’ve been a United fan for 30 years and it is becoming more and more apparent through the FA and the media that its one rule for everyone else and completely arbitrary when dealing with United…
Just waiting to see what the FA will do about Rooney’s banter on twitter now…
6 month ban anyone?
Manager: so if I cant actually speak about referees, what if I just think my comments about them?
FA: That’s fine, nobody can stop you thinking things about referees.
Manager: Thats good then, I ‘think’ Howard Webb is a cunt!
@Red Simmo
F*cking quality
next thing is thought crime though…
the FA already know what SAF thinks of them…
Hahahaha brilliant article! Hypocrites, the lot of em, honestly
Easy. get rid of the fa. we will all be better off.
Brilliant stuff.
another thing about the fa i don’t get is fines for fielding a weakened side,teams have to pick a 1st team squad and then the fa fines a team for fielding a weak team,surley if the player is in the squad he’s good enough to play isn’t that the point of having the squad in the 1st place don’t understand the logic at all.
Top article -checkle, chuckle
Fucking cunts.
I could well imagine that conversation being had in reality . Lol .
@ wayne
Your not alone in wondering that .
this is mint!
http://www.themondaysupplement.co.uk/news/faces-of-city-shocking-before-and-after-photos-show-how-supporting-man-city-takes-devastating-toll-on-faces-of-fans/
Speaking of managers.. Phil Nev made an interesting comment on the future management of Utd..
Suggesting Giggsy or Red Nev as possible candidates to be mentored and groomed for the role..
Personally, I could see Giggsy striding the touch line!
Goodness, Red Nev as gaffer! Imagine the reaction towards fans if we score at an away game with him on the touchline!
Spot on!! This shows just how ridiculous the rule is.
Hahaha, STR this is right out of the top drawer man!
ABU press at it again. Trying to sell papers by trying to get them to charge Roo for a war of words on twitter with a stupid dipper fan. They fail to mention what caused rooney’s anger as well. When some random scouse rat is attacking you on twitter do you we expect to sit back and let them have a go at you? I DEFINITELY WON’T because i’m a “star” doesn’t mean that I have to take being abused. I love rooney for the way he replied to them all. FUCKING BASTARDS.
Has anybody else noticed the date today? It’s the 19th….nnnnnnnnnnnnnn 19th!!!
Fed up with the FA. they’re not worth my time. Bunch of ballbags.
Better question. How would the FA comment on this, keeping in mind that everyone is listening. The FA wouldn’t want to take sides either, but they should comment.
Hey FA, careful how you answer. You don’t want to be any more of an idiot than you already are.
F.A = fucking arseholes
Brilliant STR, looks like you took a page out of MG’s notes
Messi says ChichaRooney could play for Barca and that United vs Barca is the dream final: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/players/lionel-messi/8523106/Lionel-Messi-says-Barcelona-playing-Manchester-United-is-the-dream-Champions-League-final.html
Hehe!
Tyue best way to avoid FA charges is not to manage Manchester United.
A great article on Paul Scholes:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/may/19/paul-scholes-manchester-united-possible-retirement?
Player of the Year Chicharito
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkJnvk1Hc7
Interview Chicharito PY
Is bigger than me!! ha ha ha
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-3zL68G_Mw&feature=related
Oh what a wacky craaaazy set of lads at Citeh. Fuck off Nigel. Seems Mancini says he is staying yet the players aint so sure. Fucking comedy club:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1388657/Carlos-Tevez-mad-Manchester-City-tries-leave-says-Nigel-De-Jong.html
Come to United, get charged by the FA.
Win Trophies, get charged by the FA.
Play fair, get charged by the FA.
Complement the quality of referees, get charged by the FA.
Act the complete gentleman, get charged by the FA.
Costas – Hello mate. Cheers for that link, yes its a good article isnt it. I actually quite like Daniel Taylor’s pieces. He is usually quite complimentary to United. A couple of years ago I was calling him a babyfaced little cunt!
United4Eva – Hi mate. Find Messi a hypocritical cunt to be honest. Only a couple of months back he said it was between them, Madrid and fucking Chelsea.
This Seasons been Surreal with the FA. Fucking Surreal.
They’ll have people marching if they keep this up.
They’re worst than the bleedin government.
if tevez leaves shitty then they are well and truly fucked up
seems as if the transfer season got a virus in it, speaking of viurses; they’ve gone and bought yet another player “Altintop ” . Seriously i would have thought they’d be a bit more careful, way too many players in there. Like using all the spices in the world to cook a dish. Fucking madness. For real i won’t be surprised if Ronaldo left,his arch enemy said in a recent interview that he was surprised Ronaldo wasn’t playing in a more attacking side. Read into that as you will, spanish translation and all.
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/3277/la-liga/2011/05/19/2494202/official-real-madrid-sign-hamit-altintop-from-bayern-munich
I should not of done it………………………………..but driving home from work tonight I put talkshite on..and guess what??
that cunt durham was gobbing off about Wayne Rooneys comments on twitter saying that FA should step in and ban Rooney!!!!
I fucking hate the lot of em
sachu
It might not be all that bad for City maybe they will recall Bellamy, lol.
lawman10
I dont bother with Talkshite anymore but to be honest I would like to see Sir Alex ban our players from twittering. I realise its a persons right to twitter but it only seems to get these daft fucking imbecills into endless ammounts of bother. I come from the era when footballers and pop stars were classed as the illiterate dregs of society and anything they say should be forgotten as soon as possible so as not to rot the mind. I think we’re still waiting for the first footballer with a PHD, not 1 in a 100 plus years. Ii wish Rio would shut the fuck up. He is a great defender and organiser but everytime that twonkey opens his fucking duckbill I wretch and my skin cruels.
Isn’t it about time footballers just concentrated on what they are being paid to do.
I have stopped wasting my time on those useless soouls in the FA headquarters, what’s the point?
here’s the preview of the United-Blackpool game, do you agree with United’s predicted lineup? Important game for Berba needs to get the Golden Boot, certainly nt that c*nt Tevez.
http://www.thehardtackle.com/index.php/man-united-v-blackpool-preview-tangerines-hope-to-survive-utd-coronation/
Fucking altintop. Jesus christ. Do those fascist cunts ever stop buying players?
Lawman. Hello mate. Didn’t hear that but I sincerely hope durham dies a horrific death. Comments like those appear harmless at first but its cunts like that toerag who bang on and on untill eventually the FA act. Fuck off and watch peterboro you ginger wanker. Or is it liverpool this week adrian? They realise their feeble attempts to derail us failed badly yet still are all over United like a rash. Fucking anti united cunts on there. Fuck off and die the lot of you s.
ha ha, all the managers would have been thinking these in their mind and rolling their eyes, I’m sure.
Stupid stupid FA, charging chelsea manager after reading in local newspaper – they are idiots, should be sacked. Man United are punished because we are more popular and these idiots take decisions depending on the newspaper they read!!! Get some people who can think, understand and follow the game and rules and know a thing or two about strategy. Not that difficult, surely!!!
King Eric: hi there mate,
yes have to agree with you all there comments are about putting united down..
if hes not sucking up to that red faced cunt arry & spurs who in his opinion had a better squad then ours!! yea right fuck off,
and dont forget his love the bastard that is gerrard.
this season the ABUs gone up a gear with there hate for anything united,
We manchester united and we do what we want!!! fuck em all
How can anyone have a job in radio and say shit like Spurs have a better squad than ours, he would have to be a complete Karl Pilkington.
So Real Madrid have signed Altintop..First, Adebayore and now Altintop..They really have upped the ante on “Quality”..
Telegaph:
Messi says Hernandez would be the United player who would fit best into Barca, followed by Rooney.
Hrumph!!! Keep of the Pea !!!!
FA is a bunch of twats..
Yeah get fucked Messi. You and your racist fucking club keep your grubby mitts off hernandez. You have just bought that greaser Villa and the daft goateed cunt aint scored in sixteen games. Talking of Barca. A lad at the school I work at is a Spanish teacher and supports boro and barca. Yeah whatever. Anyway he swears blind that longfaced bastard Busquets said handball and not monkey. He says the words are very similar. Is this correct or did he categorically say monkey?
Oh fuck off Cunty you tosser. Watching you’re on skysports from last night and this joker poses the question : how long before City overtake United. Overtake? They have NINE major honours. United have won that many since 2007. Those bastards will never be anywhere near United. A club built on fucking sand. Short term fixes. Anyway a lad calls up and says that united will always attract top players as we are man united. Chelsea legend , and I use that term very very lightly says that a prime example is Tevez. “He chose city “. Fuck off Jase. IF United had actually wanted him do ya think for one minute he would have gone to the bitters. Would he fuck. He had no choice. He then said“Tevez chose City and has won a trophy“. Oh please. The fucking FA cup. Incase it escaped your attention United just wrapped up their historic NINETEENTH title. For fuck sake. Seriously I am getting fucked off with all these united hating pundits throwing out cliches like “the tide is turning“ and “the blue moon is risin“. Show england s most successful club some fucking respect. Honest. Its sickening. The coverage of our win has been a piss take. No cunt has even dared to mention it. Probably as these genius s look very fucking silly now. They should be embracing the fact we are the best and biggest club but oh no. They just talk our achievments down. Those fucking jokers from wasteland have done absoluitely FUCK ALL to warrant being talked about in the same breath as United yet these comedians talk them up like they are a European superpower. You couldn’t make it up.
Oh and its high time these cockney wankers worried about their own clubs. The north is the home of football. Not ONE fucking European Cup from the southern clubs put together.
King Eric
beg to differ. arsenal wins the emirates cup don’t they? B-)
Breath KE! Deep breathes…..
B)
watching the arse villa game… never had this fun of late.
Willie
Hehe…if durham ever finds himself facing King Eric…
how the fuck do people stand to listen to him??
i just love watching bendtner…
oh King Eric, love your rants mate
don’t listen to them fuckers… now just think about NINETEEN. Feels good, doesn’t it!
@KING ERIC.
I’m getting fed up of watching Sky Sports all you’re getting is Shitty this Shitty that. What makes the cunts think this load of classless boring football playing shit are going to overtake Utd. Chelsea tried it and had minor success. That was because Kenyon the snake told them what deals we had offered the likes of Essien and Robben so they were able to better them.
They are totally disrespecting Utd’s record breaking 19th title. The cunts just seam to want to talk about the FA Cup win. Lets not forget Wimbledon and Coventry have won it since the Shit last won it and it would have taken longer if Monsour hadn’t got involved so big fuckin deal. The shit are that desperate for success they spent 400 + Million for a peice of silver we have won 11 times infact Ron atkinson has won it more times than Mankini and spent less. It gets me how they win one trophey and they are suddenly overtaking Utd. Granted, we’ll have to accept they are here to stay but overtake Utd? Nah!
They still don’t realise Utd are a Gigantic club with structure where as shitty are a small minded tiny little spec or dreg on the landscape that has come into money with smallminded Classless vermin fans who don’t even bother to go to games.
@King Eric
Fantastic emotional post as always,spot on mate
On the FA well they just a bunch of pathetic corrupt bastards who would do all they can to make United look bad,and with the Rooney Twitter saga,it shows that the ABU media are a bunch of fucking bored cunts who have nothing to do than digging up some banter as Wayne revealed and try to initiate a forced ban on Wayne over his comments,gosh I don’t want to lie I hate those bastards with a passion and if something were to happen to them like an illness I’d be glad!
Another cunt in the name of YSB John Barnes,that little vermin scouse irks me he makes me sit on the edge of my couch,just hoping to smash the telly,I hate the man,always hyping up the scouse vermin,saying that they’ve set the benchmark in England,and recently down playing our success by exceeding his piss poor club,saying that we may have 19 titles but they’ve got 5 European Cups,you couldn’t make it up!,and wanking saying that Barca will thrash us,saying they’re the greatest team of all time! What a deluded rat faced twat always giving it large!
Messi the odd bodied fucking diving midget needs to shut his little mouth,he’s the same cunt who wrote us off,hyping up the rent boys and the fascists!
Who in the fucking goodness does this cunt of an owner the Wolves one,who the fuck does he think he is insisting that it would be hypocritical if we fielded a weakened side against Blackpool it’s not our fault his team has been piss poor this season,he can get fucked,running his mouth like he’s the boss!
I’m a bit concerned about Ravel Morrison,I think he wasn’t at the awards,his attitude needs checking,hope Sir Alex can straighten him out! The lad is a talent and with all his off field issues hope it doesn’t hinder his progress!
Night true reds!
King Eric -alright mate. If I put a ten pounds on how many times united have been put down, I could buy united
It is like being jesus christ now being a united fan, no matter hw many times we get bashed there is no pain but gain
james21 and Hargos Curly hair – Great posts lads. Spot on.
They really are aresholes – haven’t got a clue. it helps to laugh at them – perhaps that’s what they want, to entertain us with their lunacy!