Yes kick them out. Support our umpires
Sledging umpires is a great tradition!
Warning given to fans before ejection
I mentioned Nigel Owens earlier in the thread.
As you can see, he strikes a healthy and humorous balance between treating players like professional athletes and naughty school boys.
He's my favorite official in World Sports
As an aside I remember how crazy Carlton supporters went when they had an invisible spear chucked at them...……...they of all supporters should know how upsetting invisible stuff coming their way at a swift rate can be.
Nobody's looking for a puppeteer in today's wintry economic climate.
I cant remember if it was Graham Poll or Howard Webb that my son showed me a photo of celebrating the team they support getting a promotion (I think their team went into league one a couple of years ago) he looks very, very drunk and happy. You forget that refs mostly all follow a team because they really, really love the game.
They say Burt Lancaster has one, but I don't believe them.
I've listened to a few interviews with Owens and he is deeply passionate about the game and very proud to be involved in it.
He speaks lovingly of the old style sense of respect that still exists in the game and it's reflected through the way the players because on the field, both towards each other and between the officials and players.
There was a funny incident in the last world cup where a South African referee was shoved to the ground by USA Captain Todd Clever. The referees way of dealing with it was to tell Clever (after a separate chat with the captains, "And you're getting my washing bill".
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One common theme that I keep hearing from the PC brigade is that verbal abuse of AFL umpires will cause umpires at local football to walk away. I am not sure where this is supposed to be happening, because I am involved in junior football in the WRFL and the respect shown to the WRFL umpires is excellent. Most weeks the umps are applauded as they enter the field, and there is plenty of encouragement and "well done guys" post game. And without fail, both teams give the umps 3 cheers post game.
The friendly atmosphere at local footy is a long way from the toxic atmosphere that has been allowed to develop at AFL matches - and that is the fault those in the ivory towers running (or is that ruining) the game.
Footscray member since 1980.
What should I tell her? She's going to ask.
Its more complex than perhaps it is being presented but FWIW I have been hassled every home game for about 13 years because I have a few flags/banners that I like to hang off Lvl3. Stopped bringing them this year because I have my 3YO & I don't trust the bastards to not get violent.
I've changed my mindset since about 5 years ago and generally leave the umpires alone aside from the odd outburst of bafflement.
I can distinctly remember a first quarter against St.Kilda in about 2009 (we were getting done in the first and then dominated the remaining 3 quarters for an easy win). Where at the game we thought (and declared) we were getting screwed by the umpires with about 5 questionable decisions in that first quarter then upon watching the replay we discovered they were all excellent calls. Since then I've taken the viewpoint that they probably have a better view than I do from level 3 and that freekick counts by no means should be even.
Sure they do stuff up occasionally, but that is bound to happen considering the pace of the game, the lack of clear and dry rules (so much is up to interpretation) and the fact that there are three different umpires all with slightly different interpretations of each incident.
Also you have to consider that since the AFL umpires are by definition the best umpires of this sport in the world, and still have relatively frequent bad moments, that maybe the sport is actually a nightmare to adjudicate.
I should leave it alone but you're not right
Interesting. This has not been handled well by AFL
So many sides to this story.'Flog man' threatens to take AFL to court
by Alistair Paton
A Carlton fan who was thrown out of Marvel Stadium for abusing an umpire has threatened to sue AFL boss Gillon McLachlan.
In a remarkable escalation of supporter backlash at the league, the fan accused McLachlan of defaming him during his weekly radio appearance on 3AW.
The league CEO said that while the AFL decided to take no further action against the man, it found he had been removed from the ground last Saturday after he "ran across two bays" to hurl abuse at umpire Mathew Nicholls.
"Mathew Nicholls is a very experienced umpire, I got the note for that and I followed it up, he said it was the most intimidated he's felt in his hundreds of games of football," McLachlan said.
The fan, who calls himself Frankie, phoned the radio station after McLachlan's interview and acknowledged calling Nicholls a "bald-headed flog", but said the AFL had "thrown me under a bus".
"Where's the footage of me running across two bays? I want to see that," he said.
"They own the ground. Surely they can get in contact with security, let's see the footage.
"That's a load of crap … we've all had enough."
'Frankie' said he was happy to produce his ticket that showed his seat was at the top of the umpires' race.
"I was standing at my seat and I haven't moved for the whole day.
"If my hand in my pocket and the other hand holding a radio is intimidating, we've got a few issues in society."
McLachlan said the fan – who says he is "still waiting on my official warning" – was removed for "the whole environment", not his "bald-headed flog" taunt.
The AFL boss said fans were still allowed to boo umpires and yell insults that weren't "intimidatory", but he couldn't define where that line was.
"Booing has been part of our game for 100 years … people boo the umpires all the time.
"I can't prescribe for you respectful behaviour, what words are and aren't (acceptable) … the fans decide in the end.
"Everyone should feel comfortable at the football … there's been no change in policy, I want to be clear that they should go and express themselves at the game, but it has to be respectful, and that's the way it's always been."
FFC: Established 1883
Premierships: AFL 1954, 2016 VFA - 1898,99,1900, 1908, 1913, 1919-20, 1923-24, VFL: 2014, 2016 . Champions of Victoria 1924. AFLW - 2018.
They say Burt Lancaster has one, but I don't believe them.
I tell you what. NRL are starting to get the edge on AFL in many areas. I wonder if an NRL umpire has ever forced a fan to be ejected from a stadium.
The Carlton fan is correct. Lots of security cameras at the ground. Let the truth be told.
You don't develop courage by being happy in your relationships every day. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity. ― Epicurus
Gary Ablett was once subjected to a diatribe by one of his own fans up the race. He tried to calm that person down. I remember thinking he was probably in his rights to have the fan calmed down. It was far, far worse than this incident. Or even the Goodes incident in my view. The fan was literally screaming invective at GAJ.
You don't develop courage by being happy in your relationships every day. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity. ― Epicurus
They say Burt Lancaster has one, but I don't believe them.