The Ref Stop

Lee Probert

The Ref Stop
I saw the live debates on BT Sport. Pundits were suggesting Probert could have ignored it and say he was looking away. After seeing it last night, the player took his shirt off in the middle of the field right in front of the referee. Lee Probert's face looked very much like WTF have you done that for?
Yes it's a sensitive issue but this shirt had been printed, probably by an official club supplier, and someone on the coaching staff must have seen it prior to kick off.
Apparently, the Leicester manager said the club had approached the game in a professional manner so it's only right that the officials did the same. A sensible approach by the manager.
 
An impossible position most of us will never encounter, but i'm sure Probert would not have been sanctioned for looking the other way
 
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Big Cat said:
An impossible position most of us will never encounter, but i'm sure Probert would not have been sanctioned for looking the other way
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I am sure this will have been discussed with PGMOL bosses as it was inevitable it would happen if Leicester scored. You also have to look at consequences, say he didn't caution here and Gray then picked up a caution later. He should be off, and therefore the first missed caution would become an incorrect game changing decision. Or Cardiff score and the scorer jumps into the crowd and is cautioned, imagine if that was his second and he is then off?

There's always a bigger picture, plus the player and his manager expected the caution here. Claude Puel has openly come out and said the referee did the right thing, so this really is a non-issue for me.
 
Lee had a small smile that to me said "yup, fair play, that's for your boss"......

He is bound by LOTG, it was right infront of him, and in applying LOTG yes he GAVE a YC, but it was a small flash just to the player who knoew what was coming. If someone starts allowing this for sensative situations, where is the line drawn - if one of the Glaziers passes away would Man Utd have the same outpouring - same situation but different personalities involved so to equal they have said not for anyreason at any time, and the sanction is clear.

Thumbs up - did his job (which some will say makes a change) and as above, commits a YC offence but stays on the pitch ya de ya.

Sometimes its right to be wrong, others its wrong to be right.
 
I’d also say that the game was full of tributes before and after, across the country. I almost feel him showing a shirt (which probably every Leicester player was wearing underneath) was unnecessary and put the referee in a difficult position when it didn’t require it
 
Remember Billy Shap I think it was a few years ago for Doncaster he did the same for his baby boy who sadly passed away only a day or two before his game when he scored and the ref didn't book him. The ref was actually applauded by news stations.
 
JoeMaloney5 said:
Remember Billy Shap I think it was a few years ago for Doncaster he did the same for his baby boy who sadly passed away only a day or two before his game when he scored and the ref didn't book him. The ref was actually applauded by news stations.
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I remember this happening and whilst I can see the reason the referee didn't book him, I personally feel he should have. What if an opposition player on a booking had removed his shirt after scoring an equaliser, does the ref turn a blind eye to this as well? He still has a job to do and would probably get marked down accordingly. But in the same scenario, it's all well and good news outlets praising him, but in Lee Proberts case I feel it's awful of them to criticise him
 
QuaverRef said:
I remember this happening and whilst I can see the reason the referee didn't book him, I personally feel he should have. What if an opposition player on a booking had removed his shirt after scoring an equaliser, does the ref turn a blind eye to this as well? He still has a job to do and would probably get marked down accordingly. But in the same scenario, it's all well and good news outlets praising him, but in Lee Proberts case I feel it's awful of them to criticise him
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I would argue that football is more than just laws it is a way of life for many people (as cheesy as it sounds) and as such the good of humanity should be shown through football and as such I don't think it's wrong to book or not to book they are both correct in their own ways.
 
JoeMaloney5 said:
I would argue that football is more than just laws it is a way of life for many people (as cheesy as it sounds) and as such the good of humanity should be shown through football and as such I don't think it's wrong to book or not to book they are both correct in their own ways.
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True, but there should also be a realisation that decisions have consequences and whilst what you're doing seems like a good tribute, you're putting somebody else on the spot, in an essentially lose lose situation
 
RustyRef said:
I am sure this will have been discussed with PGMOL bosses as it was inevitable it would happen if Leicester scored. You also have to look at consequences, say he didn't caution here and Gray then picked up a caution later. He should be off, and therefore the first missed caution would become an incorrect game changing decision. Or Cardiff score and the scorer jumps into the crowd and is cautioned, imagine if that was his second and he is then off?

There's always a bigger picture, plus the player and his manager expected the caution here. Claude Puel has openly come out and said the referee did the right thing, so this really is a non-issue for me.
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I would never criticise the referee for doing his job (let alone calling it a disgrace). However I can't help it but feel that even a bigger picture than the one you referred to was missed.
 
one said:
I would never criticise the referee for doing his job (let alone calling it a disgrace). However I can't help it but feel that even a bigger picture than the one you referred to was missed.
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If you allow referees to use "common sense" and have regard for "the bigger picture" in these instances then you are setting them up for even more problems.

As someone said above if one of the Glazers dies is it OK for Man U players to take their shirts off? What about a player who has had a parent die recently? What about the death of dearly loved but less close relative - an aunt for example?

At some point a referee would have to make a decision about permissible levels of grief. Much better to have a straightforward, easy to understand law and book players reluctantly but correctly.

And I too think Billy Sharp should have been booked as one effect of that non-booking is that people now bring it up as a stick with which to beat Lee Probert.
 
When so many other Laws are routinely ignored, I don't see what the song & dance is about
Nobody in their right mind would criticise the referee in such exceptional circumstances. Nobody would want Billie Sharpe or Demari Gray's yellow card to count towards a dismissal later in the game. No sport wants that monumental own goal
 
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Big Cat said:
When so many other Laws are routinely ignored, I don't see what the song & dance is about
Nobody in their right mind would criticise the referee in such exceptional circumstances. Nobody would want Billie Sharpe or Demari Gray's yellow card to count towards a dismissal later in the game. No sport wants that monumental own goal
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respectfully disagree, I dont feel we get to pick and choose what (mandatory) laws we apply and dont
Was a Man Utd player not booked for his celebration in the same league on Sat, and, Rangers had a player sent off, (2 goals, 2 yellow card celebrations), everybody moans to hell and back for refs to be consistent, so, surely if we all aim to apply the non interpretational laws, we cant go far wrong
The Leicester manager summed it up perfectly.
Also, imagine 2 games on a Sunday side by side, and, a goal scored at same time on each pitch and amazingly, both players did the same thing with jersey? Am i not going to caution on my park because their club sec passed away during the week, whereas you will be cautioning, as, well, nobody died????


i think all you can do is carry out your referee duties and if a league or so want to introduce an anmesty or pardon after the event, then, everybody comes out of it content they did the correct thing
 
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Ciley Myrus said:
respectfully disagree, I dont feel we get to pick and choose what (mandatory) laws we apply and dont
Was a Man Utd player not booked for his celebration in the same league on Sat, and, Rangers had a player sent off, (2 goals, 2 yellow card celebrations), everybody moans to hell and back for refs to be consistent, so, surely if we all aim to apply the non interpretational laws, we cant go far wrong
The Leicester manager summed it up perfectly.
Also, imagine 2 games on a Sunday side by side, and, a goal scored at same time on each pitch and amazingly, both players did the same thing with jersey? Am i not going to caution on my park because their club sec passed away during the week, whereas you will be cautioning, as, well, nobody died????
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Although my opinion still stands, I don't get why players always feel the personal need to put on a sentimental exhibition
 
Theres other ways of doing it.

For example Adam reach, after scoring a goal ran to the touchline and picked up a shirt and displayed it to the crowd with the name of a club coach's, recently bereaved, surname. As a club it was a big thing as the fanbase, players and chairman dug deep and raised a load of money for some treatment.

The thing is he was smart enough not to remove his garments and avoided an unneccesary caution. It also allowed any scoring player to pay the tribute.

Ways and means. Lee did the right thing. I am firmly in the camp of what if he committed another caution, or another player committed the same offence.

What if that should have been Grays 5th caution and a ban. Another player 5th cautioned and banned for same offence..They play each other next game and Gray scored the winner, in a game he shouldnt be playing in and the other team missing their star striker. The permutations, as unlikely as the next they may be, are endless and why this caution was correctly administered.
 
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