The most ridiculous rule in football, logical explanation please. Thatcher

MrJoeSoap

Two games into the new season and we've already had two classic instances of what I consider to be the most bizarre and illogical 'rule' in football. Now I'm not sure whether it was introduced by the FA or FIFA or UEFA or whoever, but can someone please provide me with what these people see as the logic behind it?

I'm talking about the fact that once a referee gives a player a yellow card for a "challenge" that no further action can be taken after the game. Sunday saw Michael Brown's disgusting and apparently random stamp/lunge on Ryan Giggs, for which he picked up a yellow card. No further action can be taken...

Tonight saw one of the most sickening challenges I have ever seen in a football game, by Ben Thatcher of Man City on Pedro Mendes of Portsmouth. Thatcher absolutely clattered into Mendes, leading with his elbow and put the Pompey midfielder in hospital for the night, though it could have been far far worse. Not only did the referee (and linesman) make a shocking decision by only producing a yellow card, but it now seems that it would have been better had no card at all been produced. At least then further action could have been taken against Thatcher.

Something really has to be done about the people who are coming up with these daft and nonsensical rulings, they're spoiling football from the inside.

Thoughts?

thebaz

i like the physicality of the premiership, and in general think football has gone soft, and yellow and red cards are handed out like confettio these days. But what was the ref or linesmen doing at Man City v Pompey , not only should Thatcher have been red carded , he should be banned from the game for 6 months or more . Cantonas or diCanios suppposed assaults were tame, Mendes is in hospital, needed ozegen and had a fit or seizure . Thatcher should serve time for the offence, and even if his footballing skills will be missed -- lol -- apparently stuart pearce didn't get a good view view of the incident, i didn't relise pycho was blind.

wheres me jumpa

Didnt see it. Linkage anyone?

Nalz

awful stuff lads

Töpher

He literally boxed the face off him, with his elbom, while running at full pelt, on purpose. Sickening.

Probably about 50+ cops in the ground, do that on the street and you're done for assault.

The_B_Man

Saw it on Match of the Day there.

He sprinted at him and had a high elbow. Got him full whack on the side of the face. Added to the speed he was running at, he knocked Mendes off the field and knocked him out cold.

AthAnRi

MrJoeSoap wrote:

Two games into the new season and we've already had two classic instances of what I consider to be the most bizarre and illogical 'rule' in football. Now I'm not sure whether it was introduced by the FA or FIFA or UEFA or whoever, but can someone please provide me with what these people see as the logic behind it?

I'm talking about the fact that once a referee gives a player a yellow card for a "challenge" that no further action can be taken after the game. Sunday saw Michael Brown's disgusting and apparently random stamp/lunge on Ryan Giggs, for which he picked up a yellow card. No further action can be taken...

Tonight saw one of the most sickening challenges I have ever seen in a football game, by Ben Thatcher of Man City on Pedro Mendes of Portsmouth. Thatcher absolutely clattered into Mendes, leading with his elbow and put the Pompey midfielder in hospital for the night, though it could have been far far worse. Not only did the referee (and linesman) make a shocking decision by only producing a yellow card, but it now seems that it would have been better had no card at all been produced. At least then further action could have been taken against Thatcher.

Something really has to be done about the people who are coming up with these daft and nonsensical rulings, they're spoiling football from the inside.

Thoughts?

Agreed, There was another tackle involving bentley of Blackburn. A two footed lunge. The most disturbing thing about the Thatcher incident was the way he walked away even though Mendes could have easily swallowed his tongue disgusting. Should be a 5 game ban for that.

thebaz

it was the worst assault i have seen in awhile, and sometimes enjoy the odd punch up ... arsenal v united etc (no one gets really hurt), but for thatcher to elbow mendes at full throttle and leave mendes needing ****** and suffering a fit, he should not only be banned for a season but for life . it was the worst incidident i have since fashanu did mabbutt years back .prick.

Time Magazine

Way out of order. Completely agree you'd do time if you did that on the street. He should be banned for eight weeks or more. His club should have the balls to fine him as well.

Tusky

anyone got a link ?

iFight

I would have thought the most ridulous rule was not being aloowed shout ''My ball'', but thats fairly bad too :P

thebaz

saw it on motd -- assume it will be up on youtube tomorrow
p.s. actually i hope he doesnt get a life ban , like to see if he would be man eneough to go down to portsmouth for return , judging by his cowardly actions doubt it. but again what was the ref and linesmen doing !!!!

MrJoeSoap

iFight wrote:

I would have thought the most ridulous rule was not being aloowed shout ''My ball'', but thats fairly bad too :P

Its fairly stupid alright, but at least there is some kind of logic behind that, i.e. not being able to shout it to try and fool an opponent.

iFight

Suppsoe, but still.... could you shout ''John's ball' when your name's not John, to fool the oppenent again? Just curious.

Mossy Monk

watched it and quite simply was appalled by what i saw. can the premier league not ban the **** with video evidence

Andrew 83

Thatcher has always been prone to terrible challenges but that was one of the worst incidents I have ever seen on the football pitch. Whatever was he thinking?

Xavi6

As an avid Manchester City fan I would naturally like to jump to the defence of one of our players when the whole world is against him. I've done it for Joey Barton and Richard Dunne when they had their wild days. Unfortunately this time I cannot do so.

What Ben Thatcher did tonight was disgusting and he should never be allowed to play for my club again. It was a clear assault on Mendes and I hope he gets punished. I have never rated Thatcher as a player or as a a person and I'm bemused as to why Pearce continues to play him over Stephen Jordan who is a far better talent. Hopefully the FA will take the decision over who to play at left back out of Psycho's hands by banning Thatcher for a long long time. Good riddance.

leeroybrown

Thatcher's been responsible for at least one other 'serious assault' I can remember and I believe he got a lengthy ban for that also. I havn't seen this one yet but from the description it sounds worse.

I agree that the issue of not being able to upgrade yellow cards should be reviewed but I think they'll still find a way to push a serious misconduct charge and a ban in Thatcher's direction.

Kulgan

"I saw Ben running into the corner at 110 miles per hour," said Pearce.

"I want the players to play at a high tempo near the ball and it looks like the tackle was a bit mis-timed."

Yeah "tackle" nice one

If it had happened to one of his players he would have sprinted on to pitch and gone nuts!!

Xavi6

Kulgan wrote:

If it had happened to one of his players he would have sprinted on to pitch and gone nuts!!

We all know that. You'd swear Pearce was the first manager to say he didnt see something and defend one of his players. I'm sure his reaction is different outside the media spotlight when he gets Thatcher one on one with the evidence.

county

just seen it on football first,a nasty and premeditated tackle(assault) from thatcher.the FA have to do something about,if they say the ref give him a yellow so he was punished that imo is bullsh1t

cournioni

Absolutely disgusting assault. I was really up beat after watching United win 3-0, Solskjaer scoring and Chelsea losing but once I saw this I just had to switch off the tv it annoyed me that much. Absolutely sickening, and I hope he gets what is coming to him.

boy_wonder

Anybody see his elbow on Mendes last night? Absolutely terrible!!!!! Anybody got a video link? cant find one

DapperGent

That's the sort of thing a player should get banned for many many games for a deliberate premediatated elbow to the head is quite simply assault and the sort of thing that can cause real damage. If I was Pedro Mendes I'd be going to the police to be honest.

The Muppet

absolutly disgusting assault (I wouldn't call it a tackle), he deserves a lenghty ban for that. I don't know what the ref saw of it but it should have been a straigh red.

MBC

Terrible! there was absolute no need what so ever to do that as the ball was going out of play. Don't get me wrong I like a tackle but he went out maliciously to do that..........Terrrible. As the commentator said "No place in football for that".

DapperGent

It looked to me like the ref booked him for the tackle but missed the elbow planted in the side of his head, in fairness it was nicely disguised. If all he saw was the poor tackle the yellow card was the correct decision.

CrazySka

Worst challenge ive seen in a while, any word on Mendes' s condition? harry said he was taken to hospital on MOTD last night.

eirebhoy

Here's a link:
http://gimehost.com/v/7853372/1156382111769.zip.html

btw - I think you may need this codec if you can't view it:
http://www.free-codecs.com/K_Lite_Codec_Pack_download.htm

You'll need that codec for a lot of video's these days anyway.

CrazySka

nice one eirebhoy

edit: that link doesnt seem to be working for me actually. maybe blocked here. anyone know anywhere else i might find this, gotta show someone who didnt see it.

MrJoeSoap

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054981521

bucks73

Ridiculous challenge and definitely deserving of a few games suspension. Cascarino actually criticised him on the Last Word on friday evening saying that he was nowhere good enough for premier league standard.

BaZmO*

eirebhoy wrote:

Here's a link:
http://gimehost.com/v/7853372/1156382111769.zip.html

btw - I think you may need this codec if you can't view it:
http://www.free-codecs.com/K_Lite_Codec_Pack_download.htm

You'll need that codec for a lot of video's these days anyway.

Yeah, that link doesn't seem to be working.

Magic Pips

Disgraceful, and i cannot see how he could be immune from legal prosecution - a la Kieran dyer/Lee bowyer...

Anyone got linkage? the above wont work for me, the page just times out!

BaZmO*

It's up on Youtube now.

The Insider

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=WS6IRTHL

Drag00n79

According to 5Live the F.A. has just made an announcement that they are regarding this case as 'exceptional' and their Disciplinary Committee will investigate. Some good news!

cournioni

Great. I hope the ****er goes down for at least 6 matches.

Drag00n79

The worst thing I have heard for a long time was fathead Alan Brazil on TalkSport Radio this morning saying that what happened was not so bad and under no circumstances should it be termed assault. Unbelievable comments from an ex-Pro. I could not believe what I was hearing.

Drag00n79

The Football Association has confirmed it is investigating ManchesterCity defender Ben Thatcher's challenge on Portsmouth's Pedro Mendes. Thatcher received a yellow card for his challenge which left Mendes needing oxygen at the pitchside.
Mendes later suffered a seizure en route to hospital.
An FA spokesman told BBC Sport: "Our compliance unit is looking at it, but Fifa rules make it difficult to upgrade a yellow card to red."
Thatcher appeared to catch Mendes with his forearm, sending the Portuguese midfielder into advertising hoardings.
The FA will wait to see the contents of referee Dermot Gallagher's match report before deciding its next course of action.
Had Gallagher dismissed Thatcher for violent conduct, FA rules allow it to impose further punishment on top of the three-match ban the offence carries.
The incident was captured by television cameras but video evidence cannot be used to retrospectively upgrade a yellow card.


Source: BBC

iregk

How anyone can say it was not assault is beyond me. Look at it in slow on you tube. At no point did Tatcher even look at the ball, he was constantly looking at Mendes and was a pre calculated vicious assault. Ban the f**ker for a lenghty time. This is one of those times where you throw the rule book out and take video replay into account.

county

Shamrok wrote:

The Football Association has confirmed it is investigating ManchesterCity defender Ben Thatcher's challenge on Portsmouth's Pedro Mendes. Thatcher received a yellow card for his challenge which left Mendes needing oxygen at the pitchside.
Mendes later suffered a seizure en route to hospital.
An FA spokesman told BBC Sport: "Our compliance unit is looking at it, but Fifa rules make it difficult to upgrade a yellow card to red."
Thatcher appeared to catch Mendes with his forearm, sending the Portuguese midfielder into advertising hoardings.
The FA will wait to see the contents of referee Dermot Gallagher's match report before deciding its next course of action.
Had Gallagher dismissed Thatcher for violent conduct, FA rules allow it to impose further punishment on top of the three-match ban the offence carries.
The incident was captured by television cameras but video evidence cannot be used to retrospectively upgrade a yellow card.


Source: BBC

this just shows us what a complete and utter joke the FA and FIFA really are

p.pete

Was there any comments from Psycho after the match?

The Muppet

I don't see how the ref can only issue a yellow if he saw the elbow. My feeling is that he issued the yellow for the challenge not realising the intent on violence behind it. Surely the FA are well within their rights to take action and punish Thatcher severly . If the ref did see the incident in its entirety he should never ref at that level again.

Villain

p.pete wrote:

Was there any comments from Psycho after the match?

He said he hadn't seen the replay but hope it was an accident, which it clearly wasn't so be interesting to hear what else he might say after seeing it.

If the club are smart they will punish the player themselves, I honestly would love to see Mendes press charges for assault and see Thatcher face the courts, what he did was not a soccer tackle he assaulted a person and just because that assault took place on a soccer pitch doesn't mean it shouldn't be dealt with by the Police.

county

p.pete wrote:

Was there any comments from Psycho after the match?

i cant find a quote but he defended him to the hilt,he say something like when your traveling at 110 miles an hour you find it hard to stop,he was late and the ref give him a yellow which was deserved

Magic Pips

irish1 wrote:

...I honestly would love to see Mendes press charges for assault and see Thatcher face the courts...

I'd like to see it happen, but i can't see a player reporting another to the policem, i'd imagine they'd see it as the equivalent to telling the teacher...

On a side note, Ben Thatcher punctured a chinese players lung in preseason... He's no stranger to malice on the pitch. He shouldn't be allowed on the pitch

RE*AC*TOR

That was nasty alright. He could definetly do with a few games at home.

The more you watch it the worse it looks.

p.pete

Travelling at 100km an hour - for a ball that's tumbling towards the sideline - makes no sense whatsoever. Absolutely viscious challenge, not looking at the ball, even if Mendes wasn't there the run would have had absolutely no footballing benefit as he couldn't do anything with it the way he arrived.

Drag00n79

Greater Manchester Police now investigating too - 5Live

gracehopper

I'm all for a physical contest but that was disgraceful. He'll definitely get a ban and probably a fine.
The other pompey player came over and done nothing. If one of my teamates got smacked like that. i know what i'd have done to Thatcher. lets just say i'd worry about the consequences afterwards.