I WAS disgusted by the FA’s ludicrous decision to ban Sunderland’s Michael Turner for four games.
At worst he should have received a yellow card against Manchester City. Are defenders supposed to jump for the ball with their arms by their sides now? How many of these current referees and FA personnel in their Ivory towers have ever played the game?
Both former Liverpool defenders Mark Wright and Dominic Matteo condemned this crazy decision.
I wonder if the player had been John Terry or Rio Ferninand, would the same decision have been reached?
As for Sunderland manager Steve Bruce, facing the possibility of being banned for giving an honest opinion on the untouchable referees, it looks like another unjust action from the bumbling FA.
Hopefully Bruce will add four/five players in January to help the Wearsiders bounce back in the second half of the season and build on the good work that the big man has put in so far.
Tony Ratton, Sunderland SORRY Steve Bruce, but everybody does not know that you have to use your elbows to jump.
Had you played your football a few years earlier you would know that such conduct would have meant a free-kick to your opponents - with just a quiet word from the referee, not a booking.
Bookings were not issued like confetti as they are nowadays.
Most defenders of the earlier era gave away the occasional free-kick and wondered just what they had done wrong until the referee ran by and said “keep your wings in”. Wings in!
Your wrists might have been no more than a foot out from your hips but that was sufficient to be deemed improper use of the arms, or whatever the referee deemed to be an infringement of the rules.
It’s not impossible to jump without your hands to get leverage; all players used to jump from a standing or running position with their arms down or slightly out to provide balance. As none would have been allowed to use their hands they all started from the same level playing field.
Outstanding defender that he was, Steve would know better than most that timing the jump was more important than just getting height. That’s not to say that a few extra inches isn’t an advantage but that advantage remains irrespective of the use of the hands.
Making players keep their arms down by their sides would eliminate the high elbow-inflicted head injuries which are clearly dangerous, but too often go unpunished and go some way to stopping the free-forall which occurs in every penalty area when a dead ball kick is awarded.
George Sutton, by email
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