One of the more recent, and least appealing, aspects of football may be no more as UEFA have actually decided to do something useful for once and take action against the whole imaginary card waving business just as it was becoming quite popular amongst the locals. The Premiership has largely been spared the unsavoury act but it was undoubtedly on it’s way to join unconvincing diving, effeminate haircuts and Steve Clarke as things we could really do without.
Players will now also be booked for crowding the referee as well as showing dissent by gesture or running towards the him,
UEFA said in a statement: ‘UEFA is determined to stop dissent and the harassment of referees and wishes to make players and team officials aware that referees in all UEFA competitions will punish such confrontations on the pitch appropriately.’
Such stern, confident words. Now if only there was some way this wasn’t going to result in an incompetant application of the new rules by egomaniacal referees.