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Search: ' David Elleray'

Stories

Sin-bins are not the answer for already over-worked grassroots referees

RefereeStAlbans

The FA will trial sin-bins in lower leagues from next season but these changes, along with others proposed, will not be welcomed by all referees

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Letters, WSC 204

Dear WSC
I notice that Steve Ducker (WSC 203) believes that UEFA will be “100 per cent responsible” for any crowd trouble that occurs in Portugal as a result of the Eng­land v Croatia game being moved from Coimbra to Lisbon. Funny that, as I always thought xenophobia and heavy drinking had a role to play in these situations. UEFA’s decision seems to make sense on this occasion (as does the moving of the Germany v Holland game to Porto’s stadium). The Lisbon and Porto police forces are the only ones with any real experience of large crowds with a potential for trouble (the so-called classicos when Porto, Benfica and Sporting play each other) and those cities have had virtually all the dealings with foreign football fans in recent years. Furthermore, as Coimbra is only just over an hour from Lisbon and with limited accommodation, it would be safe to assume that many England fans will be basing themselves in Lisbon for the tournament. Incidentally, weren’t UEFA criticised for holding the Engand v Germany game in Char­leroi in 2002, as the ground was too small and the size of the town ensured that it was easy for large groups of fans to congregate together? However, if there is trouble then there may be other people for us all to blame. How about the Portuguese bar and cafe owners for selling their beer too cheaply and for making their outside tables and chairs too easy to throw around?
Matthew Guest, Porto, Portugal

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Friend or foe?

 Dave Espley describes how quirks of geography and fluctuating fortunes on the field have left Stockport fans struggling to find a long-lasting rivalry of note

Oh, to have a natural rival. You followers of teams which share their town or city with another club don’t know you’re born. Despite a population approaching 300,000, the Stockport public can hardly find it in themselves to support one team, let alone two, with the result that County fans, over the years, have had a number of rivalries, based on various esoteric reasons.

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Wrong side of the laws

Steve Parish, an official at county league level, says many players still do not really know the laws of the game – or at least they pretend not to

When Peter Enckelman was adjudged to have got a touch (with his foot) on a throw-in from his team-mate Olof Melberg in the Birmingham derby, the chances are the referee David Elleray and his assistant really had no idea whether contact was made before the ball rolled over the line. Video evidence would have been of no help, unless Andy Gray looking at it “time and time again” before deciding there was no contact is considered to be helpful. If it was that obvious, he’d have only had to look at it once.

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Kenny Achampong

Tom Davies pays tribute to an enigmatic midfielder whose sudden departure proved symbolic for Leyton Orient and, perhaps, the whole of English football

If I were to say that the past ten years in English football have seen the forces of righteousness take a bit of a drubbing while all manner of charlatans have prospered, I’d hardly win any prizes for originality. But when exactly did the rot start? The answer is simple: on December 28, 1991 when Leyton Orient played Brent­ford in the old Third Division.

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