I swear FA have got it wrong over Rooney

Outburst: Wayne Rooney lets rip but his treatment of referees is much worse
11 April 2012

If either broadcasters or armchair viewers were upset by Wayne Rooney's expletives, they shouldn't position themselves so close to a game where such aggression and bad language have always been - and always will be - the norm.

Sorry, but this is football, especially in England, where passion is a commodity traded at a higher price than almost anywhere else. Anyone who regularly attends matches at almost any level knows the amount of swearing emanating from all corners of the ground is appalling.

Many of those parents supposedly outraged by Rooney's four-letter tirade into the camera on Saturday lunchtime because of the impact such scenes will have on their children are the same people who shout all manner of slurs at players in the stands, often with their kids sitting next to them.

Rooney was indeed a "silly boy", as Harry Redknapp put it, but then he is not a bright individual - the bigger picture is an alien concept to someone capable only of focusing on short-term gain, in this case, securing victory at West Ham. His recent contract dispute also proved as much. Plus, he is angry and has clearly not enjoyed his football for some time.

Yes, he earns large sums from image rights that paint him as an inspirational figure to young children and he undeniably has a responsibility to improve his behaviour.

But that should come in the form of greater respect to referees and it is in this way Rooney should have been punished long before now, rather than because he swore directly into a camera in celebration at an unsuitable hour of the day.

Does this mean that late in the second half of a 7.45pm kick-off - ie, like tonight's Champions League encounter between Manchester United and Chelsea at Stamford Bridge - he can grab the nearest camera and run us through the full gamut of expletives used on a Croxteth estate without recrimination?

Of course not. The common denominator in Rooney's outbursts at the World Cup following England's 0-0 draw with Algeria and Upton Park was the presence of a camera shoved in his face seconds after a decisive moment when emotions were at their highest.

If football is about passion, then it is in these moments when the game is at its most raw. And if anyone is surprised that such instances expose football as a sweary, testosterone-fuelled melee of genius and luck, of finesse and fight, then it is remarkable they have the mental wherewithal to fill in a Sky TV application form. When cameras have been allowed rare access to the inner sanctum of the dressing room, the language witnessed would have made Bernard Manning blush.

Whether it was Graham Taylor's 1994 documentary, Barry Fry's 1997 programme, the study of Sunderland's first season in the top flight - Premier Passions - screened in 1998 or Sam Allardyce and Dave Bassett on ITV in 2002, all instances featured copious amounts of colourful language.

Sir Alex Ferguson was also once reprimanded by Sky reporter Geoff Shreeves live on air in 2005 after the United boss reacted to the claim that he had never been under more pressure with the simple retort: "That's absolute bollocks". No punishment came then.

So why should Rooney's ruling be any different now? Well, United are not in vogue at the moment - especially in light of the five-match touchline ban Ferguson is currently serving - but whatever the myopic section of the club's supporters believe, this is not about them.

The difference is Rooney was intentionally aggressive into the camera. His timing couldn't have been worse coming just days after Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore announced a beefed-up RESPECT campaign to be instigated next season and, combined with the FA's unwillingness to upset FIFA by taking a circuitous route to punish Rooney for his elbowing of Wigan's James McCarthy, now they feel compelled to act.

But Rooney's real 'respect' indiscretion is his appalling behaviour towards referees. He has a petulant, faintly pathetic streak to his character that makes him a hugely dislikeable figure and yet has a tireless work rate that guarantees you will always get a shift from him, regardless of form.

Fans despise the former and embrace the latter. In that sense, Rooney is an enigma. But to punish him - even if the ban is reduced to one game after his appeal - in this manner is akin to the fumbled attempt to tackle diving by UEFA that saw Eduardo banned through TV evidence - a suspension that was later rescinded in an embarrassing climbdown.

Respect in football is a huge problem but this is a disastrous step in attempting to tackle it. An appeal was inevitable and should be successful. As Rooney said: "What? F***king what?"

Incidentally, not an original thought by any means but the notion of an immediate booking for players who speak out of turn should be implemented.

Gary Lineker and Blackburn goalkeeper Paul Robinson - who spoke eloquently and intelligently on Match of the Day 2 - both admitted an initial spate of dismissals for dissent would be unavoidable but players would quickly heed the warning. With referees presumably desperate for the mandate to punish players who abuse them so readily, it is difficult to find a coherent argument against such a ruling, particularly in light of how far football falls behind other sports in respecting officials.

It has always rankled that those who place rugby above football in their affections do so predicated upon the idea the former is a game for gentlemen and completely free from the murky indiscretions of the latter.

However, eye-gouging, punching, stamping and general malevolence occur with regularity in rugby - whatever is argued by some to the contrary - yet respect for the referee is willingly maintained with a simple code of conduct.

Zero tolerance on dissent and only the captain speaks to an official. It works and there is no reason why football cannot follow suit.

Sorry, Ade, but Arsenal fans will always love to hate you

Emmanuel Adeboayor has always had a somewhat self-inflated streak to his character that offsets his considerable talents but such delusion reached new heights this week.

Says the man who sprinted 90 yards to celebrate his goal for Manchester City against Arsenal in front of his former supporters: "The difference between leaving Arsenal and going to City is that, at Arsenal, the fans loved me. I think even now they love me."

Really, Ade? Have you not heard the song about Andrey Arshavin and you which rings out at practically every Arsenal game since you left? Something tells me that, even after two goals against Spurs last night, they'll still be singing it at Blackpool on Sunday.

And although the 27-year-old striker wants to make his loan contract at Real Madrid permanent, how long will it be before he starts complaining about the lack of love in Spain?

Help this special agent

Football agents by and large have a reputation akin to pond life but tomorrow one member of this often maligned fraternity will defy such preconceptions to run a marathon at the North Pole for charity.

Jon Smith, founder of management company First Artist which has more than 200 footballers on its books, will run his first-ever marathon at the age of 58 despite suffering from osteoarthritis in his knees and having undergone keyhole surgery for torn cartilage in 2008.

Jon will run a 4.4km circuit 10 times - a 26-mile course would be too risky due to the changeable weather conditions - to raise money for Alex Field, a seven-year-old boy suffering from a brain tumour whose family need more than £300,000 for him to undergo life-saving treatment in California.

After Jon's first wife, Lee, died from leukaemia, he set up The Lee Smith Foundation to help cancer-affected children and is now investing in new TaNK cell treatment targeting prostate, breast and ovarian cancer, leukaemia and myeloma.

Follow me on Twitter @JamesOlley

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