Give the referee a standing ovation....................

[Gavsy Van Gaverson]

I read this article on the Channel 4 website for Serie A and thought about whether the Scottish Referees would actually pick up on the sarcasm involved.

 

Here is the part of the Article:

 

The Massimino was sadly empty for much of last season following the devastating riots that killed police chief Filippo Raciti a year ago this month. Catania's supporters were held up as the epitome of the problems wracking the sport and some called for them to be thrown out of Serie A. It is for this reason, among others, I am proud to report they have found a wonderful new way of dealing with the growing tension whipped up by referees and media ? good old-fashioned sarcasm.

 

When Stefano Farina made some decisions they disagreed with, most notably allowing Inter's opener to stand despite Esteban Cambiasso being offside, the initial reaction was to boo and shout abuse, some even considered throwing things on to the pitch in protest. It is in this kind of atmosphere that violence breeds like a virus, as anger takes over common sense.

 

 

Instead, some bright spark in the crowd figured out the best response was with a smile. Never have I seen the entire stadium enjoying a defeat so very much, as they turned their dislike of Farina into a game the whole arena could join in with. His every whistle was greeted with a standing ovation, cheers swept around the Massimino for the last half-hour of their 2-0 loss and choice chants broke out treating the errant official like the new Diego Armando Maradona.

 

 

It was a brilliant plan. Not only did the fans leave the stadium laughing at their misfortune and feeling they had vented frustration in a positive ? albeit sarcastic ? way, but it seemed to infuriate Farina a lot more than if he had been booed in the traditional style. The international referee stormed off the pitch without hanging around for the 'terzo tempo' handshake pantomime, eyes popping out of his skull with sheer rage.

 

 

It brought back all the wonderful things about the Italian Ultra culture that so often get buried in amongst the few idiots who use it as an excuse for violence, racism or anti-Semitism. This is a long-standing ethos of insulting your opponents while making them laugh, giving the jibes as good as you get and meeting your mates in the bar to trash talk over your respective teams. If we can bring that back to the masses and sweep them up in silliness rather than violent outpourings of anger, maybe we can see a different atmosphere develop throughout the calcio world ? and keep referees on their toes.

 

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/blogs/sc11.html

 

Do you think we should give this a try at Tynie?

[Csaba's Broon Shoes]

Dougie Macdonald on saturday , hip hip

[Sherlock]

Don't know if i could bring myself to applaud a ref but i did have a wee laugh at the sellik fan's yesterday with their 'That's why we're paranoid, that's why we're paranoid' song after a decision didn't go their way.

[beany1874]

how about we just chant the ref,s name at the end of the game hehe,im sure all the weegie media would be wondering just what the hell was going on.

[Morse]

I read this article on the Channel 4 website for Serie A and thought about whether the Scottish Referees would actually pick up on the sarcasm involved.

 

Here is the part of the Article:

 

The Massimino was sadly empty for much of last season following the devastating riots that killed police chief Filippo Raciti a year ago this month. Catania's supporters were held up as the epitome of the problems wracking the sport and some called for them to be thrown out of Serie A. It is for this reason, among others, I am proud to report they have found a wonderful new way of dealing with the growing tension whipped up by referees and media ? good old-fashioned sarcasm.

 

When Stefano Farina made some decisions they disagreed with, most notably allowing Inter's opener to stand despite Esteban Cambiasso being offside, the initial reaction was to boo and shout abuse, some even considered throwing things on to the pitch in protest. It is in this kind of atmosphere that violence breeds like a virus, as anger takes over common sense.

 

 

Instead, some bright spark in the crowd figured out the best response was with a smile. Never have I seen the entire stadium enjoying a defeat so very much, as they turned their dislike of Farina into a game the whole arena could join in with. His every whistle was greeted with a standing ovation, cheers swept around the Massimino for the last half-hour of their 2-0 loss and choice chants broke out treating the errant official like the new Diego Armando Maradona.

 

 

It was a brilliant plan. Not only did the fans leave the stadium laughing at their misfortune and feeling they had vented frustration in a positive ? albeit sarcastic ? way, but it seemed to infuriate Farina a lot more than if he had been booed in the traditional style. The international referee stormed off the pitch without hanging around for the 'terzo tempo' handshake pantomime, eyes popping out of his skull with sheer rage.

 

 

It brought back all the wonderful things about the Italian Ultra culture that so often get buried in amongst the few idiots who use it as an excuse for violence, racism or anti-Semitism. This is a long-standing ethos of insulting your opponents while making them laugh, giving the jibes as good as you get and meeting your mates in the bar to trash talk over your respective teams. If we can bring that back to the masses and sweep them up in silliness rather than violent outpourings of anger, maybe we can see a different atmosphere develop throughout the calcio world ? and keep referees on their toes.

 

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/blogs/sc11.html

 

Do you think we should give this a try at Tynie?

 

There's a guy in the front section of Wheatfield F does this all the time.

[Csaba's Broon Shoes]

The refs and linesman sorry assistant referees as they are called nowadays

 

always want all the attention and are out for the man of the match award .

 

We could sing 'referee referee give us a wave '