Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
In a match delayed due to the unavailability of the GulfWeekly Premiership Trophy League's premier referee earlier in the season, the Rugby Club shot down Wahooo! in an ill-tempered game.
In a match that was proclaimed by both sides as a championship decider, the result ironically leaves the Dilmun Club in prime position with only two games to play.
However, it was a match that also left newcomers to the game marvelling at the 'Barbarian' battle and neutrals disgraced by the abuse directed at the referee. This is not unique to football in Bahrain as other sports, even cricket, are often blighted with aggressive acts and disrespectful language at teammates and officials.
However, not all sports suffer from such actions globally, so what lessons can be learned and adopted?
Golf is the most obvious example with players, as part of the etiquette of the game, required to report on themselves and administer their own penalties. There have been a number of high-profile incidents where this has happened with hundreds of thousands of dollars at stake.
Yet, is it fair to compare an individual sport with one involving teams?
Cricket is the noble game played by gentlemen (and ladies). A batsman traditionally would 'walk' if they nicked one behind without the umpire detecting, effectively removing themselves from the game. While rarer with the money in the current game, this still occurs today. However, with the advent of 'hawk-eye', players are now permitted to question the decision of the umpire. How long before players at grassroots start to copy footballers?
Another more similar sport would be hockey, or a game involving more physical contact, such as rugby. Both sports treat officials with far more respect than is witnessed in football. However, officials in both of these sports also have the benefit of more stringent rules that allow them to enforce their decisions. Two in particular stand out.
One is the sin bin that permits the official to remove the offending player for a short period, at their discretion. The other is the ability to move the offending team back 10 yards, thereby worsening their strategic position on the pitch. Both are designed to act as a disincentive to players to challenge the authority of the officials.
Does football need something similar?
The FA introduced the RESPECT campaign which aims to address unacceptable behaviour in football - on and off the pitch.
