When Did Players Start Abusing Refs in British Football?

[Satchmo Distel]

Watching this footage of Man U v Spurs in 1968, I noticed Stepney getting very shitty with the ref at the final whistle. I was wondering when this behaviour started.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi5hIHhcMYw

[Janik]

Probably not long after fans starting doing it, and that was seen as acceptable. A behaviour learned on the terraces as kids, I suspect.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

They make masters Football look like the Marathon des Sables.

[kokamoa]

I remember seeing a clip on the first episode of Match of the 70s on BBC 1 in which Arsenal’s credentials as title challengers for the 70-71 season were introduced by in-tunnel footage of the players coming off either at full or half time. First thing we see is a furious Bobby Gould bellowing “Wanker!” at the top of his voice as he storms into the dressing room. The officials are behind him, one of whom is being angrily assailed by Don Howe, “3 or 4 yards offside! Disgraceful! Absolute disgrace!” Howe is bundled into the dressing room by an Arsenal player trying to act as peacemaker. I’ve never forgotten the look of hurt on the face of the official as he went towards the referee’s dressing room.
God knows how often that scene got replayed over the years through Ferguson/Warnock/Steve Evans etc.

[EIM]

When refs started being snide Tory grasses.

[Amor de Cosmos]

I think it was when players who were brought up with the experience of two world wars faded from the game. Before that you sucked it up and did as you were told. It was generally accepted that anything less led to potential problems when on a wartime footing. I'm guessing players also began whinging at officials off the field earlier than we realise. It only became performative in the late 60s/early 70s. The first time I was shocked by it was when Terry Neill, then player-manager at Hull, was sent off at Loftus Road. He not only gave an earful to the ref but stormed off the pitch kicking the physio's bench over as went.

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

Wrexham FC were disbanded in 1884 because their players and supporters abused (and possibly beat up) a referee who was a committee member of arch-rivals Druids after he conspired to rob them of an FA Cup tie against Oswestry.

Their goalkeeper, Jim Trainer, was banned from football for his part in the ruck and later resurfaced as the goalkeeper for Preston North End's invincibles.

https://joeclarkeproject.wordpress.c...deous-hooting/

Big fan of understated Victorian descriptions of football violence:

A large number of boys, and young men — and apparently not gifted with the wisest sense of expressing appropriately their sense of injury — thought fit to mark their indignation at the referee’s conduct respecting the last goal by surrounding him and giving vent to some hideous hooting.

The conduct of one or two of the Wrexham players was certainly not of a nature as to be commended.

[jwdd27]

Judging from the pace of that 1968 game, the players were too out of breath to abuse anyone.

But I think AdC has it about right, it was when automatic deference to authority began to wane with the first fully post-war generation.

And other teams will have looked at the way Revie encouraged his Leeds players to "engage" with referees, and the success it brought them, before coming back to bite them.

[Various Artist]

Big fan of understated Victorian descriptions of football violence:

A large number of boys, and young men — and apparently not gifted with the wisest sense of expressing appropriately their sense of injury — thought fit to mark their indignation at the referee’s conduct respecting the last goal by surrounding him and giving vent to some hideous hooting.

The conduct of one or two of the Wrexham players was certainly not of a nature as to be commended.

That's outstanding BLT. I'll try to remember, next time I'm exasperated to the point of switching off at the sight of a gang of prima donna oiks encircling and browbeating a referee at point-blank range, to tell myself they're just "not gifted with the wisest sense of expressing appropriately their sense of injury".

[seand]

The Manchester City midfield — apparently not gifted with the wisest sense of expressing appropriately their sense of injury — thought fit to mark their indignation at the referee’s conduct respecting the last goal by surrounding him and giving vent to some hideous hooting.

[Satchmo Distel]

This is why Sheffield Wednesday are nicknamed The Owls