The Torquay initiative

[jevs]

http://www.torquayinitiative.org/

Absolutely spot on and about time too

to Torquay

 

[jonny.rainbow]

Watch out Chris McPhee!

Seriously though, if Torquay continue the season as they are now they could well be looking at Conference football next season.

Are they seriously trying to say they would fine a player who won a penalty that kept them up, with all the financial implications it would have?

 

[Commander]

At last. Every club should follow suit.

 

[Timbo]

All very noble but it'll never work.

 

[B.M.F]

Good on them. I hope more teams follow suit

 

[jonny.rainbow]

All very noble but it'll never work.

Precisely.

What might work is banning football being coached in Portugal.

 

[Timbo]

Precisely.

What might work is banning football being coached in Portugal.

Reading through it, any player who cheats three times is put on the transfer list. Put it in the premiership and three weeks into it the games would be 5 a side.

 

[Commander]

Reading through it, any player who cheats three times is put on the transfer list. Put it in the premiership and three weeks into it the games would be 5 a side.

Maybe, but if they stuck with it it would sort it out in the end.

 

[seven stands]

just trying to fool any refs into thinking they dont cheat, so next time mcphee goes down the ref thinks oh that must be a pen they dont cheat

 

[Man of Harveys]

Precisely.

What might work is banning football being coached in Portugal.

Why specifically Portugal? It's done by players from everywhere.

 

[jonny.rainbow]

The thing is at the moment players probably admit to their manager and team mates that they took a dive or conned the ref.

If their was a risk of internal disciplinary action, they'd probably keep quiet about it.

If their manager/chairman accused them of diving/conning/simulating etc, they'd just argue it the same as they do at the moment.

 

[Hiney]

I thought this was a thread about the new Robert Ludlam book

 

[Charles 'Charley' Charles]

Well done Torquay, would like to think a lot of clubs would follow this course of action, unfortunately can't see it happening though

 

[jonny.rainbow]

Why specifically Portugal? It's done by players from everywhere.

That was half in .

A dig at my portugese mate, who played for Sporting Lisbon youth team and told me about their training sessions on diving.

 

[The Large One]

But the get-out clause they have in this is 'If we feel that one of our Players has a 'Clear' case to be answered, we will convene a hearing...'

Won't a series of sometimes-malicious complaints from opposing fans claiming to be home fans tire the club in question into eventually raising the threshold beyond reason into it proving its own player's guilt?

I seriously hope this works, and that EVERY club enters into the spirit of this, including us, but somehow I can't see it really taking off. It's more in certain clubs' (especially the big ones who are generally the most culpable) interests to run the risk a 'cheats' label (simply shrugging it off as 'petty jealousy') than to win by perceived fairer means if it ultimately means they attain their hallowed prize - at whatever cost.

Having said, Adam El-Abd - take note.

 

[BensGrandad]

Will this stop players congratulating the player who has been fouled to get the penalty before the kick is even taken.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

It is a shame that a small club like Torquay feels the need to start this initiative, when the FA seem to do absolutely nothing about it.

Yet again, it is the consumer (the fan) that ends up paying money to watch a stop start game....

 

[Soton Seagull]

Fantastic idea. As a cynic I feel it will never work, but you can't have a go for someone trying to stand up and make a very valid point indeed.

If I was in the office, hadn't done my work properly and feigned the computer crashing, yet everyone in the office had seen me press the off switch, I'd expect consequences!

 

[Albion Rob]

I'd far rather see players who surround the ref screaming for a player to be booked shown the red card themselves. It would only take a couple of refs to do it and it would all stop pretty quickly. I honestly believe those couple of seconds when players are screaming at the ref would be far better spent for the ref to make up his mind with a clear and accurate decision.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Absolutely. They should follow the example of Rugby and the referees should be able to speak to both of the captains and the perpetrators, as opposed to the whole team. Anyone that does not obey by this rule should then be booked! What will the FA do about it? Sweet FA.