You don’t have to delve particularly deep into the more irrational depths of internet hysteria to detect a barrage of abuse directed at Michael Oliver after Diogo Dalot was sent off for dissent at Anfield on Sunday.
The defender received two yellow cards in a matter of seconds for protesting a throw-in he believed should have gone to Manchester United at the end of a goalless draw with Liverpool. The verdict from some fans: “absolutely disgusting”, “the worst referee I have ever seen” and a referee who “should be permanently banned from Premier League games”. Oliver was also accused of “protagonist syndrome”.
The Sky Sports pundits were also in the know, albeit with less industrial language. “What do two disagreements really mean?” asked Gary Neville. “How do you split a rant into two parts?” Jamie Carragher agreed it was “incredibly loud”.
Oliver’s decision comes amid a crackdown on dissent by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the governing body of English professional football. This season, the number of warnings for dissent at all levels of the game (including women’s football) has increased by 88 per cent following the introduction of a charter to toughen penalties for bad behavior by players and coaches.
I understands that the Charter has received overwhelming support from all governing bodies.
And the judges themselves fully support Oliver; his performance in Sunday’s game is called “outstanding.”
“His actions against the second Dalot yellow were an excellent example of referees at the highest level putting an end to controversy and bad behavior,” said Martin Cassidy, CEO of Ref Support UK. I.
“PGMOL and the FA informed all clubs before the start of the season that they would actively combat abuse and dissent.
“The players and coaches obviously ignored it and continued to do what they had been doing for years. This has resulted in record disciplinary action, red and yellow cards and fines for managers for unacceptable behaviour.”
Dalot’s sending off proved even more controversial as Darwin Nunez was spared a second yellow card for a similar foul, with the Liverpool striker sending the ball away and then sarcastically applauding the referee. However, it is unknown whether Oliver saw Nunez’s second foul in real time, although it was caught on television cameras and broadcast to viewers at home.
“Players and coaches only have themselves to blame if they cannot control their emotions and continue to set a bad example for young players with their childish behavior,” Cassidy added.
Oliver, who suffered similar abuse after refusing to send Mateo Kovacic from Manchester City to Arsenal earlier this season, has been the target of multiple death threats following high-profile incidents in the Champions League.
The crisis in the treatment of referees that has worsened in English football in recent seasons is not an isolated incident. Matches in Turkey will resume on Tuesday for the first time since being suspended on December 13 after the club’s chairman pushed a referee to the ground during a match. MKE Ankaragucu President Faruk Koca was arrested and later resigned.
The Premier League has made “real strides” in tackling player behavior, according to PGMOL boss Howard Webb. Last week it was confirmed that the frequency of players surrounding referees has decreased.
“Changing behavior takes time,” Webb added. “We will continue this due to events in Turkey and the need for a positive travel direction not only for this season but forever.”
“This is the only way to send a really strong and powerful message at the grassroots level. We will not give in on this issue.”