http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFGJGb5l26U&feature=player_detailpage
On Sunday Manchester City went to the Emirates Stadium looking to close the ten point gap on their top of the table neighbours Manchester United. The prematch analysis was plagued by the controversy surrounding the “category A” seats for City fans priced at sixty-two pounds a head by Arsenal.
Many fans were boycotting the match in protest of the grotesquely high cost of the tickets, Kevin Parker of the City Supporters’ Group stated: “In 2009 a ticket to Arsenal was £32.50,” thus in four years the price has increase by nearly thirty pounds. Nine hundred of Cities allocated three thousand tickets were returned because they were not able to sell them.
Manchester City were able to see out a comfortable victory against Arsenal winning two-nil after Milner and Dzeko both struck in the first half. Controversy occurred after the final whistle though as the assistant referee John Brooks stated to Joleon Lescott that he and the Man City players should acknowledge the traveling support. “They’ve paid 62 quid over there, go and see them,” the assistant said to the £22 million defender (his transfer fee in 2009). Lescott and his teammates did indeed go over to applaud the away end, and I am sure that this would have occurred even without Brooks’ statement, yet the incident has become a social media sensation after it was caught on camera.
This is John Brooks’ first season in the Premier League, having assisted on a number of high-profile fixtures including Chelsea’s 5-1 win over Southampton in the FA Cup third round a few weeks ago. Obviously it wasn’t long before news of his comment had spread, after featuring on MOTD2 and spreading across various social media sites. Brooks’ comments attracted applause from fans and pundits alike but he soon felt the wrath of the FA and Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) who removed him from duty in the Tuesday night FA Cup third round replay between West Bromwich Albion and QPR, which ended with QPR winning one-nil.
Sadly it seems he has also been removed from officiating over the weekends Premier league fixtures with the PGMOL claiming he has been taken off duty to ensure Brooks was not subject to undue media pressure. This move by the refereeing body has attracted backlash from football fans, journalists and pundits, even Gary Neville expressing his opposition to the decision tweeting; “If that’s right about the Lino at Ars v city being dropped tonight it’s ridiculous!!” The PGMOL simply stated that they retain the right to change its officials at short notice if it sees fit.
So was it right for John Brooks to make these comments in the first place? He is a match official after all, an impartial employee, should he be immersing himself in the politics of the game? This is one argument that has been put forward for his removal from officiating at the Hawthorns. Are officials not supposed to have empathy for fans?
Brooks’ comments were nothing to do with the match itself but the controversy regarding Arsenal’s pricing of the away supporters seats. His comments were purely because he believes that the travelling Manchester City fans deserve respect from the players, for travelling two-hundred miles to the capital to see their heroes play, for providing support not only for this match but their continued allegiance to the club. It is similar to you reinforcing the manners of your mate, towards the catering staff in your Uni halls, disregarding the need of respect between the two parties in order to maintain good standing (or not to have spit in your food).
There would surely have been no controversy if Brooks’ had not mentioned the “£62” rather just telling the City players to applaud their fan but Brooks was simply stating a fact, the fans have controversially been over charged to watch the game (note the near thirty pound increase I mentioned before) and deserve their plaudits; they help finance the players wages through ticket sales, purchasing merchandise and so forth. If the FA fear that Brooks’ comments reflect badly on them, the backlash and support from football fans across Britain should persuade them; rejecting the views that PGMOL are protecting Brooks’ from media pressure as he is being supported by every article I have comes across. If he had not been heard on television there is no doubt it my mind that none of the Man City players would have brought up his statement post match.
The incident has simply spiralled out of rational realms. If it is the FA trying to protect Brooks (by removing him temporarily from his job?) or a pathetic attempt to punish him for they perception that he has damaged their image, I am not sure. With John Brooks being applauded by fans and pundits alike I cannot see a reason for his suspension. In my personal opinion it should not be an issue, he has my support (I know that means nothing but he has it nonetheless) and I hope the young man will be back in the game as soon as possible.
source – bbc sport
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5 Comments
That’s crazy he’s been suspended for just making a valid point.
Exactly! I was surprised he had been removed from yesterdays game but when I began writing this I heard of him being removed from the weekends fixtures, its mental!
In four years Arsenals ticket price to Man City fans has almost doubled……and the point is??? I bet man City’s spending has increased by a slightly greater percentage than that in the last four years. If the club was bothered about it why didn’t they subsidise the cost from their oil money. If Arsenal are having to play financial catch up, blame Man City not Arsenal.
As for John Brooks. His comments demonstrated a sympathy with the Man City fans (one I share with the fans who were paying supporters before the oil money came along) but Brooks is supposed to be impartial. His actions bring into question his ability to be impartial. He should not be allowed to officiate at all on that basis. Having said that, there are plenty of refs we know are not impartial they just don’t make the mistake of verbalising it.
It might have been the way I put it across but it’s not just to the Man City fans, it’s the Arsenal tickets as a whole that have increased in price. Top price is around £125 a ticket at the Emirates (or so I have read). Thank god I’m not an Arsenal supporter.
Brooksy was not ‘disciplined’, just removed temporarily from the media spotlight.
As a match official, he is the epitome of professionalism – just unfortunate he was standing next to a mic.
He will be back on duty at Carrow Road on the 30th.