WHEN refereeing a game some years ago, a seemingly good goal was scored and the player went off making the usual celebrations.

I had spotted, however, that the scorer had deliberately knocked the ball down with his hand before kicking it into the goal.

It was missed by the other players and the spectators.

When the player turned around and saw me standing in the goal area pointing up-field for the free-kick, he charged back, waving his arms in protest.

I said to him, ‘I know you handled the ball, you know you handled the ball, so it’s a free-kick’.

‘Ah well,’ he said, ‘it was worth a try.’ No problem then you might think, but as I left the pitch at the end of the game, the spectators were still giving me hell.

They believed I had made a mistake, robbing them of a goal.

Sadly, you only have to watch games on television to see offending players pleading innocence, when the replays show the decision to be correct.

How many times do players appeal for a throw-in knowing full well they touched the ball last or appealing fraudulently for a goal kick or corner, whichever is to their benefit?

Without replays to watch, spectators think another mistake by the referee.

Some years ago in the European Cup, there was a corner on the right-hand side of the goal.

The corner kick was shot in low, not reaching the main group of players, when the assistant referee raised his flag.

The referee went over to talk to him before pointing for a penalty.

The television clearly showed a handball by a full-back, but on the field the defending team were in uproar, with one player being sent off for his comments to the referee.

All it needed was the guilty payer to say, ‘sorry fellas, I handled the ball’ and all that would have been avoided.

But of course players don’t.

Do they want to face the wrath of their team mates?

No – let the referee take the blame.