Some things really annoy me about the world's greatest game and I thought I'd share them to see if anyone else gets wound up by the same things....


1) abolish the transfer windows - let clubs sign players as and when they want/need. Can anyone think of a good reason to keep the 'window' in place?
2) abolish long term loan signings - Didn't loans used to be for a few weeks at a time to cover for injuries or suspensions, or in case of emergencies? How can a prem club loan another prem club one of their players for a year?? madness.
3) 'shielding the ball' out of play. According to the FA rule books, 'preventing a player from getting to the ball with no attempt to play the ball' is blatant obstruction. Certain changes like the 'no pass back' rule were brought in to speed the game up so why do refs allow such negativity as this 'shielding' nonsense?
4) introduction of 4th official technology - to be used for penalty box incidents only
5) diving - anyone found guilty of CHEATING (let's not all it 'simulation') should get a 12 month ban without pay
6) pre-rehearsed goal celebrations - how camp and ridiculous do these people look doing their routines?? (sky have even got an award for 'best celebration'!!!)
7) brightly coloured football boots. ponces.

Have I missed anything? (this list started off with only 3 items but keeps growing...)

1.Id abolish tranfer windows.
2.Id loan out it doesnt bother me if its giving players experience/playing time if we arent using them.
3. If that/any rule exists then it should be upheld.
4. 4th official Sounds good but it may give us all another official to moan at, can/will he be overuled by the ref?
5. Diving is annoying but again define a cheat, the ref could be mistaken,12 month ban is a long time,if TV is used to appeal it then we are back to square one, all about opinion.
6. I dont like many celebrations that are done however each to thier own.
7. I dont care what colour the boots are tbh. Although it seems to portray flare, he could end up looking silly when it goes pear shaped
8. People jumping on the band wagon,IE FA cup finals, getting tickets for the game when they have no real interest at all who's only interest is the prawn sandwhich. Old problem but always annoying.

1) Man City, and the days of seeing a player come good after hard work would be over. They'd be shipped out immediately and another player would be signed. To much activity, even with the windows as they are now. I dread to think what it would turn into with no windows.

2) Whats the point? Sometimes it's the best option for a player who wants away, or if the club want them away. If a club isn't available, the money or the wages, then sometimes it can be handy to have a "try before you buy"

3) When it's blatant and breaking the "rules" I agree.

4) No thanks, don't want technology and outside decisions effecting the game to much. Goal line tech, fine. Everything else can be done retrospectively. If a player dives for a pen, then scores the pen. The played can be banned and the goal chalked of, after the game. If you start to bring in tech, slowly but surely it would get bigger and end up changing the game for good. Plus, you wouldn't have as much controversy or much to talk about after a game, if everything was robotic perfection. The imperfections are actually what make football enjoyable. Remove that, remove a chunk of enjoyability. Whether it goes for you, or against you! It's just the way it is.

5) Suarez would never play football again! (although to his credit, in the last few games, he seems to have calmed it down a bit) Feigning injury and conning the ref should also be on the agenda, as well as diving.

6) It's the soccer am, twitter, kids and computer game culture! I'd kill it if I could, it's the world we live in! Rehearsed celebrations just make the person(s) doing it look like a zombie. A simple arm in the air/fist pump, high fives when running back to the half way line is fine. Dancing around a corner flag while your team mates all do the Macarena is just plain stupid.

7) Along with the untucked shirts, "look at me" stupid tape around ankles, "look at me" socks pulled up over knees, "look at me" wristbands, "look at me" wrist tape, "look at me" spandex tight body vests, "look at me" spandex shorts. If I wore and did all of that on the pitch across the road in a kick-a-bout with mates, I'd still be being laughed at. Yet grown men doing it on a "professional" football pitch, in front of prawn sandwich supporters is seen as "in" and "fashionable"

Transfer windows only came into effect about 10(?) years ago - things were fine before then and the problems you mentioned never happened from what I remember.

At least people have stopped whingeing about needing a 'winter break' in the last few years. That would REALLY p1ss me off! I wonder if the players would be happy to go without pay during the 'winter break'..?

3. Very often it appears ok to shoulder-charge into a player who would otherwise get the ball. For me that's a foul as no effort is made to win the ball while contact is made, but the refs ignore it under shoulder-to-shoulder.
4. Additional referees behind the goal area. A referral system where a manager may make 2 "challenges" of a referee's ruling per half. The 4th official will watch a replay on a pitch-side screen, and give the final answer. If the manager is right he regains the challenge.

For some reason, whenever I see some idiot doing a 'celebration' it ALWAYS reminds me of dennis wise (god i can't stand that little sh1t!!) at chelsea and some of the crap that they used to come up with!

im not really bothered by the stuff above, but i still think they need to clear up aspects of the offside and who is and isnt active/ obstructing keepers view/ defenders attention.

oh yes! Football associations to punish referees who make incorrect decisions that have a direct influence on the result, rather than defending them. If we're not going to try be right, then the officials won't try either.

good call thundyr.

how about refs having to do press conferences where they explain major decisions.

I suppose the biggest thing for me is the "ordinary man/woman being priced out of the game that makes me sad, its being thrown to the so called elite/rich/trendy types. Its a bit late now though isn't it?. (start the revolution, bring back the Guillotine)

I'd actually like to see less analysis of penalty decisions. It's extremely easy to see if the decision was correct when you've got half an hour spare to watch it in slow motion from 20 different angles, but the refs job is difficult....

- he has seconds to make a key decision
-thousands and thousands of people are screaming at him trying to influence the decision
-players will be surrounding him putting pressure on him
-he knows that millions of people will analyse everything he does and be taling about it for days/weeks
-he can't always be in a position to see everything
-players cheat and some are very good at it

Nothing can be done after the game so either get clarity during the game or just accept that mistakes will be made. He's there to officiaite and can't be expected to get everything spot on under such intense pressure and circumstances.

How much is a Hereford Utd season ticket...?

Unfortunately, if we want top players at our club we must pay top prices to get them there and pay them which means the fans must pay top money for their tickets.

I can only imagine, however even though the horse has bolted with all the changes i dont think on reflection its been the best way for the game, and i dont think it can go on indefinatly, what ever happens i still say its sad the ordinary person cant indulge, no fans, no money. Theres always the richer ones though i guess? prawn sandwhich anyone?

What if you have not got the money, then of course you don't go. There's no entitlement to watch LFC you can either afford it or you can't right? Well partly as prices go ever more ridiculous fueled by players wages and agents the pool who can afford it goes ever less. And once you stop going you don't come back. Its even worse for a club like Liverpool who charge the same as the top clubs but who are only a top club in name only. How will it end up ? no idea personally but its going to be interestig to watch.

I would like to add changes to the rules.
Footy is a contact sport (a man's game) and proper tackles should be allowed, if we are to get rid of the divers and shamsters on field.
We should introduce line cameras (same as in tennis and cricket) to rule out hasty and inaccurate decisions by refs.
Pink, rainbow coloured shoes etc must be banned, hurts the eyes summat and pony tails, hair nets etc must deffo go.
Sepp B must be given the boot.

You could be onto something here....if we allow all fouls then the divers will disappear - and quite possibly the pansies in the pink/green/orange/yellow boot brigade! :-)

At last CarH we have reached common ground!

Good post.

1. I agree, most of the transfer movements go on on deadline day (in the January window particularly), which has become a bit of a joke and a sideshow. Makes exciting viewing, but clubs tend to get ripped off and pay over the odds (See Torres/Carroll). One negative point I can think of to abolishing it would be that it would lessen the security of teams who may have players linked with moves away. Just think of the speculation we've had over the years about our better players leaving, such as, Torres, Gerrard, Alonso, Mascherano, etc. How relieving was it when the window closed and we knew they weren't leaving (this time). Imagine the worry of losing your better players hanging over the team constantly - not to mention the players themselves minds being elsewhere.

2. Completely agree. This has only started happening in the last 10 years or so. Completely against it.

3. I think it's okay as long as the player shielding is A) regularly touching the ball every couple of seconds (to prove he's actually in posssession) and B) that he's not actually leaning back on the opponent or holding him off with an arm.

4. 100% agreed. Needs to happen soon.

5. I think your 12 month ban idea is harsh and extremely unrealistic, but certainly they need to get a lot harsher on cheaters than they currently are.

6. Camp as a row of tents.

7. Hahaha!

I have an idea of my own, which I brought up last night in the pub after watching the Chelsea match. I wonder what others think of it...

Ramires, Ivanovic, Meireles and Terry will all miss the CL final through suspension. Playing in a CL final is quite often a once in a lifetime opportunity. I think it's very harsh for a player to miss out on this after the hard work and dedication of helping the team get there. Wasn't David Luiz suspended last night for having already accumulated the bookings for a suspension? Yet he'll get to play in the final. So he got booked more regularly than Meireles, Ivanovic and Ramires, yet he gets the reward of a place in the final.

I think this is wrong. When Meireles made the challenge, he was pleading with the ref not to book him (because he knew what it would mean). The ref had no choice - it was a yellow card offence. Ramires scored the goal that sent them to the final, yet he got booked and will now miss it. This is very harsh on these players, so here's my idea:

If a player accumulates the bookings for a ban up to this stage, the final is exempt from suspensions - ie: Meireles, Ramires and Ivanovic would be able to play in the final, but their suspension would carry on til the next season, when it would then be served. If a player in the semi final second leg gets a straight red - or two yellows in a single game resulting in a red - then the ban stands for the final, and they miss it. I think this is a much fairer system, than depriving a player this massive opportunity to play in a final which they've worked so hard for.

Another example was Roy Keane and Scholes in 1999. Both missed the CL final after getting bookings in the semi. Roy Keane practically dragged Man Ure through than semi against Juventus, yet picked up a booking and missed the final. Am I right in saying that the players who aren't in the match day squad for the final don't even get a medal? I think it's very harsh, and could do with some revising. Most of us would want to see a final contested with two teams at full strength anyway.

Bari I think your suggestion is an excelent one who can ever forget gaza's tackle in the world cup semi final in 1990. ok it was achedemic in the end but had that come to pass that mistimed tackle would have haunted him till his dying day had england got to the world cup final. Not natural justice or morally fair suggest you email your idea to FIFA.

1) abolish the transfer window.

I don't agree with this at all. There are more and more teams in this modern age that are getting richer via their owners wealth. Do you not realise what Man city, Chelsea, PSG, Malaga, etc would do with unlimited funds without any rules obstructing them form signing any player at any time they want? I think its a bad idea to remove it and if it happens, I can see those clubs listed above winning the majority of the trophies that they compete in.

5) diving.

I will kill to remove this from the game. Its really spoiling the game at the moment however 12 month ban as you have suggested is very harsh and if someone gets hard done by wrongfully then it creates a real headache. I think a red card rule should apply for divers so 3 games banishment and if repeated again it will be 4 games then 5 and so on. This might not entirely remove it but I can guarantee you that players will think twice before falling over.

This kind of ruling is already sort of in place somewhere I think. In world cups (possibly the euro's?), do bookings get wiped out at the start of the next stage of the tournament?.....or is that a thing of the past....?...or maybe I just dreamt it?!

You are right and I remember this even implemented in this past World Cup however a player can still miss a final by receiving 2 yellows or a red in the semi final. The abolish those cards just before semi final kick off.

No one has 'unlimited funds', and the transfer window just means they have to cram their signings into a short space of time - it doesn't restrict how many they can buy or how much they can spend. Look at it another way, if a club is in financial poo and have a valuable assett, why shouldn't they be allowed to sell him if it means avoiding administration and ensuring that the other staff get paid?
The january window creates panic, overly priced transfers and instability. Furthermore, what if a player is really unhappy - why should he and his family not be able to move or play for 6 months?

I really can't see any advantage of the transfer window system.

I actually have no problem with any of this. Referees are human and therefore make mistakes - I think everyone accepts this. Which is why the referral system should work, because a) they get to see it all in slow motion, and b) it's the 4th official who is making the call. There should obviously be no ability to "challenge a successful challenge". It takes less time than people think, and is there to assist the referees, not to show them up for fools (they do that enough as it is). The alternative is to have more officials watching the penalty area, but that could be a problem in terms of logistics.

Yeah, the slate is wiped clean in a few competitions. I think in the PL yellows are wiped clean around January and in the CL, they're wiped clean after the group stages. That still leaves 6 (or is it 8?) more matches before the final arrives. It only takes 2 bookings for a suspension. One player could get booked in the first knockout game, go 4 games without a booking, then get booked in the semi 2nd leg and miss the final. On the other side a player can get booked in his first 2 knockout games, serve a suspension, come back and get booked in another 2 games (4 yellows altogether in the knockouts), serve a suspension, and then be eligable for the final. It just doesn't seem completely fair.

Thanks Stanley, I just might do that. Obviously there's a slim chance it will even be read, but what harm could it do, eh?

I think the main justification for the transfer window is that it prevents teams from poaching their rival's players. Not "rivals" in the sense of us and Everton, but in the sense of rivals for 4th, rivals in the relegation battle, whatever. You can imagine how unfair it would be if Abaramovich could just say "Alright, Cisse, you've been doing Newcastle a world of good and it looks like you'll probably fire them into 4th ahead of us. So I'll be having you, Cabaye, and Ba as well." Now, I'm not sure I agree with this justification. Before there were transfer windows, that sort of poaching was extremely rare. But then again, there was arguably more player loyalty back then, and there was certainly less money about.

I agree AOA. That last sentence of yours is very true. Less loyalty and say Man city came in and doubled your wages to do the same thing would you seriously think twice? I think its a recipe for disaster especially with those emerging rich clubs.

transfer window need to stay or else there will be no football and only speculation and negotiations..

I hate the way the players carry in hysterically like they've been shot after a decent tackle! This tactic by the players to draw cards against opposition should be penalized because it's a massive blight on the game and looks fvcking pathetic! These hystrionics should be rewarded with a yellow card or even a red one to stamp it out!!

I'm up for decisions to be reviewed at the time of the incident for calls in the box. Many times it's been proven that a penalty has been rewarded incorrectly. It wouldn't take any less time than it takes for the player rolling around te ground dying to get up which generally causes a decent delay!

Goal technology is another one that should come in a well.

Leave the transfer window too because as someone else said it gives a short period to improve the squad if needed but then it's over and the speculations can lay dormant until the summer.

Without transfer windows the rich clubs could just buy themselves out of trouble, and the poor clubs would suffer. We'd quickly turn into La Liga or the SPL with a couple of teams buying all the trophies every year. If anything there should be a cap on spending to help restore parity between the teams.

Diving is annoying but a six month ban would cause mayhem - with all the cases going to endless appeals and perhaps even civil courts. In many cases you just can't prove the player dived... even if it looks like they did. Referee decisions would become more and more political and most strikers in the league would be banned after a few weeks.

Regarding celebrations... some of them are very silly but do you really want to take all the personality out of the game and have all players identical? At least most football goal celebrations are good natured and celebratory... not like the NFL where they spike the ball in the opposition's face and do the tough guy stuff. Or the NBA where everybody has to show gangsta 'street cred' all the time. The boots are a bit annoying too... and I wonder if it affects keepers and tackling defenders when you're up against some bright neon boots. I could see FIFA clamping down on the colour choices at some point... hopefully it's just a fad.

Defo penalty area officials for ball crossing line and penalty claims.

Oh, and 'agents'. Can we get rid of those parasites whilst we're righting the wrongs?

The only thing I want to change in football right now is KENNY DALGLISH as liverpool manager

Oh for goodness sake! Is it possible for you to stay on topic without shoving this down our throats?

This might be controversial but the off side rule, I don't like it simply because its too complicated. It either needs to be clarified or removed completely.

An interesting idea that probably changes the game dramatically. How would it work in practice though? I suspect having a player able to lurk near the keeper during build-up play will provide no fewer controversies.