Barclay Talks Sport

Look, it's quite simple. So simple, in fact, that even football players could understand it. When a foul is committed, the man who has committed the foul and his team captain are allowed to speak to the referee about it. No one else. That is because it is no one else's business. The player fouled need say nothing. After all, the referee has agreed that he has been fouled. None of his team need say anything either for exactly the same reason. Thus, the referee can talk to the offending player and his skipper in a calm and considered fashion (with only thirty thousand fans baying for blood) before explaining what action, if any, he is taking in addition to the free kick given.

If any other player decides to get involved, they should be booked. If they persist, they should be sent off (under current rules there is no sin bin and this is another place where a sin bin would be perfect, by the way). You could throw in this as an extra deterrent. If another player from the offending team joins in, the ball moves forward ten yards. If a player from the oppo gets involved, the decision is immediately reversed.

That's it. No more surrounding the ref brandishing imaginery cards. No more intimidation of the official. Let him do his job and he will do it better than he does now.

Great scott, how much simpler can it be? Is there anyone out there who doesn't understand this?