Philip Grace
12th April 2010, 09:55
....... it drives me mad.
In the sameway that Noah was so upset by Tigers wearing yellow and black hooped socksa few seasons ago, I get very hot under the collar when goalkeepers don't wear clearly distinctive jerseys.
Nowadays (always a word that some old fogey's looking backwards) referees seem not to worry about the close proximity of the shirt colour of outfield players of either side and both goalkeepers.
It wasn't always so. A good few years ago I sometimes nipped into the County Ground and watched Wednesday afternoon Swindon reserve matches. Then I saw a Swindon keeper sent to change when his green jersey was deemed to clash with the Plymouth kit which was all white with green trimmings. on another occasion Walsall were made to wear Swindon's change kit when, with Swindon playing in red shirts white shorts and socks, Walsall turned up in white shirts, red shorts and socks. Unless one team played standing on their heads even the most short sighted of refs should have spotted which side was which without the need to dash to Specsavers.
Those examples shewed referees being over officious but now referees seem to take no account of the rules which says keepers must wear jerseys of a distinctly different colour. All who watched yesterdays semi final will have seen how easy it was to spot David James in a crowd. The same cannot be said when goalkeepers wear vermillion jerseys and the outfielders wear red as did the Redditch keeper. As bad is very light blue jersey behind white shirted defenders. Look again at the highlights of the Telford Highlights and see how similar Mike Green's kit looked to the Telford kit. It wasn't a great contrast to the pale blue Gloucester were wearing either.
As an old defender I know that when you glance quicly to your keeper you don't want to have to waste time looking to closely. A bright geen jersey, which almost all keepers wore then was a welcome and easy spot. Now as an old spectator my eyes need all the help they can get, so please refs, and managers, get a bit stricter.
In the sameway that Noah was so upset by Tigers wearing yellow and black hooped socksa few seasons ago, I get very hot under the collar when goalkeepers don't wear clearly distinctive jerseys.
Nowadays (always a word that some old fogey's looking backwards) referees seem not to worry about the close proximity of the shirt colour of outfield players of either side and both goalkeepers.
It wasn't always so. A good few years ago I sometimes nipped into the County Ground and watched Wednesday afternoon Swindon reserve matches. Then I saw a Swindon keeper sent to change when his green jersey was deemed to clash with the Plymouth kit which was all white with green trimmings. on another occasion Walsall were made to wear Swindon's change kit when, with Swindon playing in red shirts white shorts and socks, Walsall turned up in white shirts, red shorts and socks. Unless one team played standing on their heads even the most short sighted of refs should have spotted which side was which without the need to dash to Specsavers.
Those examples shewed referees being over officious but now referees seem to take no account of the rules which says keepers must wear jerseys of a distinctly different colour. All who watched yesterdays semi final will have seen how easy it was to spot David James in a crowd. The same cannot be said when goalkeepers wear vermillion jerseys and the outfielders wear red as did the Redditch keeper. As bad is very light blue jersey behind white shirted defenders. Look again at the highlights of the Telford Highlights and see how similar Mike Green's kit looked to the Telford kit. It wasn't a great contrast to the pale blue Gloucester were wearing either.
As an old defender I know that when you glance quicly to your keeper you don't want to have to waste time looking to closely. A bright geen jersey, which almost all keepers wore then was a welcome and easy spot. Now as an old spectator my eyes need all the help they can get, so please refs, and managers, get a bit stricter.