Respect agenda is vital – Keane

Aug 14 2008 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

HE may have had a hard-earned reputation as most referees’ worst nightmare in his playing days, but Roy Keane the manager has thrown his weight behind the Football Association’s drive to show more respect to officials – so long as they reciprocate.

Slightly undermining his fair-play drive, however, was the news they will kick off the new campaign without the suspended Michael Chopra.

The 23-year-old striker has been banned for the first three games of the season as a result of his red card during the club’s pre-season trip to the Algarve. Chopra will miss the games at home to Liverpool and Manchester City and away to Tottenham Hotspur.

Keane was sent to the stands for his reaction to Chopra’s red card – though he appears to have escaped further punishment after apologising to referee Bruno Paixao after the game – but the Irishman has nevertheless described the FA’s new “respect” agenda as “vital” to the English game. The aim of the initiative is to encourage players, managers and supporters to treat officials better after a number of high-profile incidents which undermined the authority of some referees.

When asked if he thought the campaign would be a success, Keane replied: “We hope so. We had a league managers’ meeting the other day where it was discussed and it’s vital. We’ve talked about the difficult job managers and players have but I honestly think the referees have the hardest job. They’re in the middle of trying to please everybody and get the right decision. I’ll be reminding my players – not just the first-teamers but at reserves and academy level too – that you all have to respect the officials. We all have our frustrations in the heat of the moment but there’s a way to try to channel that.

“The managers are all in agreement on it, it’s got to be done. We’ve got to show massive respect. If players are going to pick up bookings for mistimed tackles you get your head around that but you certainly don’t want your players picking up silly bookings for dissent and getting suspensions.”

But Keane, who was dismayed by the apparently aloof approach adopted by referee Steve Bennett in particular last season, also thinks the officials need to play their part, however.

“It’s got to work both ways,” he insisted. “There needs to be respect from managers and coaches towards officials but the other way around too. When you are allowed to speak to the officials – and I talked to (referee’s chief) Keith Hackett about this – it’s got to be both ways.

“I think you’ve every right just to ask why did a certain official make that decision. Some referees are fine, they’ll give their reason. Referees are human, they’re going to make mistakes, but you’ve got to get that opportunity to speak to them for five or 10 minutes after the game. You wouldn’t be doing that every week. I only wanted to speak to them after two or three games last season.

“I think you’ve every right as a football manager to say, ‘Can you explain why you gave that?’ But one or two referees wouldn’t give you the time of day.”