Billy Sharp

[WasStefan]

Played and scored a goal today only a few days after his new born son died, 100% respect to the man and RIP to his son.

And no the ref didn't book him.

Edit- MEANT BILLY SHARP, please Mod edit the title

 

[Pessimistic Wolf]

Really pleased the ref didn't book him. I would have expected him to, considering the extent to which some refs stretch the law.

Very professional of him to play.

 

[Surrey Wolf]

Blimey wasn't expecting him to play today after missing the weekend game. Fair play to him after a terrible tragedy

 

[Jungleee]

Hate to sound like a heartless $$$$$$$ but the ref should have booked him.

 

[Westport Wolf]

Hate to sound like a heartless $$$$$$$ but the ref should have booked him.

Get real. That is all.

 

[Oh When the Wolves]

Rules are rules though.

If you make a rule but are exceptions these should be stated:

I.e. if your son has died.
If your 15 and celebrate with your mum .
etc etc....

Its a stupid rule, what is the reasoning behind it?

Respect to Billy Sharp and he showed great bravery and should be allowed to do. Im glad the ref didn't book him, but it does make this rule even more of a joke.

RIP son Sharp

 

[Jungleee]

Get real. That is all.

You're a teacher mate, you should know "rules are rules". I'm sure you tell your pupils that. You're letting your emotions talk.

 

[One Too Many]

I think what Junglee should have said was...

Fair play to the lad, but nobody should be booked for taking their shirt off (Least of all someone who is paying tribute to their deceased newborn child)!

It's just another pathetic rule that helps make make modern day football (and the Premiership particularly) the bag of $$$$ that it has become.

If a player whips his shirt off after scoring (as long as it doesn't reveal a vest with an offensive slogan on it) whats the problem?

Fair play Billy.

 

[Ulver]

You're a teacher mate, you should know "rules are rules". I'm sure you tell your pupils that. You're letting your emotions talk.

It's just a game you $$$$.

 

[Jungleee]

It's just a game you $$$$.

Waste of my breath.

I'll just copy and paste a selection of what I've read off facebook.

"So annoying seeing all these people on here and Twitter referring to the Carlos Tevez situation with the Billy Sharpe situation, they're nothing alike whatsoever. Also, this may seem harsh but during the Manchester derby, Mario Balotelli lifted his shirt and got booked, Billy Sharpe also did the same tonight without a booking.. surely if referees are going to be 'consistent' they should have booked Sharpe as well regardless of the circumstances."

"If a rule is broken it has to be punished. No matter the circumstances. Rules aren't there to be broken..."

"I know his son died, that's why I said I have huge respect for him but football these days everyone picks on consistency so surely they have to follow the rules the FA set, regardless of the situation."

 

[WasStefan]

:embarassed:

 

[jackdusty]

As we all should know by now,most referree's use their own interpretation of the set rules,considering the situation this time the ref used common sense,well done ref and respect to Billy Sharp.Don't forget our own jody has been through similar.Junglee,just leave it now please.

 

[Ulver]

Waste of my breath.

I'll just copy and paste a selection of what I've read off facebook.

"So annoying seeing all these people on here and Twitter referring to the Carlos Tevez situation with the Billy Sharpe situation, they're nothing alike whatsoever. Also, this may seem harsh but during the Manchester derby, Mario Balotelli lifted his shirt and got booked, Billy Sharpe also did the same tonight without a booking.. surely if referees are going to be 'consistent' they should have booked Sharpe as well regardless of the circumstances."

"If a rule is broken it has to be punished. No matter the circumstances. Rules aren't there to be broken..."

"I know his son died, that's why I said I have huge respect for him but football these days everyone picks on consistency so surely they have to follow the rules the FA set, regardless of the situation."

So?

I can't imagine your friends on facebook are the shining lights of intellectualism.

Rules are there to be broken when good judgement and human decency takes precedence.

 

[Bully]

Hate to sound like a heartless $$$$$$$ but the ref should have booked him.

What a $$$$er of a comment.

 

[Chiswick_Wolf]

I find the posts from Junglee & JW fairly disgusting.

 

[UEAwolf]

What a $$$$er

Edited it for you.

Ridiculous comments. Full credit to Billy Sharp and to the referee. There's a world of difference between inciting a crowd by an over exuberant celebration and the revealing of a shirt dedicated to a tragic death of a baby.

 

[PumpKing]

I find the posts from Junglee & JW fairly disgusting.

Whatever the rules, I think the the ref showed compassion given the circumstances and was right not to book him.

I dont think for a second that either Junglee or JW meant any disrespect as they both expressed sympathy for Billy Sharp.

So, as jackdusty rightly stated, given the awful circumstances that led up to this incident, it is best if we just leave it now lads. It is something that shouldn`t have created an unnecessary argument.

 

[Ulver]

I find the posts from Junglee & JW fairly disgusting.

Its not disgust per se. Let's not get carried away. Just slightly idiotic.

We all know the rule is there to protect sponsors at a time when the camera is going to be up close on the player. Nice to see some decency overriding rampant commercialism driven BS for a change.

 

[WV10Wolf]

no need for this whatsoever.

 

[PumpKing]

Its not disgust per se. Let's not get carried away. Just slightly idiotic.

We all know the rule is there to protect sponsors at a time when the camera is going to be up close on the player. Nice to see some decency overriding rampant commercialism driven BS for a change.

I really must be thick, but I had always wondered why it was a booking offence in the first place, as until you just pointed out what is now to me the obvious sponsor aspect, I had never given that reason a thought.

 

[Sandwell Wolf]

Hate to sound like a heartless $$$$$$$ but the ref should have booked him.

$$$$ing heartless $$$$$$$.

 

[The_Blade]

Very sad news. Don't know how he played a game of football so soon after.

 

[Very Proud (AKA Still Proud)]

Very sad news. Don't know how he played a game of football so soon after.

My thoughts too most of us would have taken time off to grieve. Maybe his motivation was he wanted to pay tribute in the best way he could and he did just that.

I have lots of respect for what he did and to the referee who in this strange world we live in full of rules and regulations let compassion and common sense shine through.

 

[wolf97]

RIP to the little man and respect where it's due to Billy and the ref.

 

[North West Wanderer]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15547176.stm

 

[Taffywolf]

Massive well done to the ref for applying a bit of common sense, He didn't remove his top but lifted it up which I think is correct. Fair play to Billy Sharp. respect.

 

[KiwiWolf]

again no need for this either

 

[Veins Of Old Gold]

If the ref booked me for raising my shirt and showing that 2 days after my son died i'd probably smack the $$$$.

 

[Mutchy]

No more insults please.

 

[Veins Of Old Gold]

I understand where Jungle is coming from, Jack Collison got booked for raising his shirt as have a few others in the past and I think it is heartless and disgusting.

It's a tribute for $$$$s sake. The player is hardly getting a thrill out of it is he.

 

[NewarkWolf]

By the laws of the game he should have been booked, thank god the ref put the situation into context and didn't. We bang on about refs being like robots and sticking to that stupid law then I read some of these comments.....madness!! Very professional of sharp to play and very sensible from the ref IMO

 

[AW]

Common sense prevailed....well done the ref.

 

[PumpKing]

I understand where Jungle is coming from, Jack Collison got booked for raising his shirt as have a few others in the past and I think it is heartless and disgusting.

It's a tribute for $$$$s sake. The player is hardly getting a thrill out of it is he.

After now seeing it on T.V. and the extremely moving way it was done, no referee in the world could have possibly booked Sharp at that poignant moment. This ref, as I said before rightly ignored a stupid ruling, practised common sense and showed the compassion that is sometimes missing in life. He should be highly commended for the way he allowed that tribute to pass.

It was a very sad moment in football that will be remembered for many a year. R.I.P. little man.

 

[WasStefan]

No more insults please.

:embarassed:

Any chance you could edit the title to 'Sharp'?

Btw, did anyone see his goal? What a cracker.

 

[Shergar]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that due to the global appeal of the game some countries get offended when a bare torso is shown and that is the reason FIFA? outlawed it.
Robbie Fowler ****ed it up with the message thing when he displayed a show of support for the Liverpool dockers strike and it was deemed political.

Stupid, stupid rule ( I an unaware of any effigy burning in arab countries when Kevin Doyle took his top off?)


The ref showed great humility and common sense, the sad thing is he was most probably marked down by the referee's assessor because of it and I wouldn't be surprised if he does not have to give an account of his reasons to the powers that be.

 

[PumpKing]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that due to the global appeal of the game some countries get offended when a bare torso is shown and that is the reason FIFA? outlawed it.
Robbie Fowler ****ed it up with the message thing when he displayed a show of support for the Liverpool dockers strike and it was deemed political.

Stupid, stupid rule ( I an unaware of any effigy burning in arab countries when Kevin Doyle took his top off?)


The ref showed great humility and common sense, the sad thing is he was most probably marked down by the referee's assessor because of it and I wouldn't be surprised if he does not have to give an account of his reasons to the powers that be.

Billy did not show his bare torso anyway as the message was written on his tee shirt.

If it does transpire that the ref is marked down for acting like a decent human being then I trust some strong message of support would be sent to the same so called authorities that control this corrupt uncaring joke of a league. Maybe someone at the F.A. just might have the common decency to see this for what it was, and maybe learn a few lessons from Billy Sharp and this referees` actions.

Anyone know who the ref was last night?

 

[WonderWolf]

It is too easy and simplistic to make Ref's out to be the 'bad guys' in these situations. If the law governing this sort of thing allows flexibility/judgement calls then inaction is fine and right, but if it doesn't, it is a case of not fulfilling his obligations as required.

The act of booking a player for this is nothing to do with the Ref' disrespecting or lacking sympathy for the player's loss in displaying his 'tribute'; it is simply for the act of breaking a rule in the process that lead to the displaying – there is no connection with the personal reason/cause for display, it is a separate issue altogether.....because of the emotive nature of the act the fans fail to be objective and so differentiate between the two......plus we all know that the crowd being the 'crowd' love theatrical interplay.

I personally see no problem with a booking. As professionals the players are fully aware of the rules and what constitutes a 'breakage'....their intended act should therefore have a consideration for this when planned....a blatant disregard for whatever reason is NOT the ref's fault! In fact, the act itself puts the ref in a real awkward situation!....leaving him open to abuse and/or embarrassment. The player has no regard for this.

In my view, the players as professionals operate within and also use the rules to their advantage at times. It is accepted professional practice for a player to take 'one' for the team and cause in certain situations......for me, in this situation, Sharp with his deliberate act would have taken 'one' for his son – a double tribute to him.

 

[Mugwump]

Have we really become so pathetic that a thread about a man paying tribute to his son has ended up with bickering, name calling and debating whether the bloke should have got a booking for lifting his shirt? Surely the death of a child is way more important than that. Football really doesnt matter at the end of the day.

 

[Sharples]

The rule is a joke. Fair play to Sharpe and while by the letter of the law said he should have been booked, Im glad that he wasnt. My mate lost a kid a few days after he was born, so sort of seen what it does to a family first hand.

Thoughts are with his family.

 

[PumpKing]

Have we really become so pathetic that a thread about a man paying tribute to his son has ended up with bickering, name calling and debating whether the bloke should have got a booking for lifting his shirt? Surely the death of a child is way more important than that. Football really doesnt matter at the end of the day.

Couldn`t agree more, it`s got totally out of hand.

A couple of us tried to get folk to leave it be early on, but feelings were high and it`s a great shame that the thread lost its original intention.

Maybe the Mods should have acted earier.