Please log in or register. Registered visitors get fewer ads.
McKenna: Wider Issue Around Abuse in Football
Friday, 31st Jan 2025 16:26

Town boss Kieran McKenna says there is a wider issue around abuse in football ahead of tomorrow’s home game against Southampton, which will be refereed by Michael Oliver, the subject of death threats over the last few days following his controversial red-carding of Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly last weekend.

Oliver dismissed Lewis-Skelly for tripping Wolves’ Matt Doherty as the Irish international broke out of his own area. The decision was upheld by VAR but the red card overturned by an FA independent regulatory commission.

Both the referees’ body, the PGMOL, and the Premier League condemned the online abuse aimed at Oliver, who is widely recognised as one of England’s top officials.

McKenna was asked whether he believes referees aren’t being given enough respect by players, the Gunners having been charged by the FA after their players surrounded Oliver following the controversial sending off.

“I think it's certainly an issue,” McKenna said. “I think there's a wider issue around abuse in football in general, whether that's referees, players or managers.

“There's an issue around what's acceptable and abuse for somebody doing their best job for me will never be acceptable.

“And for referees, I think there's still work to do in football, certainly so at all levels of the game.

“I think as managers we have a responsibility to try and set a good example and we all know they've got a very, very tough job to do and that they do it with the best intention and to the best of their ability in a really fast-paced and dynamic sport with really, really fine margins.

“So they certainly deserve respect and we try at this club to set a good example of that irrespective of mistakes that any of us might make, I think abuse of a personal nature can never be acceptable.”

The Blues boss was quizzed on whether he has any reservations about Oliver taking charge of Saturday’s game given the affect the last week might have had in the 39-year-old.

“I don't think so,” he said. “I've not thought about it a lot because we're trying to control what we can control here, but I'm pretty certain Michael's a vastly experienced referee and a very, very good referee surrounded by experienced people.

“I’m sure if he's selected for the game it means that he feels ready to crack on and do what he does well and if that's the decision then we support that.”

Put to him that he’s the person in football not to have had abuse, McKenna joked, “Check out Phil’s website! In League One when we didn’t win for eight or nine games, I wasn’t too popular then!”

More seriously, McKenna doesn’t believe abuse is something which should come with the territory, that people in football should be able to just brush off.

“I don't think it should be, and I think each individual is different,” he said. “I think as much as it's part and parcel of society and of football nowadays, I'd also hope and wish that if it's whether it's a player or a staff member or referee that, if they did feel that it was adversely affecting them that they could come speak to people and get the right support whatever that support means. 

“We've certainly had cases of that here in the last few years where people have taken criticism or unacceptable things being said about them, and they've taken it strongly and been affected by it. 

“I think in that type of situation, I'd like to think that the support networks are there that people come out and say that this has affected me, and I don't feel it's appropriate, and I need support. 

“We've had instances and different clubs have had instances of people looking for that support and I think that's right.

“I don't think it's something that you have to accept. I think it's, unfortunately, something that you have to be prepared for, but I also think that everyone should have the right to express their emotions and get the support they need if, understandably, something like that affects them negatively.”


TWTD



Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.



rodthergasman added 16:39 - Jan 31
Spot on.
2

Suffolkboy added 16:53 - Jan 31
ITFC ! Again integrity,honesty ,moral standards ,leadership from the front and top ; KM speaks for decency and excellent standards of human behaviour .
Each and every one of us as supporters should both appreciate and thoroughly support in our own way !
Good humoured banter and chants form an integral part of being a supporter ,but it must not be allowed to go further into the vicious ,vituperative rants so often now publicised !
Let’s give MichaelOliver total support and a warm welcome at our super club !
COYB
5

Magic8 added 17:00 - Jan 31
Watch KMc behaviour towards officials....while he fights his corner he dies it within the boundaries of decency....anyone who witnessed the harassment of the fourth official from the first minute to last by Sean Dyche and his 2 assistant coaches for Everton earlier in the season will see how to overstep the boundaries....they questioned every decision every throw in every free kick..just everything...they took it in turns to have a go....embarrassing to watch and I'm glad KMc doesn't behave that way
6

Bramidan added 17:19 - Jan 31
I’ve always took immense pride that we don’t have diving, squealing players.
Some people might claim it’s part of the professional approach.
I just don’t want to see it from an ITFC team even if we lose the match.
Yes some might say naive but at least we are not cheating ………..s
2

Gforce added 17:34 - Jan 31
At least we now know that Keiran sometimes reads this website!! We'd better all say positive things from now on !!
2

armchaircritic59 added 18:14 - Jan 31
Spot on complete sense from KM as usual. I've posted elsewhere earlier this week about this issue. Everyone can play their part, fans, players, managers etc. Referee's are human, they will make mistakes, just like you and I, except we don't get pilloried by social media, TV, etc. Even VAR decisions are ultimately made by humans, and we've seen a few of those made wrongly.

Maybe one day we'll get matches refereed by AI Robots, they'll probably get abuse too, but at least they won't care!

Please give Mr Oliver our support, we don't want favours, just honest refereeing, mistakes and all.
3

Bert added 19:15 - Jan 31
As always our super intelligent manager is spot on. We should also remember that personal abuse has invaded this forum so we should all mind our words carefully.
1

churchmans added 20:00 - Jan 31
We live in a maggot society! Where it is all to common to read abuse online!
I was on twitter(Xnow) for about a month! Jesus every comment i read on every post was vicious!
I had to leave it!
Im on insta and tiktok but never comment! But the banter on them are brilliant compared to 'X'
As for michael oliver i couldnt care less either way i will be cheering on my team!
Life is hard put a crash helmut on and avoid the socials!!
I aimt been on any social media since city&liverpool loss as i know there wil be so many negative plastic supporters and armchair sky tv watching supporters spreading chit
1

IpswichT62OldBoy added 21:40 - Jan 31
We should all post as if we expected our Mothers to read it.
TWTD and What's App is all I do, I get loads of abuse from people I know , I don't need random idiots weighing in.


Keirion McKenna seems to be this generations Sir Bobby Robson, It says a lot that he reads "Phil's site" and still talks to Phil;)
2

IpswichT62OldBoy added 21:44 - Jan 31
Apropos previous comment, I know TWTD is full of random idiots, me for example, but it does feel like a family, obviously with dodgy cousins and mentally unstable uncles but we stick together.
1

Cadiar added 16:44 - Feb 1
KM is obviously aware of TWTD & other sites so the players are probably even more aware. I would suggest some players are affected and as a result confidence can be affected & the appalling abuse Muric has been subject to may well have affected him. Obviously we have our favourites but isn't the idea of being a supporter to support, not to abuse as certain people on this site do as habit. I know who the serial abusers are as most people do but they hide behind their "pen names". BB, RW etc.
0


You need to login in order to post your comments

Blogs 298 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls





About Us Contact Us Terms & Conditions Privacy Cookies Advertising
© TWTD 1995-2025