There comes a point every season when someone needs to step up and say – hey lads, cool it.
The number of red cards and acts of indiscipline are slowly mounting up, both north and south, and it appears that the early season feel-good-factor is starting to evaporate. I’ve noticed a particular lapse in player behaviour since Yom Kippur, so the message from me is ‘calm down’.
From a young age, I was taught to be gracious in victory and in defeat and it appears that one or two individuals are taking their Sunday morning football too seriously, and letting their standards drop.
It’s worth remembering that the MSFL is one of the few Sunday morning leagues that has 100 per cent coverage of referees. We need it to stay that way.
During the latest round of matches, we’ve seen rival managers at loggerheads, pointing fingers at bad sports and weak officials.
I’m glad to report that we had a first-class referee at our match, featuring defending champions Redbridge Jewish Care A and North London Raiders A. David Lazarus is better known for his excellence on the squash courts but I was taken aback by his ability to keep up with play, use the advantage rule whenever possible and lay down the law whenever necessary. He was so efficient, at times you didn’t know he was there. That’s how it should be.
● Having played a key role in helping Team GB win gold in the Open Football competition at the European Maccabi Games in Vienna, David Pollack has taken over the reins as chairman of London Maccabi Lions and London Lions. Pollack replaces Adam Solomons who stepped down due to family commitments. Lions’ Basil Wein said: “David is a real leader and competitor on the field. He is very keen to help drive the club forward on to new horizons and challenges.”
● No-one will forget that bizarre incident last season when Hapoel Tel Aviv striker Etey Shechter was booked for donning a kippah after scoring a goal in the Champions League. I don’t know what it is with Israelis and European competition but quite frankly, the incident involving Yoav Ziv and the assistant-referee in the match involving Stoke City and Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa League was embarrassing. Answers on a postcard for the next misdemeanour ...