By Our Reporter
A top Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) coach has pleaded with the clubs, players and fans to stop criticizing match officials, reports NaijaSportsXtra.blogspot.com.
The gaffer who would want his name published also stated that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), League Management Company (LMC), Club Owners and indeed Nigeria Referees Association (NRA) must come together to address and proffer solutions to the problem faced by our match officials on and off the pitches.
"It's sad that just after matchday 5, our refs and their assistants are facing unnecessary outcry from all and sundry regarding their performances during games.
"I don't want to make any club, manager, coach or player as a reference point here, but in one of the few games I have seen this season both on television and match venue, I want to first and foremost commend some of our match officials for showing professionalism despite the harsh criticism.
"Secondly, we are the ones putting pressure on them. It's sad that we question why a ref gave a home team two penalties. But we never question why the away team got a penalty.
"You need to see the antics the home or away team use to put our match officials off balance. We forget that they are humans too, when managers, players and fans of the home team begin to barrack the refs, what would one expects.
"How do you expect a home team that plays below the par to get the whole 3points? "Our coaches too never take responsibility when their teams lose, rather they want to fault the match official for not making favorable calls for them.
"I also felt by now, the clubs should have held seminars for their coaches, players and fans as regards the new football rules and the changes made on the existing ones by FIFA.
"I want to urge clubs to see it as a point of duty to regularly organism seminars for our coaches, players and fans.
"Also the referee association too must at all times protect its members from this unnecessary criticism by the public as it gives our match officials a bad image. We see top rated refs make mistakes during high profile games, their heads are not called for rather just in house sanctions are handed them.
"I fear if this trend continues, I see a match official been beaten blue black by irate fans soon."
