Comments on: Ramsey injury was horrific but should not be used to outlaw tackling

By: Magicwand

Magicwand — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:07:23 +0000

“That risk has always been part of football and must remain so.”
This bit bothers me, particularly the latter half of the sentence.
“I’ve fallen victim to and handed out plenty of both.”
And this, again it’s the latter half that bothers me, although I am sorry for the ailments you’ve suffered, I have too if it makes you feel any better.
Clearly, we have very different perceptoins of what football should be. I too thought the Shawcross tackle was unlucky, but Steven Taylor’s tackle on Eduardo two years ago deserved a life ban because it was a vicious and malicious act of aggression with no intention to play the ball. And all he got was a three-match ban. It sent the wrong message across and although I am not a great admirer of Wenger’s tirades, he was perfectly right on that one.

By: pinhead

pinhead — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 15:13:49 +0000

Don’t worry Magicwand, I’ve fallen victim to and handed out plenty of both.
I’ve had my leg broken by the most innocuous of tackles and had a stud inserted in my shin that left a hole that I can still get a fruit pastel in 20 years later – and the referee waved play-on.
Shawcross’s tackle wasn’t two-footed, it wasn’t studs-up and in my opinion it wasn’t reckless or even particularly aggressive.
The consequences for Ramsey were appalling, nobody denies that, but these things happen in sport.
Did you see the pictures of British field hockey player Richard Mantell whose ankle was similarly shattered after a collision in a World Cup match this week? Both players wearing astroturf boots and neither making a tackle in the footballing sense.

By: Magicwand

Magicwand — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:57:05 +0000

Six of one, half a dozen of the other Mitch. While it would be absurd to ban tackling, the level of tolerance for full-blooded, two-footed tackles in the Premier League is quite simply ridiculous. So I disagree with your latter points, you would revisit them too if you fell victim to one such “awkward” or “unlucky” challenge.

By: valentinv

valentinv — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:50:29 +0000

Does not make it wrong? Mitch, it is wrong, goddamn wrong.