The referee who officiated the match between Tottenham Hotspur and Bolton Wanderers during Fabrice Muamba collapsed has urged players not to “cry wolf” in order to avoid confusion.
The football world was left in shock when Bolton Wanderers player, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Fabrice-Muamba-c13216, collapsed on the pitch during a Barclays Premier League match last season and had to be rushed to hospital. Muamba was in critical condition as the world looked on in shock before the news finally broke of his recovery and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
The match between the two sides had been called off following the incident as the Bolton squad reeled from the shock of what had happened and had it not been for the timely whistle and reaction of the club’s medical staff the situation could well have turned out to be a tragedy.
Howard Webb was the match official on the night and he hopes that the Muamba incident will be taken considered by players who prefer to play-act and feign injuries. He said, "One of our obligations as a referee is to try and observe fair play and keep the game flowing when we can. But, if players cry wolf too many times, then there is a possibility that maybe we will not react in the way we need to.”
He continued by pointing out the fact that although fans and managers complain when the referee stops play to check on an injured player, the referee has no other choice in order to ensure that the player has not suffered any serious injury. Webb said, "If we come under criticism for stopping the games too many times for doctors or physios to enter the field of play, then referees might be inclined not to stop the game."
His comments follow a season where a number of players including Manchester United’s Ashley Young were criticized for going down too easy, however it was not diving that the referees have an issue with but rather the play-acting which follows as it tends to hide the severity of the injury and in some cases, the lack of it.
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