Give Referees Free Hands – Bebeto

Football Club Owners and their officials at all levels in Nigeria have been charged to give Referees free hands to officiate in football matches so as to ensure steady sports development in the country. Giving the charge in a lecture on “Law 11” (Offside) he delivered as part of activities marking 2009 SWAN Week, Enugu state chapter, a FIFA and Premier League Badge referee, Mr. Udennaka A . N. C. Bebeto , also urged security operatives to always live up to expectation in ensuring the safety of lives of the players and match officials respectively. Bebeto called on his professional colleagues to be courageous enough during their matches, saying, ”The misinterpretation of this Law by some referees, are cause by threat to their lives by the fans/club officials, wrong positioning during the matches, not being physically fit for the match or having sympathy for one of the teams to stating that this has been responsible for teams to win matches they ought not to have won. He noted the need for referees and their assistants to study the law, and recent rules in football. Continuing, Mr. Bebeto further said : “ This law, which is one of the seventeen laws of the game of football classified under the technical law is regarded by many as the most controversial law of all which has sent many to their graves, hospitals as well as created permanent enemity among football fans.” Bebeto made it clear that referees in Nigeria are always under pressure even from state governors and private football owners who promise them (referees) heaven on in other to secure assistance for their clubs to win matches. He commended the leadership of SWAN Enugu state chapter for organizing the lecture, and urged journalists to report objectively instead of “crucifying the referees when they make human errors.” Other resource persons that presented papers aimed at to updating the knowledge of SWAM/ members on the laws of the game included former sports editor of NTA Enugu, Mr. Okey Anyichie and the national vice chairman of SWAN, South East, Mr. Foster Chime.