The Daniel Candeias incident has thrown up the idea of goading in football once more.
The SFA have revealed that Candeias was given a second yellow card for gesturing towards Anton Ferdinand. Despite the fact that doesn’t look like it was the case, it does throw up an interesting side-topic.
Footballers have been treated in a mixed variety for goading in the past. The Candeias sending off is a throw-back to the red card dished out to Andy Halliday against Morton back in January 2016.
The Rangers midfielder, then managed by Mark Warburton, was sent off for making a not obscene goal gesture to the Morton fans. It was after Rangers were getting pelters from the home fans, and the goal simply offered a release. Halliday was given a second yellow card and sent off.
Just like Candeias when blowing kisses, Halliday provided no offensive insult by raising his fist in triumph. Regardless, both were deemed yellow card offences.
The obvious different here is that Halliday’s was gestured to the fans, and Candeias to a player. It doesn’t make any real difference to the legitimacy of the cards however.
The fact in both cases is that neither should’ve been sent off because they were both simply banter. Gesturing to opposition crowds, so long as it’s not crude or offensive, should never be deemed as offences.
Players take so much stick from opposition rivals and supporters throughout matches. Players, therefore, should be allowed to offer a bit of release after a goal is scored. With so much frustration built up, how can you forgive a footballer for showing a bit of emotion.
Fans love the emotion
Secondly, fans love it. When their team score a goal and their player gives a bit back to rival supporters and players, it shows how much they care. It adds to the drama and shouldn’t be seen as anything other than good banter.
Take the Old Firm for example. When Kyle Lafferty and Nacho Novo previously ran past the Celtic supporters and goaded them at Parkhead, didn’t that get you going as Rangers fans?
It’s the same for Celtic last season. Tom Rogic was allowed to cusp his ear and goad the Rangers support after equalising for the Parkhead side back in an Ibrox game in March.
You know what? Fair play to all of them for it. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with players saying to fans “let’s hear you now” after scoring. It adds to the entertainment value, and makes it more passionate. None of those offences mentioned above were given bookings, and rightly so.
In future Old Firm matches, players will continue to do the same. That goes for any heated fixture really. If you’re getting stick in front of tens of thousands of opposition fans, would you not give a bit back after netting into them? Most certainly would.
It’s a release that the players all deserve for the abuse they take on the field. Fans should suck it up and take it when they’re on the receiving end, just as they’re enthusiastic enough to dish it out. It’s the same with players who want to wind up opposition stars.
The SFA need to get together and sort it out. Slowly but surely, passion and emotion is getting taken from the game.
