Conference trucks::football;1

    Re:
    
>    Well, we Americans know a LOT about soccer, and refereeing.  Perhaps
>    we have something to teach the rest of the world, after all.
    
    
    Well, you've certainly convinced me !

    
    Well,Mr Soccer expert you obviously know a lot more about the game
    than an ex European Pro.
    Frankly I think the NY coach was quite right to assault the match ref
    for such a mess-up on the field of play,and would like to see more of
    it in the U15 soccer federation.In fact he should have nutted you while 
    he was at it,so you couldn't write such nonsense in the notes conference.
    
    
    Also,as a point of interest oh knowledgable one,what exactly is a
    FIELD CO-ORDINATOR ???? Are you the guy that cuts the grass and paints
    the lines on the field ????? please tell,as you Americans know a LOT
    about soccer.
    

    Well you certainly have me baffled,here are a few questions i would
    like to ask "Oh Knowledgable One"
    Is soccer a form of football,and what shape is the ball.
    What is a field co-ordinator? Is that the peson who gets rid off the
    orange skins at half times and shows the boys where the toilets are?
    He entered the field. Are your pitches covered with mine shafts and
    people fall into them?
    VA certified. Is this a place like Carstairs where people get
    certified.
    Could I get a job as I have been fully certified here at Digital.
    Good call. Sounds more like cricket.
    Center Referee- I have heard the ref called a few things but never
    this.
    Did that Ex Pro actually try to get a game for a certain team in
    Glasgow last season,and has he taken his violent actions across the
    pond.He deffinently sounds like a certain drunk who goes by the name of
    Dunc.Or he might even be called Andy,cos he played for the same team.
    JC.
    
    

    re.base note
    
    Surely the coach of NY being an ex pro of european football would have
    been in the game a fair length of time,coming up through the ranks of
    youth teams of pro football side's and progressing to the 1st team
    squad would be able to recognise an offside situation when he see's
    one?
         That was probably why he was so angry at the duff referee and
    proceded to thump the man.The fact that his team were being humped had
    nothing to do with it.:-)
    
    Again I am  also curious as to what a field co-ordinator's job
    envolves,and what does the centre referee do?does he just run round &
    round in the centre circle and hope something will happen in there?
    
     

    
    Going back to the original conversation,terminated by the Field
    Co-ordinator,I think this is total fabrication.Why? you may ask.
    
    Well,
    	1.No European calls the game in question,Soccer.Football is the
          original name so don't try to change it.
          The FIFA World Cup is being held in the US in a couple of weeks
          time.....FIFA standing for Federation
    				     International
                                  ** Football **
    				     Association
          Note it is not FISA.The word Soccer is nowhere to be seen.
    
    
        2.No guy who has just attacked a referee would stand for a jumped
          up Field Co-ordinator telling him he's been a naughty boy.
          I think HE would have Terminated YOU.
    
    
    So the moral of this note is stick to Co-ordinating Fields,and leave
    the Football to the Professionals!!!! 
    
    			
           	         

    I should have known better than to post to this group.
    
    Moderator, please delete this note and replies.
    

    
    Oh,come on F.C. don't be like that,there are many answers we European
    Football chaps are waiting for.
    
    
    			  

    
    
    Before you go.....please tell us what a Field Co-ordinator is.
    
    
    
    
    

    
    5 replies and the Field Co-ordinator is burst....
    

    
    There were times when the Europeans used to say 'those Africans know
    nothing about football'. So much for the comment. 
    
    Also, the more participants in this conference the better. Some UK
    guys are just a bit bitter these days, seeing the WC going without
    their teams. So much for the replies.
    
    Still there is a valid point being made. Soccer seems to move away from
    European football. Different names, different jobs. 
    
    
    And how would you react to a European who complained about US ex-pros 
    calling "You Europeans know nothing about American
    Football/Basketball" ?
    
    
    
    Cheers
    Heiko
    
    

    Come on Foxie there is no need to take the huff.But you sure left your
    self open with your comments in the initial note.Maybe it was your lack
    of knowledge of Football terms that opened the way for all the flack.So
    how's about telling us what a field co-ordinator does and someone might 
    tell you what we would call it over here.But do not dispair if you
    become unemployed,you could always apply for a job with the S.F.A
    (Scottish Football Association) because they seem also to have a lack
    of understanding.Well after the world cup your knowledge should be a 
    lot greater and hopefully we will hear from you again.
    JC.

    >>Some UK guys are just a bit bitter these days,seeing the WC going
    without their teams.
    
    The U.S are only there because they are hosting the tournement if they
    had to go through the qualifying stages they would have been in soapy
    bubble as I doubt as if they would have got through.
    
    Dougie..

    
    Re Heiko/Foxy
    
    Football is a worldwide game which the US are only now beginning to
    understand thanks to the help they have recieved from the Europeans
    and the South/Cental Americans. When and IF the US ever become a 
    major force in the game , maybe comments like the one in the
    basenote will be taken seriously. Until then they are sitting targets
    and will be treated as this one has....
    
    PS...sarcasm has always been a part of football. 

>    PS...sarcasm has always been a part of football. 

From the last few notes in response to the initial post you wouldn't believe that
sarcasm has always been a part of football.

Give the guy a break and help him out rather than slagging him off because of the
terminology he has used. Bigotry isn't dead its alive and in this conference.

I would have assumed from the original post that the field coordinator helped to run
the tournament. Normal football officials were in place for each match : a ref and
two linesmen. The field coordinator is something akin to a UEFA official ask
Graham Taylor about those.

Get a life guys.

/K

    .14
    
    HEAR BLOODY HEAR....
    
    nice to know that `visitors' to this conference will get such a warm
    welcome. Nice one lads....(no smiley)

>    The U.S are only there because they are hosting the tournement if they
>    had to go through the qualifying stages they would have been in soapy
>    bubble as I doubt as if they would have got through.
    
    Well, they qualified "properly" the time before, so who is to say that
    they wouldn't have done so this time ?

    You never know,If the Yanks have fixed it" like the English in 66".The
    yanks might win it.I cannot remember in any past world cup,a team
    playing all games in their own national stadium.
    jc 

    Mr Foxwell,

    	don't take any of the previous comments too personally. You just
    touched on a sore point when you said "Well, we Americans know a LOT
    about soccer, and refereeing" and made it worse by saying "Perhaps we
    have something to teach the rest of the world, after all." Most of us
    will agree the the World Cup is being held in the US for one reason
    only......money. It really should have been held in Africa where the
    game has developed to the extent that an African team only just missed
    the Simi-finals in Italy '90.
    	It wouldn't be so bad having it in America if you could leave the
    game alone. For years we've been hearing rumours of American TV wanting
    4 quarters / more advert breaks. Recently someone posted a note
    covering a range of rule changes for some leagues in America, aimed at
    making the game more exciting but seen over hear as a bunch of cranky
    ideas. We don't like having a minor soccer nation coming along and
    saying "We're going to change the rules to make soccer better". In this
    sense, you Americans don't know very much. You're the new boys on the
    block and need to earn some respect before you'll be taken seriously.

    	Having said that. The situation you described is appalling. I
    personally don't think you should let the coach get off free. It sets a
    very bad precident. As you said, he set a bad example to his young
    >impressionable< players. If "you" then let him off, you letting the
    players know that this action is acceptable. Regardless of how bad the
    descision is, there is NO excuse for his behaviour.

    	I assume being "field coordinator" involved ensuring that the
    teams / officials assembled on time and everything went smoothly. The
    boys gave you some stick over your terminology but they don't really
    mean any harm (although Mr Bennett went a bit far saying you're whole
    story was fabricated - I know lots of Europeans who use the term
    Soccer). We all have our own vocabulary's. There's nothing wrong with
    you Americans using your own terms. The Swiss, for example, refer to
    the game as "Schoota" whilst the Scots call it "Fitbal" (or something
    like that 8-).
    
	So.....don't be put off by the response. You never know, one day
    you Americans may be able to stand proudly alongside us Welsh, Irish
    & Scottish as one of THE great footballing nations! 8-)
    
    JBG

    Against my better judgement I'll enter a followup.  Don't get
    out of control about the terminology...I can't help it if 
    some other sport in the  US appropriated the  term "football", leaving
    the real sport to be called something so offensive to the  rest of the 
    world.  I didn't invent the word "soccer", but that's what we call it.
    Sorry.
    
    My original point, however poorly expressed, was that I was  appalled
    by the coaches' attitude: that I didn't understand his assault on the
    referee because I didn't know anything about the game.
    
    Well, I'm certainly not as well-versed as the  frequent contributors
    to this conference, but I have coached youth soccer (oop, there's 
    that awful word again) for about 15 years, and have refereed for 
    the past 3 years.  So, in spite of the prevailing opinion in the 
    replies, I'm not completely ignorant of the game, although I am,
    perhaps, a bit careless with terminology.
    
    As far as the mysterious "Field Coordinator" title, it's not really
    important to the point of my note...however, I will say that it's
    one of the many volunteer positions that are needed to run tournaments.
    The tournament I mentioned is the annual Al Dougherty Memorial Soccer
    Tournament, one of the largest in the  Eastern US, held in May on 
    Memorial Day weekend, consisting of over 300 teams from age 10 through
    age 19.  Some European youth teams have even considered the tournament
    interesting enough and competitive enough to attend.
    
    Well, enough of that.  I love the game, whatever it may be called.  So
    do my 3 sons, who have played no other sport since they were 5 years
    old.  We'll be at one of the  Round of 16 games, yelling and  enjoying
    as much as any of you "real" footballers.