BIRD Official Warning

Our voice of the North

PART of the managerial persona of Neil Warnock and Sean Dyche is aggressive competitiveness.

Believing the world, and officials, are against them is another way of adding a few percent to their team.

And to deflect fan anger from debatable performance, to debatable refereeing decisions.

Tirades against the men in black foster togetherness, in slightly paranoid adversity.

So we excuse it. It’s part of football’s panto. But we shouldn’t.

When you’ve interviewed these two men, you know there’s far more layers to them than the snarling and swearing. Like humour, kindness, sharp brains and an intelligent, measured view of the game.

But this week I watched Dyche (above) slaughter the fourth official at St James’ Park for 90 minutes, contesting free-kick decisions in an utterly one-eyed manner, as his own players dished out just as much physical stuff.

A week earlier Middlesbrough boss Warnock did his usual march on to the pitch at the end of the QPR game to harangue the ref and assistants.

Martin Cassidy, of Ref Support UK, has told Warnock: “Just like a Cruyff turn from years ago, just like a Cristiano Ronaldo goal celebration, they all get mimicked.”

Warnock has given Sunday league coaches, adult and junior, a pass to abuse in the grassroots game.

Who’d want to be a ref, which has a recruitment problem, when at the top level this kind of behaviour goes on without sanction.

I was left wondering on Wednesday night, after another volley of expletives to the fourth official, what Dyche had to do to be booked.

It’s time to trial wiring-up the refs and allow their decision-making discussions to be broadcast after games. And at the same time, let’s hear the full bleeped-out, sweary managers in action.

When the emotion of matchday decisions has subsided, the audio would be sobering and humiliating, and would check their behaviour.