My view is pretty clear; there’s a very different culture and mind-set separating the two sports. To try and get football to become more like rugby is virtually impossible. What makes football so great is the tribal element and the fact it means so much to so many people; for a lot of fans it matters more than anything else in their lives.
When it comes to on-pitch behaviour, I don’t think there is the appetite among football’s governing bodies to enforce standards that improve player behaviour. Rugby has always enjoyed a certain culture and code of conduct whereas football hasn’t. If footballers are allowed to get away with bad behaviour then that’s what they’ll do. I’m not sure the authorities really know how to clamp down on it.
Venom
Remember it’s not just the players — managers and coaches also jump up and down, berating each other and the fourth official. The fans in the stands also go absolutely bonkers — it’s such a different feel and atmosphere inside the stadiums. You don’t get the same venom and tribalism at a rugby match.
Yes rugby fans are passionate but it produces a different type of atmosphere. Football’s long-standing culture embedded through generations makes it very hard to change. It is very different and perhaps we should just accept that.
The use of video technology is interesting though. On the plus side rugby referees and officials are getting all the big decisions right. On the negative side the matches are disrupted and are taking longer to finish.
Debate
It does take time to arrive at the right decision; you’re looking at multiple replays from lots of different angles, so a football match would last longer. Technology also removes talking points from football. Some like the speed and flow of a game and the fact they can have a pint in the pub afterwards and debate the big incidents with their mates.
Others want a pure result and the correct decisions to be made. There’s also a question over how you integrate it. The biggest club competition in the world – the Champions League – still doesn’t use goal line video technology.
One of the beautiful things about football is that we’ve all got an opinion and we all care. Removing that would make it less special.