Farry hints at ban on touchline protesters

28 Nov 1996

IF there is no improvement in the behaviour of coaches and their staff on the touchline, then managers will find themselves standing alone in the dug-out, as the only club officials allowed to communicate with their players.

SFA chief executive Jim Farry last night warned Scotland's soccer bosses to toe the line, or their trackside antics will lead to a ban.

FIFA and UEFA have both passed on recent guidelines covering the use of the Technical Area, but the SFA will act independently to regulate the domestic game.

"Four or five people standing on the touchline shouting abuse at a linesman or haranguing players on the pitch does not exactly tally with tactical instruction," the chief executive said yesterday.

Farry's warning came after Celtic manager Tommy Burns was sent to the stand during the recent Old Firm game, which is due to be dealt with by the SFA Disciplinary Committee.

And after Sunday's Coca-cola Cup final Hearts' manager Jim Jefferies and captain Gary Mackay are likely to tread the same path, after furious protests over what they saw as a foul prior to Rangers' third goal.

The chief executive was spelling out SFA concern after months of discussions with the Managers and Coaches Association appear to have come to nothing.

"After talks with Alex Smith, chairman of the Managers and Coaches Association this year, it was agreed that some relaxation of the technical area would be appropriate," explained Farry.

"We also spoke to the Players' Union and during Euro96 further discussions followed between many managers and other interested parties.

"The managers generally felt that the restrictions made it difficult to pass on tactical instructions to their players during the course of a match.

"However, that does not make it permissible to have five or six people standing up, blocking the view of spectators in the family areas.

"Only one person is permitted to pass on tactical instructions, whether it be the manager, the physio, the injured substitute, or the assistant sprint coach." Farry feels increasing the number of people allowed to be active in the dug-out dilutes the managers' authority.

"Surely if these other people are to be allowed to pass on instructions, that demeans and undermines the position of the manager." Farry went on to make clear that action to curtail the touchline activity will be taken unless the country's managers improve their trackside behaviour.

"Football is an emotional and passionate game but managers are required to bite their tongue and show leadership, after all that is why they are bosses," he warned.

"If there is not a degree of self-discipline by the Managers and Coaches Association's members, stronger action will be taken.

Former St Mirren, Aberdeen and Clyde manager Smith agreed that there had been a slipping of standards and his association would be reviewing the current trend.

"We felt that getting the technical areas extended to within a metre from the touchline, for one person at a time, was a real step forward for managers," he commented.

"It is important that our members now regulate themselves for there is no doubt that they will end up losing some of the ground we have gained if they don't." Smith agreed that managers are undermining their own positions by allowing unruly behaviour on the touchline.

"It is better for the manager himself that he is the only person in the dugout to be giving out instructions, for in my view it only enhances his standing.

"It is absolutely certain that for a while behaviour was improving but now it has slipped back again and that is something we will be addressing speedily."

Taken from the Herald