Colonial Masters Mentality

I could not believe my eyes when the Manchester United reserve players were warming behind the goal-line of the Malaysian team, each time before a substitution was made during the secondhalf of the match.

There were at least three occasions when this happened, and each time which lasted anything between two to five minutes, there were at least three to four players running up and down the goal line.

These players were not only distracting the Malaysian goalkeeper Mohamad Farizal Marlias, but also the hordes of cameramen. While on the other end, the Malaysian reserves were warming up behind the A-boards on the track - the designated place to warm-up.

My question is: What did referee, 38-year-old, ROSDI SHAHARUL, who has attained FIFA status since 2004, 1st Assistant Referee, IDZHA SALIM, also FIFA status since 2005, Fourth Official, AZMAN ISMAIL, a FIFA assistant referee since last year, Match Commissioner, TUAN HJ AHMAD FUAD DAUD and referee assessor, TUAN HJ KAMARUDDIN SAKHARI, do about it.

There was no effort by any of these officials to address the situation. Was there double standards practiced here? Or is it that they felt that Manchester United were the untouchables? Or was it the Colonial Masters Mentality which over-powered them in their call for decisions, just because they were dealing with Mat Sallehs ?

Yes, it was a friendly match, but an International Friendly Match officiated by FIFA recognised officials. I have seen referees in the local league stop the game to ask the players to warm-up far away from the goal-line.

So what happened? Maybe the FA of Malaysia's Referees' Department would like to shed some light?

On the other hand, a chief field-marshal at the match was since looking very important to usher a journalist who had a photographer's ID, out of the Stadium.

Yes, the journalist had no business to be on the field, but who issued him the Photographer's ID, which allowed him to go on the pitch. Yes, the onus was on the journalist to have pointed out the mistake and taken the right journalist ID.

But the official who was creating ruckus with the Police called in, did not even know that the ID cards were surrender to FAM official at the Media Box, in exchange for a special bip which allows the photographers onto the field area.

This official kept demanding the journalist for the ID, and when latter told him that the ID was exchanged for bip and it was with officials at the Media Box, former called him a fraud.

Maybe this journalist who is a die hard MU fan and a rookie at journalism, just got carried away with the MU euphoria and mania, but surely there must have been a better way to handle the situation.
I certainly saw many others on the field, who were not supposed to be there. How come this journalist singled out.

I am certainly not taking sides here, but just wondering, why the same kind enthusiasm, authority and high handedness, was not used against the MU reserve players, who had clearly violated the rules of the game.

Please enlighten me.