Seen this?

[walks on water 0]

http://www.thesecretfootballer.com/articles/13015/referees-told-to-respect-premier-league-brand/

[walks on water 0]

Or rather, specifically this...

''I met up with a prospective candidate who is interested in becoming our “Secret Referee”. This is a guy who has refereed all the greats and, to be honest, he had me hanging on his every anecdote. But it was his throwaway story about Scudamore that had me intrigued and not just because I’d already chosen to include him in this column.

The ref told me that during a Premier League meeting of top referees, Scudamore had finished off by saying: “And, remember, you’re not in a sport, you are part of the entertainment business. We don’t want our top players being sent off every week because it’s bad for the brand. We want them on the pitch as much as possible.”

After I’d picked my jaw up off the table, I had a good think about that remark. I’m sure that it was most likely meant as a rallying cry to encourage referees to let the game flow but, my goodness, it still sails very close to the wind and probably explains why Wayne Rooney wasn’t sent off against a team that I once played after a two-footed challenge on our right back.''

[BroadstairsR 2,138]

Interesting stuff, with wide implications, especially in the light of our on-going perception that referees always favour the big boys, penalties at Old Trafford etc. I am tempted to mention that bent linesman at the Emirates as well, but I wont.

 

It certainly explains why Grant Holt wasn''t sent off for THAT tackle last season [:D]

[Juggy 0]

This revelation has no consequence until the referee has the balls to come out publicly as a whistleblower. 

Or Dave Kitson as the secret footballer. Not sure how much longer he can claim to be a ''secret footballer'', he is 33 and playing for Oxford United, his articles won''t carry the same weight if he has to become ''The secret former-footballer''. 

[Bethnal Yellow and Green 1,557]

I would take everything the secret footballer says with a rather large pinch of salt - I was told he was dropped from the Guardian as when they tried to verfiy some of his stories, it turned out there was a fair amount of ''artistic license'' being used.

[The ghost of Michael Theoklitos 0]

[quote user="Bethnal Yellow and Green"]

I would take everything the secret footballer says with a rather large pinch of salt - I was told he was dropped from the Guardian as when they tried to verfiy some of his stories, it turned out there was a fair amount of ''artistic license'' being used.

[/quote]Do you have any inside running on who the secret footballer is BYG? I know the general consensus is Dave Kitson. For me though, I don''t see him being articulate enough.

[Bethnal Yellow and Green 1,557]

[quote user="The ghost of Michael Theoklitos"][quote user="Bethnal Yellow and Green"]

I would take everything the secret footballer says with a rather large pinch of salt - I was told he was dropped from the Guardian as when they tried to verfiy some of his stories, it turned out there was a fair amount of ''artistic license'' being used.

[/quote]

Do you have any inside running on who the secret footballer is BYG? I know the general consensus is Dave Kitson. For me though, I don''t see him being articulate enough.
[/quote]

 

No idea - from what has been said it doesn''t seem to fit in with anyone individual, so either is a couple of players or is one player who makes up a lot of stories.

 

Dave Kitson appears to fit the most though, and I imagine everything is done through a ghost writer so that is where the articulation comes from.