I'll happily part with fifty quid to watch my favourite team. Loads of goal mouth action, end to end stuff, finely honed athletes giving their all to get three precious points for their team. But you have to wait for the end for the real spectacle, that bit when the team that's winning takes the ball into the corner and uses two players to stop the other side getting near it. Do they practice that in training? "Come on Wayne, you need to stick your butt out a bit further, then they'll never get the ball back."
TV's co-commentator will purr with contentment, lauding his fellow pro for his professionalism. The fans will be split, those that are praying for the final whistle and those that are wondering what they paid all that money for. One team has decided that it does not want to play football any more, they just want to quit with what they've got. I hate it when opponents do it, I hate it when my own team does it.
Referees are supposed to stop the clock for time wasting but this particular tactic is deemed acceptable. Imagine a boxer whose ahead on points, so he starts running round the ring so his opponent can't lay a glove on him. You'd want your money back.
When two boxers stop trying to make a match of it, they call the bout off. I'm not asking for the same sanction in this case, but when a team decides it doesn't want to play any more there has to be something the referee can do. Until the ball has moved ten yards from the corner flag, it's not really back in play, the rules should reflect that.
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