Every Saturday social media is awash with commentary from official non-league club accounts on the decisions that have gone against their teams and the performances of referees. A club within walking distance of my house was at it recently.
These accounts aren't the place for it. Clubs should hold themselves to a higher standard.
Instead, club admins seem to have graduated from matchday complaints to openly whining about referees being protected, or not being accountable, or whatever other asinine off-the-peg opinion they're borrowing from other fans of the professional teams they really support.
I understand being frustrated with a referee. As a supporter it happens often and it's taken me years to moderate my own reactions to a level with which I feel morally comfortable.
So I don't come from a position of innocence in either sense when I say I never want to see my club participating in the pile-on or making spurious attempts to provide evidence. No exceptions.
There are channels available for complaining and reporting. There are opportunities to meet and talk with referees. It really has no place in public at all, this bonkers idea that referees are somehow too protected, never mind in official communications.
These accounts have to be better. The admins might be angry or irritated. They might even have justifiable cause for that. But they cannot be impartial when it comes to farting out opinions and their editorialising makes clubs look bad.
Clubs with the FA Charter Standard are signatories to various agreements that are totally ignored when it comes to referees. Perhaps a more explicit matchday code of conduct for official club media should be a requirement.
The Mighty Lionesses
Losing finals hurts. It feels like failure, as if the cruel realisation that your quest was just a subplot in someone else's story somehow invalidates what came before.In this case the other story is that of the new world champions. Spain's players will be celebrated but the antagonists of their tale are, disgracefully, the men in power around them.
They overcame some disgusting behaviour, including in full view of the watching world, from men who shouldn't be anywhere near them.
England were second best throughout the final of FIFA Women's World Cup 2023. Spain capped their story with a win more comprehensive than the single goal suggested. The Lionesses had their moments but Spain rarely looked in real trouble.
They might have fallen at the last but England's tournament should be understood for what it was, not overlooked because of what it wasn't.
Sarina Wiegman's team won the European Championships just a year before. They reached the final of the World Cup despite a barrage of injuries. They are indisputably one of the true powerhouses of women's football.
The analysis will inevitably focus on the final. England’s path to it was hardly serene but they got there. Shortcomings in previous rounds will dissolve into the waters of history but any mistakes made in the final will dominate Wiegman’s thinking for some time.
Lauren James, back from her suspension after being sent off against Nigeria, started the game on the bench. It’s not hindsight to question that but Ella Toone’s performance and goal in the semi-final against Australia were crucial.
James came on at half time in Sydney along with Chloe Kelly, a proven player for the big occasion. Kelly was England’s most promising source of chances in the second half against Spain.
Might the Lionesses have posed a trickier conundrum had James and Kelly played from the start? Possibly. But England badly missed the players they replaced. Without Alessia Russo, Lauren Hemp was forced into a central position and Wiegman later turned to Beth England when a striker was required.
Rachel Daly was withdrawn after playing the first half at left back. She might be England’s best left back but she’s also England’s best striker. With the Lionesses in need of a goal, the half time changes removed both Russo and her most obvious upgrade – albeit an upgrade who looked to have picked up a knock – at a stroke.
The coach’s regret no doubt extends to matters outside her control. Leah Williamson, England’s captain, was superb in the European Championships. Her defensive partnership with Millie Bright was formidable. Beth Mead was the tournament’s star player, winning the Golden Ball and Golden Boot as well as providing the most assists. She ended 2022 with the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award.
Fran Kirby of Chelsea didn’t collect individual accolades but her creative contributions were as important as ever. Like Arsenal pair Williamson and Mead, Kirby is out of action with a long-term knee injury. Ellen White, the Lionesses’ record scorer, retired after the Euros.
These are difficult losses to overcome. England were weakened by them. But Spain’s turmoil decimated their World Cup squad and their win is all the more remarkable for it. The way they played in the final might have made England’s absences moot because La Roja were exceptional.
In the cold light of the rest of that Sunday, as the emotion wore off and the Premier League moved back into the spotlight, there came the realisation that Spain’s handling of the players who were in the England side was every bit as influential as the loss of the clutch of key players who weren’t.
With the team around them intact, Keira Walsh and Georgia Stanway might have had a different final. Stanway made her presence felt, certainly, but she wasn’t really able to affect the game. Walsh – one of England’s finest players – was barely allowed to play at all.
Spain outscored England and bettered them on just about every attacking statistic there is. We might have felt hard done by. We might have considered ourselves unfortunate. We might have felt that magical surge of optimism when the sensational Mary Earps saved Jenni Hermoso’s penalty. But England fell short and not because they were unlucky.
The dejection will fade. What really matters is the impact of Wiegman’s team on English football. Inspiration is an overused word. It’s entirely nebulous and it means little. The Lionesses are more than that.
They’re building tangible foundations. They’re making a real mark. They’re creating an actual future in which girls will play the game and have a better experience because of the team that put England on the women’s football map.
My greatest hope for my nieces is that they live in happiness. My second greatest hope is that they live in football. There’s no pressure from me in that regard but if the game can give them half the joy it’s given me, I want them to have it. The Lionesses have made that more likely and I love them to death for it.
If you enjoyed the main piece, please share this week’s newsletter using the button below.
“The disappointment is the way you feel. But everything we have done, how we have grown into the tournament, the challenges we had before the tournament, during the tournament and how we have adapted to situations. We have given everything that we could in this tournament and also in this game. I said we can still be proud.”
England manager Sarina Wiegman on her comments to the team after the World Cup final. Wiegman has now won the European Championships twice and lost the World Cup final twice. Her time will come.
Salty beef extracts
England fell in love with this team but Spain serve up bittersweet ending (The Guardian)
Ally McCoist: ‘Punditry is going well because fans know I enjoy football – what’s not to love?’ (i)
It was 30 years ago today, Tony Pulis taught the band to play (James Swyer)
The Nene Derby, Old Wounds (Terrace Edition)
No Bridge Too Far (Terrace Edition)
Dessert
adidas has produced a long line of signature boots for Lionel Messi at this point. This X Crazyfast Infinito Messi is one of the prettiest yet, says I.
By the way…
High Protein Beef Paste is a free newsletter.
However, if you’ve enjoyed my writing over the years you might consider purchasing a Systematic Decline art print.
I’m open to writing commissions and artistic collaborations. Get in touch if you’d like a chat.
That’s your lot. Thanks for reading. Please subscribe if you enjoyed it and haven’t done so yet.
Don’t be shy when it comes to sharing the newsletter. If I can get a decent handful of subscribers I can sack off Twitter and isn’t that the dream for all of us?
Have a week.