Reading this today pretty much sums up what we already knew – ballboys in football are instructed to help out their teams with delaying tactics if they’re ahead and speeding things up if they’re behind. So while it was no surprise to see Charlie Morgan do his best to stop Eden Hazard getting the ball back the other night, and as easy it is for us to say it now, Hazard shouldn’t have reacted as he did.
The only recent parallel I can think of is when David Nalbandian took his frustration out on an advertising board last year, in the process injuring a line judge. He had to forfeit the match and did himself few favours with a bungled apology.
Other sports don’t seem to have problems with ball changeovers. Aside from the Jonny Wilkinson controversy in the last World Cup – which was the coaches getting involved – rugby doesn’t seem to suffer, hockey is a quick game so balls are always replaced quickly (even at the level I play at, we don’t hang around) and the only issues that cricket have is when an over-eager ballboy tries to grab the ball and collides with an onrushing fielder.
Rafa Benitez came out afterwards claiming that society has big problems. He’s not wrong, but before football tries to show society the way forward, they need to get their own house in order.