Seeing Red

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Graham Poll. Seeing Red

Seeing Red

Contents

FOREWORD

Alone in the Middle

Beckham Calling

Chelsea on the Attack

Big Time Charlie

No Defence from John Terry

Stop the Ride

Despicable Outburst

Fat King Melon

Cup Final Blues

Collina, Dad and Me

Running Backwards and Moving Up

A Tring Thing

Smiling at Warnock

‘Robbed’ of a Million

Lost Identity

Red Wine and Blue Tank Top

An Offer I Had to Refuse

Savage ‘Humour’

Sleepless in Japan

Gerrard, Zidane and a Full Set

Not Bitter but Angry

Arsenal, United and That Game

Betrayed but Selected

Home Thoughts from Germany

‘Some Confusion’ over Yellow Cards

Don’t Blame Anyone Else

Woolmer Green to Wembley

My Top Ten Frequently Asked Questions

MY FIRST SEASON

MY FINAL SEASON

MY FULL CAREER

MY PREMIERSHIP RECORD

Acknowledgments

Index

About the Author

Credits

Copyright

About the Publisher

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GRAHAM POLL

Referees have football’s poisoned chalice. Obviously the game needs refereeing and yet very few people want to do it. So the likes of Graham Poll, who get involved at a young age at grassroots level, deserve enormous credit and the thanks of all us who care about the game of football. Perhaps – no disrespect, Graham! – they are not the greatest footballers but they want to be involved in football because they love the game, and that is a very good thing.

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Perhaps, throughout my career, I should have adopted a more stern approach. Perhaps, if referees had more backing from the FA, we would send managers off as soon as they tell us to f*** off. Then, perhaps, the routine abuse would stop.

Anyway, back in the real world, I approached José, assuming that he was just reacting to the pressure of his situation. I wanted to say, ‘José, you are under pressure, which I respect. But I would like you to respect me. Please be careful what you say to me.’ That is what I wanted to say and it is what I would have said to any other manager in that situation. Nineteen other Premiership managers would have responded to the calm man-management by apologizing, or at least by stopping swearing for a while.

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