Aaron Ramsey

I heard all about this tackle and injury before I saw the video, but once I saw the clip I got more and more angry about the incident. Shawcross may say he did not mean to injure Ramsey, but he went into the tackle so hard, what else was he trying to do? Burst the ball?

The problem is we see this so often in football, that we consider it part of the game. The fact is, it is part of the game, but it shouldn’t be. Only very rarely does it result in something so serious. Tackles from behind with no attempt to win the ball, niggling fouls to intimidate the opposition etc etc and always from the same teams who try to compensate for inferior skill with physical strength.

But I have to say, if I was on the pitch, and that was done to one of my team mates, I would be looking for swift and commensurate retribution. Instead, Shawcross gets a 3 match ban, and all the tears he cries will make no difference to Ramsey’s leg. Where is the justice in that?

Its time referees and the premiere league cracked down on dangerous play and let talented players play football and relegate talentless hacks to the dole…or rugby if they feel they can take it as well as they dish it.