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Antony Sutton

There are plenty of good things to be seen at football matches across south east Asia but unfortunately good news doesn't make the headlines. Bad news does and the game has been attracting all the wrong sorts of headlines across the region lately.

At a recent Thai Premier League game between Chula United and Pattaya United the visiting team, apparently incensed at a series of refereeing decisions they felt favoured the home side, walked off the field for a few minutes forcing the game to be held up. One of their coaching staff made a big deal of carrying the kick around balls down the tunnel, presumably to the team coach.

After a few minutes standing around arguing with the match commissioner and puffing their chests out Pattaya graciously consented to return to the field and play could continue. They played much better after the interlude and got a point in what was a scrappy game but one side effect of their actions was a red card to a Chula player for a challenge worthy perhaps of a stern talking to at best.

A week later at the Copa Indonesia it was the turn of Persipura to sulk when they thought things weren't going their way. Trailing 1-0 to holders Sriwijaya they saw appeals for a penalty waved away by the ref.

Persipura players jostled the match official and striker Ernest Jeremiah earned himself a red card but the ref stuck by his decision. The Persipura players walked off the field and sulked in the dressing room for two hours, shamelessly emerging only to collect their cheque for finishing runners up. History books will record Sriwijaya being awarded the game 4-0.

Why do we allow these spoilt individuals and teams to get away with this nonsense? Walking off the field for whatever reason makes a mockery of the Fair Play banner that leads teams on to the pitch before every game. And it insults every football fan both in the stadium and watching on TV.

Instead of indulging their pathetic antics the footballing community should be mocking them and hurting them where it counts.

Why for example do we have to stop the game while they rant and rave? It's their choice to walk off, fine, let them suffer the consequences. Let the match continue. As they stand on the sidelines sulking they will see their opponents score a goal. If they are not lining up to kick off then award their opponents a free kick.

As the goals pile up the sulkers will soon find out who loses on the football field when you take the law into your own hands.