EXCLUSIVE Chris Goreham: Why is it so hard to watch football nowadays?

According to traditional wisdom, you know you’re getting older when police officers begin to appear younger. Football referees appear to be no exception.

Ruebyn Ricardo is the official who handed Derby County an important stoppage time penalty at Carrow Road on Saturday. He is only 27 years old. That is not meant as a criticism. Even the home fans couldn’t muster the necessary levels of feigned disbelief to challenge the decision to award Derby a penalty. When there are no complaints about such an important choice, it must have been correct.

Referees have traditionally been schoolmasters, sometimes literally before become professional, who were dispatched on a Saturday afternoon to keep players in check. Those of us who grew up listening to the harsh whistles of David Elleray, Dermot Gallagher, and Roger Milford find it difficult to adjust to the presence of an official who appears to be capable of playing on the right flank for Norwich City.

Any difficulties with the young of today’s whistleblowers reflect more on me than them. I don’t want to be one of those elderly men who always whine about the younger generation.

Over the years, I’ve seen several experienced officials at Carrow Road come up with imaginative interpretations of the game’s regulations. If Ruebyn Ricardo is good enough, he is certainly old enough.

The desire to mock individuals with youth on their side might emerge from anxieties caused by modern life’s complexities. I may be able to deal with 27-year-old referees, but there is one aspect of football in 2025 that is driving me crazy. Why is it so difficult to select the proper channel to watch matches on television?

After a hard day, all I want to do is watch a game at home in the evening. Yes, I understand that football is a part of my profession, and spending my spare time to it may appear one-dimensional. It does restrict possibilities to participate in office water cooler talks. I’m not up to date on all of the newest rumors from The Traitors, The Apprentice, or Love Island.

My contention is that an hour or two watching television before bedtime is intended to provide escape. Most of these popular programs appear to focus around competitors’ backstabbing, bravado, and/or self-obsession. Some of the characteristics of actual life are precisely what I am attempting to avoid. To be sure, the same characteristics can be seen in football without going too deep beneath the surface.

However, when a match is in full swing, it is feasible to immerse yourself in it and recall what pulled you in back when Roger Milford was the referee. Football broadcast rights have never been more divisive. The FA Cup was always on the BBC, the Champions League was on ITV, the Europa League was on Channel 5, and if you wanted something a bit more exotic, you could watch Serie A on Channel 4.

Watching a live Premier League game required finding a pub or a friend who had Sky Sports and didn’t mind you coming over to munch their chips and drink their beer for the evening.

Amazon, TNT Sports, DAZN, Premier Sports, and a variety of red button networks are now participating. Nothing is more aggravating than reading a match report about a fantastic game that is now taking place online but being unable to locate TV coverage.

On Saturday evening, for example, Brighton faced Chelsea in the FA Cup. It started around 8 p.m., so it must have been accessible someplace. With around 20 minutes remaining, I discovered that Norwich City’s cup opponents, Brighton, were leading 2-1. A Grandstand finish is in sight.They were almost at stoppage time when I spotted it. ITV 4 will now have to be one of the several networks I check each evening.

Someone should provide a guide on where to watch matches every day. It probably already exists, but I haven’t discovered it yet.Ruebyn Ricardo, who appeared to be a decent young man, could probably assist me find it.

 

Throwback…

On the topic of football throwbacks, anybody who attended Carrow Road on Saturday was treated to one.

The public address system went out around midway through the second half, broadcasting vital news. The owners of two specific autos were being sought. Their unique registration plates were carefully handed to the audience in a solemn tone. I had enormous headphones on and was trying to concentrate on the commentary, but I missed what the reasons were.

It felt like listening to a tune from the 1990s on the radio. “I haven’t heard this one for ages.”

I’m sure it used to happen more frequently. Whether it was unlawful parking or lights left on, almost no match went by without at least one unhappy motorist being summoned from their seat. “Please return to your vehicle immediately” was the standard call. It notably happened to Alan Green as he was commentating on a match for BBC 5 Live.

Perhaps advancements in mobile communications have rendered such notifications completely unnecessary. Maybe it’s because there are more stewards at matches today to deal with improper parking before it happens, or it might be due to advancements in current automobiles and how much more difficult it is to leave your lights on.

There was a time when you might hear announcements informing a supporter that their spouse had gone into labor. It would be fascinating to learn how many of those were real.

Read more on sportupdates.co.uk