AFC Emley manager Darren Hepworth, pictured in May 2013, supports the new directive which means dismissed managers can no longer ‘sit in the stands’
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AFC Emley chief Darren Hepworth fully supports the Toolstation NCEL’s new tough directive which means dismissed managers can no longer ‘sit in the stands’.
But Hepworth insists referees have to apply “common sense” in situations during the season that could be dealt with a quiet word.
Team managers and coaches have three options if they are sent off – sit in the social club or dressing rooms or go home.
Hepworth admits to being “no angel”, but adds that he has not been sent off for two seasons and that the directive – already in use in the North West Counties – will improve behaviour.
“Managers, like myself, are going to have rein their emotions in, more than ever before,” he told Non League Yorkshire.
“It is something I have spoke to my coaching staff about and something I have spoken to my players about.
“It is something I have taken on board and I welcome it. It’s about setting the right example.
“When a manager or coach is removed from the touchline, but can still sit in the stand and you can still hear them get their point across, I think it makes sense to move them away to where they can’t interfere.
“It actually make managers or coaches think twice about how their conduct affects their players on the pitch.
“It is an area I have taken on board as I have got more experienced. It’s hard because we’ll enthusiastic, passionate and all want to win, but at the same time we have to respect how tough the job is for the officials.
“I’m fully supportive of it because if the game is going to move on in the right way, it starts and ends with the manager because they are the ones who dictate the culture within the club.
“If you have a culture that is based on aggression and you’re showing that on match days, it is a bad example to the players and young children and their families who come to watch and support local football.
“They don’t want to hear shouting, carrying on and swearing on the touchline. Anything that can help improve that is a good thing.”
Hepworth also accepts that Emley as a club would not want their manager unable to watch a large chunk of a Division One match because of a red card.
He said: “(If I was sent off) it would be unbearable and I wouldn’t be able to stand it.
“We could have a joke about having a couple of beers, but we’re here to do a job.
“AFC Emley is a very proud football club so the last thing it wants is its manager not setting an example because he’s sat in a bar.
“If I’m honest, I wouldn’t do that. If it happened to me, I would probably take myself away from the ground all together.
“I would just go. It’s not like I already have a plan, I want to make that clear, but I would just leave.”
The directive has also been in operation in the Football Conference for many years, but not without controversy at times.
In 2009, a Conference North manager in West Yorkshire was dismissed for ‘sarcastically hand clapping the match official’.
That manager was never charged.
Hepworth added: “It is much down the officials to exercise common sense.
“Foul and abusive language or threatening behaviour aimed at a match official, that’s a sending off, get out of the ground.
“There’s a difference between that and someone kicking a water bottle in frustration, not aimed at anybody, or even hand-clapping so the referee needs to show a bit of common sense and say ‘look manager or coach, if do that again, you’re out’.
“I don’t know why officials would get involved in situations like that, but they do and it is where they need to exercise more sound judgement.
“As an official they need to say ‘do I really need to get involved in there’ or look and say ‘he’s not been foul and abusive or threatening, he’s just venting’.”