But they can't help seeing at least some of the constant shirt pulling, hug-wrestling, arm gripping, &c, that so constantly go on. This is all new since I used, many long years ago back in the 1940s-50s, regularly to play for my school and college teams and watch live games. We would just never have thought of grabbing an opponent by clothing or arm; and it certainly wasn't part of the professional game either. Why are not referees instructed as a matter of course to penalise such abuses, and invariably to issue a card? These, just as much as diving, are spoiling the game.

≈M≈