Towels in games should be banned

[Elite_Pie]

The use of towels to dry the ball for for a long throw has annoyed the hell out of me for a long time even when we did it, but tonight it was taken to a new level. The ball goes out, and one team gets the chance to throw it back in. So just throw it back in, even if it's a bit wet. We pay to watch 90 minutes of football, not 88 minutes of football and 2 minutes of watching a player dry the bloody ball with a towel.

[the_anticlough]

The use of towels to dry the ball for for a long throw has annoyed the hell out of me for a long time even when we did it, but tonight it was taken to a new level. The ball goes out, and one team gets the chance to throw it back in. So just throw it back in, even if it's a bit wet. We pay to watch 90 minutes of football, not 88 minutes of football and 2 minutes of watching a player dry the bloody ball with a towel.

Absolutely agree. Tonight, it just looked ridiculous. One of our coaches should have offered him soap, shower gap and a gown so he had a full bathing set

[Riverleeno]

The use of towels to dry the ball for for a long throw has annoyed the hell out of me for a long time even when we did it, but tonight it was taken to a new level. The ball goes out, and one team gets the chance to throw it back in. So just throw it back in, even if it's a bit wet. We pay to watch 90 minutes of football, not 88 minutes of football and 2 minutes of watching a player dry the bloody ball with a towel.

It was taking 25+ seconds per throw, and often more than 30, it's ridiculous why do the refs allow it?

[BigFatPie]

Completely agree Elite. I thought it had been banned tbh.

[Frigiliana Pie 1]

You’re right, it’s very annoying. But what went on tonight was nothing compared to what West Brom were doing in the televised game against Peterborough a couple of nights ago. Their long throw expert, Furlong, kept borrowing a hoodie top from a small girl in the crowd who appeared to be its owner and took great delight each time he walked (yes, walked) over to collect it. On one occasion he also walked over to hand it back to her. His average time to take a throw must have been double Tozer’s tonight.

Unless something is done to ban the practice, every club with a long throw expert will be handing out free seats in the front row to parents with small children on condition that the kids are supplied with kitchen towels to pass to players before they take throw ins.

Cricket has rules about ball tampering, why not football?

[crazyfists]

The use of towels to dry the ball for for a long throw has annoyed the hell out of me for a long time even when we did it, but tonight it was taken to a new level. The ball goes out, and one team gets the chance to throw it back in. So just throw it back in, even if it's a bit wet. We pay to watch 90 minutes of football, not 88 minutes of football and 2 minutes of watching a player dry the bloody ball with a towel.

This. It was really annoying by the end, should be banned.

[the_anticlough]

He's not the first Tozer to wipe his balls with a towel

[magpie_mania]

You’re right, it’s very annoying. But what went on tonight was nothing compared to what West Brom were doing in the televised game against Peterborough a couple of nights ago. Their long throw expert, Furlong, kept borrowing a hoodie top from a small girl in the crowd who appeared to be its owner and took great delight each time he walked (yes, walked) over to collect it. On one occasion he also walked over to hand it back to her. His average time to take a throw must have been double Tozer’s tonight.

Unless something is done to ban the practice, every club with a long throw expert will be handing out free seats in the front row to parents with small children on condition that the kids are supplied with kitchen towels to pass to players before they take throw ins.

Cricket has rules about ball tampering, why not football?

It's not tampering with the ball though, if anything, it's returning it to its original condition. But I think that something needs to be done.

[queenslandpie]

Agree with the sentiments and pardon the pun but it played into our hands tonight and wound the clock down a bit. He offered nothing from the throws. And probably wasted 3 or 4 minutes over the course of the game!

[Elite_Pie]

It's not tampering with the ball though, if anything, it's returning it to its original condition.

Maybe, but then the next step will be a towel brought on for every goal kick, corner or free kick. I suppose we could go to 'stoppage time + towel time'. Perhaps the best solution would be to make any player who feels the need to use a towel carry it around with him on the pitch at all times. I wonder how popular it would be then?