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The general quality of premiership referees - What do you think?
Posted:
Sun Sep 28, 2008 12:41 amby tonyeh
On the back of todays awful match control form Mike Riley in the Liverpool - Everton game (which comes off a bizarre perfomace from the Man Utd - Chelsea match) and the unbelievably poor "penalty" decision awarded to yet another ronaldo dive by Rob Styles in the Man Utd - Bolton game...how do you feel that referees perform generally?
Posted:
Sun Sep 28, 2008 8:44 amby Toffeehater
I think the refs in the prem are poor . There are some good ones though .
Riley has always been a manu fan , Rob styles has helped both manu and chelsea over recent seasons , screwed us outta win last season there and yesterday a baffling penalty decision , FA should drop these type of refs .
For me there are only 2 good refs in the prem now , Howard Webb and Mark clattenburg who has been suspended . Alan Wiley is not bad as well .
Posted:
Sun Sep 28, 2008 2:05 pmby metalhead
Poor, very poor.
Posted:
Sun Sep 28, 2008 2:33 pmby zarababe
Referees performance is rightly under the spotlight when you consider mistakes could cost millions of £s - the phantom goal, Gerrrard's 100th disallowed, penalty decisions changing the course of games etc etc
Imagine if the 2 dropped points against Stoke cost us the league - how crucial could that be?
For me the 3rd eye is needed - camera technology can ensure the right outcome and crucial decisionds don't cost clubs literally.
Posted:
Sun Sep 28, 2008 9:34 pmby Gerrard30391
I was just thinking of starting a thread on this topic when i spotted this......
It needs to be highlighted that it's not just the PremierLeague!!! I was watching my local side (Lincoln City vs Morecambe) on Saturday, and have to be honest the game as a spectacle was 
. This all down to the constant whistle being blown.
Then, i sit down to watch the Liverpool game earlier (taped) and the same happens here, as has been since the Man Ure match. How can football be enjoyed when all that happens is a free-kick every 2minutes. Andy Gray highlighted in the Everton game that there was more than a foul every 2minutes. How can you possibly get into any rythm when that happens???
The ref's expect all this new respect in this respect campaign, but how can you possibly respect people/refs when they are constantly making blatently bad decisions and breaking up the game for petty little fouls. Let the game go on man, it's a contact sport!
This topic is also the undoing of managers. This is when they get into trouble. But how can they stand there and watch constantly bad decisions and accept them. The simple answer is, they can't! Hense the FA make thousands through fines from the managers for slating the ref.
Oh, it doesn't stop here! The linesman love to follow suit. I did have a little chuckle at the "goal that never was" in the Watford game last week. This just somes up the officiating in this country at the minute.
The offciating is that bad that you can now look at the appointed referee and predict what kind of game will happen and how there will, undoubtedly, be bad, OK very bad, decisions in the game.
When/Why did Mark Clattenburg get suspended??? I agree Howard Webb is the best in the country.
Posted:
Mon Sep 29, 2008 1:38 amby LFC2007
Clattenburg and Webb are the only two reasonably good ref's I can think of.
Riley, Bennett and Styles standout as the worst.
Posted:
Mon Sep 29, 2008 8:12 amby Sabre
Much better than the Spanish.
Posted:
Mon Sep 29, 2008 10:53 amby stmichael
as bad as it's ever been imo.
Posted:
Mon Sep 29, 2008 12:19 pmby RUSHIE#9
Sabre wrote:Much better than the Spanish.
From what I've seen lately Sabre I can't agree with that statement.
A couple of years ago I used to think that the Spanish ref's were an absolute joke. The way they'd book players for taking a free kick too quickly and they'd be sending players off who were only on the bench. But after what we've seen in just the past couple of weeks and at times last season I think English officials have over taken their Spanish counter parts for most ridiculous and down right terrible refereeing.
Admittedly I only see the Spanish officials in La Liga on $ky but I'd be amazed if there are two officials on this planet (that haven't been bribed) that would give a goal for the ball crossing the goal line 4ft outside of the posts! 
I believed that this respect campaign that all the clubs and players signed up to in the summer would bring an end to the likes of Chel$ki and the Manc Shite surrounding referees when a decision went against them, TBH in the few games I've seen this season it has reduced the amount of players going to a referee (but not by many). On the other hand it seems to have given the refs the belief that they have Carte-Blanche to go waving cards around like a Vegas Blackjack dealer knowing they can hide behind the Respect campaign.
The current system of having a referee's assessor in the stands doesn't seem to be working as we are still seeing too many bad bad decisions being made too often and the referees suffering minor penalties for doing so whilst it could be costing clubs millions. Fair enough it's not an easy job these days with all of the TV replays but something must be done to rid the game of clowns like Mike Riley and Rob Styles.
Posted:
Mon Sep 29, 2008 12:33 pmby stmichael
i just can't understand why referees aren't allowed to come out after the game and explain their decisions. that's what frustrates the fans the most.
Posted:
Mon Sep 29, 2008 12:46 pmby RUSHIE#9
stmichael wrote:i just can't understand why referees aren't allowed to come out after the game and explain their decisions. that's what frustrates the fans the most.
I don't think there IS anything stopping them coming out other than most of them being up their own arses. A few times one or two of the refs have appeared on $ky after there has been a contencious decision to explain their actions. It's not often though!!
Posted:
Mon Sep 29, 2008 1:02 pmby Number 9
RUSHIE#9 wrote:stmichael wrote:i just can't understand why referees aren't allowed to come out after the game and explain their decisions. that's what frustrates the fans the most.
I don't think there IS anything stopping them coming out other than most of them being up their own arses. A few times one or two of the refs have appeared on $ky after there has been a contencious decision to explain their actions. It's not often though!!
If Riley had given an interview after the Derby game explaining how poor he was and all his bad decisions,he'd still be giving it,there were that many!
It was an awful display by him and he very nearly ruined the game!
The thing that totally amazes me is that they must never watch the games they ref back after its over,or listen to pundits giving off about them.Surely if they did the bad ones would at least improve a little by going over their mistakes.
They abviously don't because if anything the standard of refs is getting worse week by week.
We have had two perfectly honest goals ruled out already and the seasons only started.I find that disgusting...something needs done!! 
Posted:
Mon Sep 29, 2008 2:04 pmby tonyeh
I couldn't believe Riley on Saturday. He stopped the game for every mickey mouse infraction. The flow was terrible.
Also, I think Andy Gray said that Riley had a rep for red cards and low and behold, he actually gave a straight red card to Cahill.......for what was a free out, nothing more IMO. I think Alonso made a bit of a meal out of it TBH. I understand Everton are going to appeal.
I think the likes of Riley are out of control. They have the small man syndrome. Given a little bit of power and it goes to their head. Remarkable.
Posted:
Tue Sep 30, 2008 8:46 amby Judge
stmichael wrote:i just can't understand why referees aren't allowed to come out after the game and explain their decisions. that's what frustrates the fans the most.
regardless of the mistakes of late, i think it would totally undermine a refs standing if he was forced to speak after a match.
i don think that is a good idea. a refs job is a thankless task and at times i do feel sorry for them.
third eye is the only option
Posted:
Tue Sep 30, 2008 9:43 amby Number 9
They should be made to re watch the games they ref after they are over as a compulsory part of their job!
That way they will see where they are going wrong and should be able to learn from their mistakes.No one is expecting them to be perfect but the reffing should be at a better and more consistant standard than it is.
As for the respect the refs campaign,its nonsense!Respect is a two way street.How can the refs expect fans and players to respect them when they get so many crucial decisions wrong and cost teams points every week?
If they came out after a game and put their hands up and said they were wrong and explained how they got it wrong at the time they would earn a little respect!
Besides all this,its time there was a monitor put at the side of every pitch where a ref can run over and check what happened before he makes a decision if he's not sure or,was too far away or had his view blocked!
People argue it will take time and spoil games....nonsense!It will stop arguing with the refs on the pitch that wastes as much time as it will take a ref or other official to re watch any incident and see what really happened!
Its the only way to go,its been said before on here.Imagine at the end of the season UTD beat us to the title by one point...Gerrards goal in the Stoke game was disallowed for no reason and cost us 2!!