The big club rule doesn't apply in this game, I was just responding to the later points in this thread about things not evening out, as we generally come off second best against the traditional big clubs. My issue with Jones, is that he was responsible for the worst refereeing performance I've ever witnessed at a football match and I wish him dead.
I'm just really adverse to moaning about the ref unless it's really justified. The only time I've really done it was after the Spurs Away game and the Palace Away game, and with the Palace one since then I've accepted that while I didn't agree with the decisions, I could see why they were given. Polly is absolutely right. The whole concept of moaning about big clubs getting more decisions has absolutely nothing to do with a thread about Hull City vs Sunderland.
Same here. You hear lots of people on here - OLM included - coming out with rational, sensible, objective and knowledgeable comments about all aspects of football, all the time, yet when it comes to who's reffing the next game it goes out of the window and it all goes a bit unscientific, superstitious and medieval!
Yep. I firmly believe Ferguson started all the **** with abusing referrees and querying every single decision. Of course they make mistakes. Just get on with the game and play it honestly.
Refs are very skillful at what they do but it's the common sense side of it people get pissed about. For example John Terry throws Joey O'Brien to the floor deliberately, dislocates his collar bone and O'Brien is out for the season. But because that took place at a set piece it's allowed and there's no punishment. If that was in the middle of the pitch or was done as a reaction to a bad tackle it'd be a straight red. There's all sorts of these 'accepted' refisms which make no sense under scrutiny but they've just become common place over time. Another one is this idea of being extra lenient on someone who's already on a yellow card. In any other walk of life a repeat offender is treated more harshly and rightly so, so why not in football?
If refs awarded penalties for every infringement at set pieces, there'd be dozens each game. Just let bygones be bygones.
I think the common sense part in this instance is that, if you have 19 or 20 players in such a small box, they are likely to bump into each other. Not that it's right.
You're also quite likely to bump into someone on the dance floor in a night club. It's not very common for someone to grab your shirt and throw you to the floor though.
I think this 'it evens itself out' malarkey is nothing more than a mind set some of us choose to adopt as it makes acceptance of poor decisions more palatable. Perhaps they would, but, I would think, the imposition of Windows of Opportunity(seasons, cup-runs) would have meant that balance was disrupted and that being shafted by Lady Luck and Rogue Referees was something we have to bear; but, of course, using that argument does tend to say that someone will have a beneficial window - so, have we had one?
Did you ever go to the Tuxedo Royale or Princess (Newcastle)? You were highly likely to get 'fouled' and even more likely to get a poor 'referree' decision.
Heh now I have a mental image of you reffing a game, with your favorite manager on the sidelines, he questions a decision you've made and you leggit over to him and whip a pie outa your pocket, throw it at him and ban him to the stands!
