Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!! And such a great game in prospect to be ruined by the cack in black...
You think you've got trouble, for our "must win" on Saturday we've got, "look at me, I'm famous" calamity Clattenberg"!
To be totally honest. This is the first game I think that I've ever felt it would be fine to lose. It'd be great to see Burnley in the Prem and S.Dyche manage there..
In rugby I look up to the refs, they're reasonable, authoritative, knowledgeable and realize the game is all about the players not the officials. What is it about football that attracts legends in their own lunch time full of their own importance who in the main need to see an optician. The use of videos for trys and the like and proper use of the off pitch officials is something that would really add to football. Start by lining the current crop of referees against the wall and shoot the lot of them..
I met Stuart Atwell at a referee's seminar a few years ago. A more charming and personable man you could not wish to meet. I asked him about the incident and he was quite candid in his embarrassment over the whole thing. His assistant Bannister said the ball was over the line and said he thought it was a goal. Where, by his own admission, Atwell got it wrong is that he and his assistants did not further communicate on this despite being told what had happened and ignoring the obvious body language and embarrassment of the majority of the Reading players (Hunt... you know what you are...). Even when walking off at half time Bannister expressed doubts about his own judgement. People should remember that, that 'goal' aside, Atwell had a pretty decent game (unlike his shocker in the Derby - Forest match later) and it would appear that it has done little for his confidence and his reputation has yet to be fully restored. The problem is that he said during the seminar that he was actively discouraged from playing the game and did not play competitive football from the age of 14. The same applies to Martin Atkinson. To me that is absolutely ludicrous. I certainly don't expect ex pros to become referees but even if a referee has played a few seasons in the Sunday Clogger's 9th Division he will have a better idea about the game than being an armchair god on his days off. Many of my colleagues disagree and say we need to be separate and aloof of the players! I have pointed out that people will still play football whatever the circumstances but you try running around in a field blowing a whistle on your own and the funny farm awaits. If we are not here to help the players play an enjoyable game, then WTF are we doing? In the professional game we pay our money to watch the players... if we're watching (and berating) the referee then he's not doing his job right. Any footballer will tell you that. Win, lose or draw I hope Atwell gets it right.
Probably the fact the players, managers and fans in rugby give the officials respect on the pitch regardless of what decisions are made? Might give them more confidence and assurance (I know refs in our game can send players off for abuse but never seem to - particularly at the top level) By all account some rugby refs are pretty hopeless and even accused of being bias/applying their own rules but we just don't hear about them. The reason refs get so much attention in football is because the players and managers make such a fuss them before and after a game which attracts pressure and headlines. As Fez says even a couple of the Reading players were trying to claim a goal in THAT incident... Of course they make mistakes which are pointed out quite rightly as anyone's would be and I do think them coming out to give interviews would help any confusion or doubts. People like Graham Poll do make a celebrity out of themselves mainly due to the fact he made a massive mistake on a world stage which actually makes his criticism of officials a little hollow I think.
Graham Poll committed the cardinal sin of losing his temper which is why he made the error. Although a big rugby fan and played for the school, I'd never referee the game... far too much goes on in the front row! If I had a collapsed scrum and a broken neck on my watch I'd be devastated. I am astounded though by the bad application of the laws by referees. The big talking point recently was Andre Marriner... three things about this: 1. He didn't see the original incident and his assistant didn't flag on that side of the pitch, some one told him over the microphone. 2. Having not seen it he then cannot judge if there was denial of a goal scoring opportunity, so the sanction has to be a yellow card for unsporting behaviour. 3. He got the wrong man. A monumental cock up. And don't get me started on the Angella / Ekstrand / Hall debacle. Or any number of performances by the officials at the Vic. Not whether it was a foul or offside or whatever, but the application of the law once a decision has been made. Let alone the numpty who let Fessi back on the pitch with the ball in play and set up for an immediate 50-50 challenge! Not good enough for Cassiobury Park let alone the 5th best supported league in Europe with the richest prize in football for its final match. Again, I really hope Atwell has a good game on Saturday, that he is not noticed - that is the mark of a good referee. We have seen two decent performances at the very most this season from the officials, which is very disappointing.
Maybe if we had received a public apology over that 'goal' there would not be the same resentment towards him. Maybe we should ask for 'Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word' to be played as they all come out.
Who saw the report on Eddie Ilderton's faux pas last night? Surely you check with your assistants before, not after! http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26318934
He's going to know from the fans exactly how feelings were about the ghost goal. It's been six years, and booing officials always has a detrimental effect on the game but unfortunately our fans never learn...and he's going to get a hideous reception on Saturday!
Pity there couldn't be an injection of humour in it - such as at the same moment the ghost goal was awarded, the whole Rookery start cheering a goal and singing 1-0 to The Golden Boys.......
"He's blind, he's in black, why the f*ck is Atwell back" "Goalazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzio" every time the ball crosses a line off the pitch Like the idea BB of a chant in the 13th minute....
