Should be a ban coming for this Preston forward for biting his opponent https://www.facebook.com/share/r/14dHCiS1Yf/?mibextid=UalRPS
Gunn in trouble wit the FA for QPR misconduct: https://www.canaries.co.uk/content/fa-statement-angus-gunn
Do we have a target on our back with the FA? We seem to be getting hit with something every week by them at the moment. Obviously we need to see what further information comes to light but this is now over a week on from the very same game that they decided to retrospectively ban McLean after. As far as I know there isn’t any cameras in the tunnel and this would surely have been acted on immediately had it been in the refs report. Furthermore the referee rang JHT to apologise about the officiating from the game, and now we are being punished further beyond the match result.
And the incompetent buffoon of a ref who caused all of this trouble will just turn up week after week causing more mayhem. When will referees start to be held to account for mistakes and poor performance?
Unfortunately there is not enough of them to go around, certainly not enough good ones. They take a lot of abuse so I can understand why, but I am sure we used to have a hell of a lot more good refs than we do currently.
As much as I agree with the comments regarding the standard of referees, a big problem is caused by the players themselves, who fall over at the slightest touch, roll around as if they seriously injured, time waste, cheat at corners, goalkicks, throwins, freekicke etc etc.. Unfortunately we get what we deserve, refs are human and will inadvertently punish players who they are disrespected by. As the old saying goes, "play by the sword, die by the sword" Rant over
And a greater problem is the insistence of the referees themselves that all referees have to come through from starting in grassroots leagues. Players are usually picked up at a young age and put into an academy where they are coached by professionals in all aspects including the so called dark arts. Referees just learn their trade by controlling games in lower leagues and then climbing the ladder. They have never played the game they are in charge of. They reject the idea of ex-players, who give up playing for many reasons, becoming referees despite the fact that ex-players would instantly spot the cheating you refer to. Yes refs are human but so are players and Managers. If players badly misjudge a tackle they are sent off and suspended. If Managers make too many bad mistakes they get the sack but Referees? - you are not even able to question them. One minute you hear ' they can only give what they actually see ' as an excuse but the next breath ' he must have thought there was contact ' and as for VAR - mates judging mates. As long as we have amateurs in charge of professionals these problems will continue and as long as players and coaches are open to strong criticism so will referees- they should not be a protected species.
Refs' accuracy / ability should be measured like Opta, but that should go hand-in-hand with greater protections and respect from players / coaches. Retroactive punishments like Kenny's for simulation as well as missed fouls. Mic refs up to deal with dissent and start sending players off or implement 10/20 mins sin bins like we have in lower leagues here in Aus. Let refs concentrate on the real game of football and they're more likely to make correct calls. If they don't, then they get relegated.
The sin bin should have been introduced years ago. It works in Rugby, and refs get more respect from players. Football is more interested in stupid rules, like awarding a corner if the goalkeeper holds onto the ball over time The laws are already there, use them. Throwins are 90% foul throws, but never get penalised.
I agree with what you say but ignoring rules has gone so far that it is now part of the game. Block somebody on the half way line and it is obstruction. Do the same in the penalty area and nothing is done as blocking in the penalty area is considered part of the game. Letting the ball run out for a corner or throw in by leaping about like a demented frog preventing an opponent getting to the ball has not been classed as obstruction for many many years. Why? In my humble opinion the only answer is drastic action. Get rid of amateurs being in control of the top 4 leagues of the professional game in England. What would a thirty something player released by a Championship Club prefer - a couple of years being hacked about in Div 1 or 2 before retiring or a well paid 15 years as a referee? A couple of months in the classroom setting out that following the rules in all cases is not an optional extra - obstruction is an offence wherever it occurs is an example - and address all players before the season so they are aware of the new code. Cheating is a bookable offence, any player apart from the Captain approaching the Ref will be booked, the first player seen grabbing an opponent at a corner will result in a penalty or a free kick depending who is seen first by the ref, any player preventing a free kick being taken by kicking the ball away or standing in front of the ball will be booked etc etc. Make absolutely clear that this is not going to be a five minute wonder before gradually going back to where it was. Tighten up marking of the Refs performance and take action on unsatisfactory performance as occurs in every other job. To start with some games will end 8 a side but they will soon learn.
I agree with all that in theory however my only concern would be that there could be a bias from an ex-player towards ex teammates or ex-rivals or clubs.
And whilst I am at it - scrap the stopwatch and the mythical adding of time at the end of each half. Time keeper in the stand, 35 mins each half, clock stopped whenever ball is out of play for a throw in/corner/goal kick/ free kick etc and only starts again when ball back in play. End of time wasting tactics and crowd get full value for money.
That would make the game shorter than Rugby where that is done, and each half is 40 minutes. But I agree with the idea of that kind of time keeping. Throw in regulations have to be drastically revised as well. Something like ball in hand, five seconds to throw. In Aussie rules I believe the ball is thrown in overhead with the back to the field of play. Now that would be interesting.
A problem in theory but in practice? You could not let them referee games involving Clubs where they live but I seriously think players devotion to Clubs is overstated. To them it is just a job and they slap the badge of the Club they are playing for. Take Grant Hanley as an example. He has played for 3 Clubs - you couldn't let him referee Norwich or Blackburn but Newcastle where he played 10 times? That still leaves 89 or 90 Clubs he can referee. Same sort of criteria that applies to current referees.
I don't follow Rugby at all so difficult to comment but do they stop the clock every time the game stops for a scrum etc? 35 mins just came into my head as a likely time but it can be easily calculated by analysis.
I believe the ref in Rugby signals time out, and time restart. 40 min playing time, extended till the ball goes out of play at the end.
Angus Gunn has been fined £4,500 for misconduct following the EFL Championship fixture between QPR and Norwich City on Saturday 7 December 2024. The Norwich City goalkeeper admitted that he behaved in an improper manner around the tunnel area during half-time of the fixture, and the sanction was subsequently imposed by an independent Regulatory Commission. No mention of a suspension
Thank God we haven't got to rely on Long for a couple of games bearing in mind all the other problems we have got.
Next up: The FA are currently looking at an incident relating to Borja Sainz from the Sunderland game. All I remember from that game was Sunderland players hacking him to bits and pushing him around off the ball, the manager also grabbed him. Now we potentially look at a charge but nothing for the Sunderland team?? Again what have we done to deserve this treatment, firstly not to get the decisions at the time but then to for our reactions to be looked at retrospectively is beyond belief.
Spitting at an opponent allegedly which could carry a 6 game ban. I don’t remember anything about this form the game?
