don't know what era you're talking about, but I was referring to the current crop but as you have asked it was Gerald Ashby it was Brian Coddington never heard of anyone called steve barnes could it of been Steve Bennet ?? I did see that game where Ginola was kicked from pillar to post at Highbury and I was at that game at the Baseball ground, Derby I was also there for the Brighton game at home (Trelford Mills game) bringing a thread back to life from December 2016 suggests you're on a windup here mate
****ing hell I remember watching that game on TV, 94 or 95 or something wasn't it? The worst thing wasn't even the fact the ref was playing on Arsenal's side, the worst thing was the smug **** commentator Arsenal fan Brain Moore, justifying all the refs ludicrous decisions and cheating, and rejoicing when Arsenal won. Ginola is subjected to GBH and gets sent off for it.
Not sure if it's been mentioned, plus we won the actual game, but Keith Stroud in Newcastle v Burton, with the disallowed penalty, was the single most astonishing decision I've ever seen,
Well now this thread is back, let's use it some more. I remember us getting the crap ref on our side a few times though - most notably when we were playing Stoke and they'd be much better than us in the first half and were beating us 0-1, then the lunatic referee decided to reduce them down to 9 men before half time and we end up winning 5-1.
I remember the Gerald Ashby one, Ginola had gone down fairly easy in earlier games (he was prone to this to be fair) and so Ashby decided he wouldn't be duped again. My sympathy with players like Ginola is limited, its boy who cried wolf. However he did get rinsed that day. I'm sure Winterburn scythed him in two at one point. They do of course get plenty of treatment, but that has to be balanced against diving ****ers who deserve a good booting! We still wore black armbands when he popped it a few years later. I remember someone piping up in the bar, "I don't think the lads should wear an armband for that ****!" We won as well I seem to recall.
Although tbh Howard Webb in the 2010 world Cup final was quite possibly the worst ref I've ever seen, too scared of the enormity of the occasion to actually send any Dutch players off until he gave one red well into injury time. Just a yellow card for Nigel De Jong's chest high karate kick was beyond ludicrous.
Have it on good authority that not one of the 4 officials that night knew what the law was Incredible
