Officials/Media Its Time

[Addison]

The situation will never improve whilst Mike Riley one of the worst referees ever to grace a pitch is in charge of the PGMOL. His remit is to protect refs at all costs to the exclusion of improving standards.

There are 4 officials at every game yet 3 are reduced to giving throw ins, holding up a flag for offside long after its gone or a Board for substitutions. If the Assistant refs were allowed to go back to the role of the linesman in days gone by where they flagged for fouls and got actively involved in games then we would see significant improvements. The fourth officials remit could be extended to include a pitch side monitor to flag issues immediately to the ref on the pitch.

The PGMOL needs an overhaul, its an old boys club with the unfit John Moss allowed to lumber on until 50 years of age. Refs should be expected to have the same levels of fitness as players on the pitch. It will require significant improvements in off field support for refs and money paid to them. The big clubs moan about refs but we don't see them donating some of their considerable wealth to improving the role of officials. The Euros revealed how poor English refs were compared to their European counterparts yet we still boast we have the best league in the world when we have the poorest collection of officials constrained by a man who designs systems to try and avoid scrutiny. The mess he has made of VAR is a prime example.

The PGMOL are supposed to cover all the leagues yet we have different rules for the EPL and EFL. How is it that players in the EPL are allowed to dive and get away with it yet in the EFL we have a player sent off for the same offence. Fouls are awarded for the slightest touch in the EPL yet a robust challenge in the EFL is usually waved away. No wonder our players and the other teams that come down from the EPL are confused. Riley is the problem he needs to go.

 

[Whiston Blade]

Rugby refereeing could teach football a thing or too

I harp back to American football again, they're in the same boat as Rugby officials, very rarely have players surrounding them or receive abuse from players. I wonder if it's something to do with those officials being mic'd up so fans get an explanation as to why a decision has been made..?

 

[Swinton Blade]

I harp back to American football again, they're in the same boat as Rugby officials, very rarely have players surrounding them or receive abuse from players. I wonder if it's something to do with those officials being mic'd up so fans get an explanation as to why a decision has been made..?

I think that's down to respect taught at a young age.

Young players in football are not taught to respect the referee from coaches/parents on the side lines or in the stands when they watch a game. All they hear is abuse direct towards the official.

Rugby has a far greater of respect within the game in general than football.

 

[Grey Blade]

Rugby players showed the officials more respect than footballers do well before they were mic'd up but it is interesting to hear how some decisions are arrived at. If football refs were mic'd up they'd all have to moderate their language but I can't believe footballers will be calling the ref 'sir'!

 

[ATL Recs]

I am flipping this comment on purpose. Do we also have the players who miss chances or foul have to explain to the media why they didn't score or make that pass/decision they did. Although I am not saying the referee on Tuesday was perfect we need to have our own house in order before we go dishing out and blaming 3rd parties. Control the controlables and that game should have been won. I agree in some ways decision could be explained why the referee gave it. If it turns into a witch hunt we will end up losing more match officials which will end up with a huge gap. I am also curious have you refereed a game yourself at any level and how did you find it?

Good post but do keep in mind we are always the unlucky ones -the victims it always happens to us why Sheffield United.

 

[Stu_Blade]

Good post but do keep in mind we are always the unlucky ones -the victims it always happens to us why Sheffield United.

Very true its never easy being a blade which is probably why we stick with it for the good times. You do wonder if the expectation at the moment that we are going to concede we end up doing so. At 85 mins I was happy with the point but still didn't think we would get it maybe I now need to explain myself to the media

 

[originaltrueblade]

Very true its never easy being a blade which is probably why we stick with it for the good times. You do wonder if the expectation at the moment that we are going to concede we end up doing so. At 85 mins I was happy with the point but still didn't think we would get it maybe I now need to explain myself to the media

Don’t think you have to explain yourself to the media as you must be too exhausted after all your comments

 

[Maidenhead]

Not sure that would work listening to so called ‘experts’ & in the media
How many times do you hear “entitled” to go down as there was (minimal) contact / he “felt a touch”; “not interfering with play“ / ‘active - not active / 2nd phase etc; got the ball” (even though the challenge was from ‘behind’)
Appears to me many pundits didn’t understand (or conform) to the rules when playing & certainly don’t now - along with most folk - including myself

Exactly this.

MGW said that he "felt something" so he went down.

In my view that makes the second yellow he received absolutely right and fully deserved.

The first one however ???

Irrespective of the circumstances surrounding the first one he knew that he had been cautioned and still took the risk of falling over because he "felt something".

Silly boy.

 

[wavy-blade]

The answer is simple, just book them in for an appointment................

 

[GaybladeS13]

I once went to watch a friend play a Sunday league game. It was a cold wet November morning at Graves Park and the ref didn't turn up. I was drafted, but I only had astroturf trainers on, and spent most of the time slipping around and accelerating slowly so I could satay on my feet. I think I did really well, but after the game I was told I got LOADS of throw-ins wrong (the ball hadn't gone out). To be fair, I couldn't see the lines and it was a guesstimate that it had gone out. They just played to the decisions I made.

Professional refs though, with two assistants, well they should make little to no mistakes. Those that do, well there are probably sanctions. Unfortunately, the public are never made aware of decisions that are considered mistakes, or what consequences arise. The reason is, I guess, that if they were to decide Gibbs-White shouldn't have been a sending off, then we would all be up in arms demanding a rematch or something.

I think it would definitely help if we had visible ref stats, and a "league table" that tracked their performance and their standing.

 

[blades14]

Make the refs do post match interviews for them to explain their decisions on key decisions. Make themselves accountable. Like any job, its performance based, if youre not up to it, Get someone whos fit enough to get around the pitch and keep up with play and be in the right areas when key decisions are made

 

[Yellarbellyblade]

I've had the same opinion for a while now, one in each half would be beneficial, imo. In American Football they have 7 on field officials. I'm not saying we need 7 officials but you'll see much more and have multiple views on the same incident with more eyes. This gives them a whole round view of the play and any incidents rather than the referee and one of the two linesmen (I don't think I've ever seen a referee talk to both linesmen about an incident but that's understandable given how far away one of them would be).

Doesn’t hockey have two umpires?

 

[Stu_Blade]

Doesn’t hockey have two umpires?

Yeah

 

[Swinton Blade]

Make the refs do post match interviews for them to explain their decisions on key decisions. Make themselves accountable. Like any job, its performance based, if youre not up to it, Get someone whos fit enough to get around the pitch and keep up with play and be in the right areas when key decisions are made

I really don't see how making the referee do interviews post match would help.

What's it going to achieve?

 

[spongebobblade]

Get rid of the stupid rule, that when a player is offside they don’t flag till an attacking player touches the ball. What’s that all about!

Totally agree. It’s ok when we’ve got VAR but someone at some point will suffer a serious injury when the flag should have gone up earlier

 

[spongebobblade]

I really don't see how making the referee do interviews post match would help.

What's it going to achieve?

Clarity as to why certain decisions have been made? They have far too much time to get there stories straight before writing there reports. For example, SJ asked him why he didn’t send off Saville when on a yellow and Fleck burst past him. His answer? It wasn’t a foul! So why stretch out your arms as if your playing an advantage then? Like players, referees should be accountable. There is too much money to lose in football with decisions made by poor standard officials

 

[Swinton Blade]

Clarity as to why certain decisions have been made? They have far too much time to get there stories straight before writing there reports. For example, SJ asked him why he didn’t send off Saville when on a yellow and Fleck burst past him. His answer? It wasn’t a foul! So why stretch out your arms as if your playing an advantage then? Like players, referees should be accountable. There is too much money to lose in football with decisions made by poor standard officials

All you are going to get from a referee after the game is 'I thought it was a foul or 'it looked offside from my position', not really going to achieve anything.

Football has a human element to it and humans make mistakes from chairmen to mangers to players to referees.

Football does have a lot of money to it but its not just the referees that make stupid decisions.

 

[blades14]

I really don't see how making the referee do interviews post match would help.

What's it going to achieve?

That us fans will get answers to the decisions they make? Why wouldn't it help? We can grasp why they made the decision they did based on the rules

 

[spongebobblade]

Swinton Blade That may be the case but while ever they say nothing and are protected by current protocol they have it way too easy to fob us off and leave themselves far more open to criticism and to question there integrity. How refreshing would it be if one was interviewed and then after a replay held there hand up and admitted they got it wrong? I’d have far more respect for them and the difficult job they do

 

[Moan? Nope-I saw Longhorn]

Exactly this.

MGW said that he "felt something" so he went down.

In my view that makes the second yellow he received absolutely right and fully deserved.

The first one however ???

Irrespective of the circumstances surrounding the first one he knew that he had been cautioned and still took the risk of falling over because he "felt something".

Silly boy.

Absolutely
Only seen the 1st ‘challenge’ once & it appeared (at best) rash - “got the ball” (just?) is no mitigation
Whilst it shouldn’t have any subsequent consequence MGW then gave the referee major pelters which (potentially?) influences / informs subsequent decision(s)
From my experience giving someone a gob full rarely encourages then to give me leeway / benefit of the doubt next time

 

[Swinton Blade]

Swinton Blade That may be the case but while ever they say nothing and are protected by current protocol they have it way too easy to fob us off and leave themselves far more open to criticism and to question there integrity. How refreshing would it be if one was interviewed and then after a replay held there hand up and admitted they got it wrong? I’d have far more respect for them and the difficult job they do

Personally I just feel there are other ways to improve refereeing standards than put them under the media spotlight.

At the end of the day only the media will gain from post match interviews, the manager/team who were hard done by will still be hard done by.

 

[blades14]

Personally I just feel there are other ways to improve refereeing standards than put them under the media spotlight.

At the end of the day only the media will gain from post match interviews, the manager/team who were hard done by will still be hard done by.

And the more they shy away from repsonsibility and ownership the less respected they will be by fans, managers and players

 

[Swinton Blade]

And the more they shy away from repsonsibility and ownership the less respected they will be by fans, managers and players

They will gain more respect by becoming better referees and making more consistent decisions.

The amount of money in football, there is no reason why refs up and down the country can't be all full time.

They would then be able to concentrate on their fitness to be in the right areas, use retired ex refs as coaches/advisors to the younger refs.

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

What’s a proper offside? A player’s either offside or he isn’t

It's the definition of level where I see the issue with VAR

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

Not sure that would work listening to so called ‘experts’ & in the media
How many times do you hear “entitled” to go down as there was (minimal) contact / he “felt a touch”; “not interfering with play“ / ‘active - not active / 2nd phase etc; got the ball” (even though the challenge was from ‘behind’)
Appears to me many pundits didn’t understand (or conform) to the rules when playing & certainly don’t now - along with most folk - including myself

Fair point.

I guess it depends on the player at the VAR station.

 

[VonBrysonsExpress]

Whilst it won't work at all levels I've always thought miking the refs in the same way rugby do would be beneficial. Not only would refs then have to explain decisions at the time it would also shine a light on players abusing and pressurising refs, can you imagine the top tier players with lucrative contracts to lose swearing when every word can be heard?

Rooney lost a contact with coke for mouthing fuck off a few years back.

Focus on refs to quantify decisions in real time would also remove the backtracking which takes place after dubious decisions, will never happen mind!

 

[CPB]

The concept of var is good. In fact the way it was implemented at the euros really worked too for most part.

But when that isn't available which is outside the top flight of course refs need to be monitored and scrutinised.

He was a stinker on Tuesday and yet in hindsight mgw was probably deserving of two yellows.

Without good working var though not sure of the solution. But referees being made that bit more accountable might make for referees who don't get swayed as much?