R.I.P

[Mumbo]

The game I have loved since I could walk is dead.Apologists for V.A.R and there are many,well .....you lot can eff off with your mealy mouthed defence of a technology that has
no place in a football stadium.
Wilder on radio Sheffield last night sounded bereft,bereft of a game that he has played and managed all his life.
Games are now reffed by a faceless organisation it’s like a giant mock up of big brother with 30,000 mugs all waiting for a reward that was once the right of every football fan
and player,the right to celebrate,the right to unbridled joy,the very reason for being there is being slowly and painfully extracted from football.
In what should be one of the best moments in a players life e.g scoring against Spurs in one of the best grounds in the country Baldock looked to the screen and waited for Big brothers verdict....wtf!.
This obsession with perfection regarding decision making is a slow motion train crash and was always a completely unattainable goal.
I want my football back,the one where a linesmen has a flag for good reason,where the ref is,well....the ref,where me,my son and my mates can go proper ape shit in celebration.

 

[Tezza1889]

We still describe them as linesmen, but they are assistant referees, therefore with VAR they are going to become obsolete, normally a ref waves play on if the linesman / AR raises the flag wrongly, and the flag goes down. Seen it loads of times.

Normally the AR flags and the ref whistles, however var says the AR should only flag for 100% certain offsides, so the ref should blow on the flag and he didn’t..

Wilder now needs to tell them to only stop on a clear whistle from the ref.. and if it’s offside the var will confirm it later and cancel the play..

Goodbye to “linesman / Assistant referees” they are no longer needed, tonight we paid for a human error..

 

[Mumbo]

We still describe them as linesmen, but they are assistant referees, therefore with VAR they are going to become obsolete, normally a ref waves play on if the linesman / AR raises the flag wrongly, and the flag goes down. Seen it loads of times.

Normally the AR flags and the ref whistles, however var says the AR should only flag for 100% certain offsides, so the ref should blow on the flag and he didn’t..

Wilder now needs to tell them to only stop on a clear whistle from the ref.. and if it’s offside the var will confirm it later and cancel the play..

Goodbye to “linesman / Assistant referees” they are no longer needed, tonight we paid for a human error..

Yes l Agree with that,I just don’t think Var and it’s overriding,overbearing presence adds to the enjoyment of what is a spontaneous and symbiotic relationship between players and fans.

 

[oohaah]

Wilder now needs to tell them to only stop on a clear whistle from the ref.. and if it’s offside the var will confirm it later and cancel the play..

Except when playing Wolves away and the clear whistle blows for offside, but VAR still checks for a penalty after everyone has correctly stopped playing.

 

[PaulHalfway]

Unfortunately it’s here to stay, we have to get used to it
It does make the majority of decisions correct but clearly it’s not being managed well at the moment and big room for improvement in the way it’s being communicated

 

[Tezza1889]

Except when playing Wolves away and the clear whistle blows for offside, but VAR still checks for a penalty after everyone has correctly stopped playing.

It’s killing the game mate..

 

[YES Blade]

I wish people would just stop crying and throwing the toys out of the pram over VAR. No one is saying it’s perfect and doesn’t need improving.

If after a few years and the introduction of some improvements it’s still not good enough, then look at scraping it. But at least give it a chance, it’s got to be a fairest system long term for the game.

 

[spongebobblade]

Except when playing Wolves away and the clear whistle blows for offside, but VAR still checks for a penalty after everyone has correctly stopped playing.

When the flag was raised last night why didn’t the referee blow his whistle? He did so very quickly on any contentious offsides against us. There were numerous ridiculous VAR checks at Wolves including a possible red for Fleck after a great tackle. A penalty check when not one Wolves player appealed and of course the one after the whistle had blown.
Referee tonight; Stuart Atwell
VAR ref Sunday; Stuart Atwell
I’m not blaming him for losing but the inconsistencies in his game are bordering on ridiculous. The only consistency he has is that he was piss poor both last night and Sunday

 

[spongebobblade]

I wish people would just stop crying and throwing the toys out of the pram over VAR. No one is saying it’s perfect and doesn’t need improving.

If after a few years and the introduction of some improvements it’s still not good enough, then look at scraping it. But at least give it a chance, it’s got to be a fairest system long term for the game.

I think people would accept it more if we had more clarity but Mike Riley and the referees association move the goalposts so often people just don’t know what’s right/wrong anymore. 1st phase/second phase, keep the flag down etc..... VAR in time could work but while its implementation in the country is laughable at the moment it’s having the opposite effect and ruining the game we all love

 

[dazzlingblade]

I wish people would just stop crying and throwing the toys out of the pram over VAR. No one is saying it’s perfect and doesn’t need improving.

If after a few years and the introduction of some improvements it’s still not good enough, then look at scraping it. But at least give it a chance, it’s got to be a fairest system long term for the game.

Having an opinion that differs from yours is not throwing the toys out of the pram, I should be enjoying this moment, sitting comfortable in the top half of the Prem, but I'm not, I'm not enjoying it at all

There are moments I have been ecstatic, moments I have loved, but I've been going for 40 years now, and what should be the most enjoyable season I've probably ever witnessed, is being tainted with a product that is currently not fit for purpose

 

[Muttley]

Thank fuck we weren't winning at the time!
Why is it always us?

 

[Geordie Blade]

When the flag was raised last night why didn’t the referee blow his whistle? He did so very quickly on any contentious offsides against us.

I guess it’s because he didn’t think it was offside, and he was right.

The thing that I found odd was that, after Shelvey scored, the ref awarded the free kick for offside. So, presumably, he did think the assistant referee was right. If he backed his own judgement, he would have given a goal and then awaited VAR confirmation. Odd...

 

[Davalon]

I think people would accept it more if we had more clarity but Mike Riley and the referees association move the goalposts so often people just don’t know what’s right/wrong anymore. 1st phase/second phase, keep the flag down etc..... VAR in time could work but while its implementation in the country is laughable at the moment it’s having the opposite effect and ruining the game we all love

Mike Riley is a large part of that answer and reason

 

[derfblade.3]

I thought that when var came in that there would be nothing to discuss in the pub, ie, was he offside or was it a pen. How wrong i was. The game is being ruined. It's always been swings and roundabouts. Sometimes it goes for you, other times it doesn't and we all accepted that. Now it's worse than ever in trying to get the perfect game and perfect game result. I don't like it. Our game is ruined.

 

[oohaah]

I guess it’s because he didn’t think it was offside, and he was right.

The thing that I found odd was that, after Shelvey scored, the ref awarded the free kick for offside. So, presumably, he did think the assistant referee was right. If he backed his own judgement, he would have given a goal and then awaited VAR confirmation. Odd...

Glad someone else has noticed that, a supposedly great piece of refereeing where he overrules the linesman on a millimetre offside call, but then doesn’t give the goal when it’s his power to do so. VAR then intervenes and overrules and decision is overturned (what decision?) and it’s a goal, even though ref had no reason not to give the goal in the first place. The whole thing was a shambles and I would really like to hear an explanation from the ref of his thinking because his actions completely contradicted each other.

 

[Grumps]

I thought that when var came in that there would be nothing to discuss in the pub, ie, was he offside or was it a pen. How wrong i was. The game is being ruined. It's always been swings and roundabouts. Sometimes it goes for you, other times it doesn't and we all accepted that. Now it's worse than ever in trying to get the perfect game and perfect game result. I don't like it. Our game is ruined.

I've been going to football matches for over 60 years and after the match talk about the match with your mates in the pubs over the weekend, you would talk about who played good and who played crap and other things. Today when you talk to people after the game it's all about fxxxxxg VAR it's just got crazy, Get rid of it, or supporters will stop coming to the matches.

 

[Foxy]

would really like to hear an explanation from the ref of his thinking because his actions completely contradicted each other

His explanation at this point will be based on what the replays show and the interpretation best placed to suggest it was clear and the officials had played on without question.

I'd rather hear from Baldock, who was the first to stop I think and any honest Newcastle player or fan on whether or not they thought play had stopped.

Then the PGMOL on how they intend to fuck things up further in the future and what a great job it's doing improving football.

Correct decision... however, the wrong one was made and not clearly defined or managed, causing the wide held feeling real time the offside had been given.

The Wolves penalty VAR should absolutely be explained too. But it won't, we'll carry on in confusion and inconsistency... Precisely what the system is supposed to avoid.

 

[Jon Bon II]

Today when you talk to people after the game it's all about fxxxxxg VAR it's just got crazy, Get rid of it, or supporters will stop coming to the matches.

I have done mate. I said this weeks ago, after the Spurs game, that I'm not willing to spend thirty odd quid only to be mugged off by the pantomime that is VAR. I hate, loathe and despise it. It's stopped me enjoying what should have been the greatest season in living memory.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

Unfortunately it’s here to stay, we have to get used to it
It does make the majority of decisions correct but clearly it’s not being managed well at the moment and big room for improvement in the way it’s being communicated

Not in its current form. Like you say big room for improvement. VAR in itself isn’t a bad thing, but the way it is implemented is an absolute farce.
We must get rid of Stockley park immediately and start using the monitor. I would even sanction the 4th official using the monitor but only at the referees request. Then the team of officials on the pitch are the only ones responsible for their own decisions.

 

[Dkc]

I have done mate. I said this weeks ago, after the Spurs game, that I'm not willing to spend thirty odd quid only to be mugged off by the pantomime that is VAR. I hate, loathe and despise it. It's stopped me enjoying what should have been the greatest season in living memory.

I wouldn't go that far. This season is still fantastic. Though who'd bet against us being relegated on the last day on a dodgy VAR decision?

Last night was another VAR clusterfuck but as others have said, if the lino's flag didn't go up it could well have been a goal anyway. Their player was clean through.

 

[Top Cat 317]

I guess it’s because he didn’t think it was offside, and he was right.

The thing that I found odd was that, after Shelvey scored, the ref awarded the free kick for offside. So, presumably, he did think the assistant referee was right. If he backed his own judgement, he would have given a goal and then awaited VAR confirmation. Odd...

Given where the ref was when the flag came up, how could he possibly see the assistant got it marginally wrong. He should have blown his whistle, as he had done every other time an assistant flagged, then everyone should have stopped playing, including Shelvey. Play by the whistle. If he had blown the whistle and Shelvey had carried on and scored, what would VAR have done. Would the goal have been given, though the game had stopped, or would Shelvey have been booked for time wasting. After the match Shelvey, in his interview, said the ref had told HIM before the game to ignore offside flags. Did he just tell Shelvey or the Newcastle team or both teams. It seems very strange.

 

[Blade59]

Mike Riley is a large part of that answer and reason

I have seen Mike Riley referee our games many times over the years and cannot remember one occasion when I didn't come out less than impressed by his performance.

 

[Harrisblade]

I guess it’s because he didn’t think it was offside, and he was right.

The thing that I found odd was that, after Shelvey scored, the ref awarded the free kick for offside. So, presumably, he did think the assistant referee was right. If he backed his own judgement, he would have given a goal and then awaited VAR confirmation. Odd...

Pity the poor sod of a forward who keeps on, puts the ball in the net after the flag has gone up and then gets a yellow for tim-wasting

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Thank fuck we weren't winning at the time!
Why is it always us?

The only thing to grasp from last night is that we lost 0-1 fairly if goal two is discounted.

Trouble is some club's will suffer an unjust 0-1 and the fact that this will happen at some point in the future makes VAR not fit for purpose.

 

[Deleted member 1486]

I can't believe anyone is defending VAR. It's shit. It's fucking shit. It's really fucking shit.

Even if last night and Tottenham had never happened, I'd be on here now insisting it's really, really, fucking shit!

When VAR cropped up during the Burnley game and the decision went for us, everyone at the back of Gangway F and G were singing "VAR is fucking shit". People were pissed off because our goal celebration was curtailed, and made their feelings known, on a decision that went for us!

We scored a 90th minute goal against Manchester United to get a well earned point out of a game we thought we'd thrown away. There were limbs everywhere, for all of about 3 seconds, because ... there's a fucking VAR check... to instantly go from collectively jumping up and down to collectively groaning in the space of seconds ruins not just the moment, but the whole reason football is popular. Having a second reason to celebrate a minute later doesn't make up for that.

It's shit, and I hate it. It needs to vanish from football and never come back. Even if they iron out all the problems/mistakes, it will still be shit, because football is the one sport that contains intense moments of instant gratification, or anguish. It doesn't matter if VAR takes 4 minutes or 30 seconds, it will always rob of us of those moments.

 

[georgebernardshaw]

VAR is fucking shit, it’s fucking outrageous

I’m fucking outraged.....

 

[Northyorksblade]

Did anyone notice two or three times during the game there was a whistle being blown that wasn't the referee, including that VAR incident? I kept wondering why play hadn't stopped, until I realised it was probably coming from the away end near to where we sit on John Street.

 

[GreasyChipBeattie]

I can't believe anyone is defending VAR. It's shit. It's fucking shit. It's really fucking shit.

Even if last night and Tottenham had never happened, I'd be on here now insisting it's really, really, fucking shit!

When VAR cropped up during the Burnley game and the decision went for us, everyone at the back of Gangway F and G were singing "VAR is fucking shit". People were pissed off because our goal celebration was curtailed, and made their feelings known, on a decision that went for us!

We scored a 90th minute goal against Manchester United to get a well earned point out of a game we thought we'd thrown away. There were limbs everywhere, for all of about 3 seconds, because ... there's a fucking VAR check... to instantly go from collectively jumping up and down to collectively groaning in the space of seconds ruins not just the moment, but the whole reason football is popular. Having a second reason to celebrate a minute later doesn't make up for that.

It's shit, and I hate it. It needs to vanish from football and never come back. Even if they iron out all the problems/mistakes, it will still be shit, because football is the one sport that contains intense moments of instant gratification, or anguish. It doesn't matter if VAR takes 4 minutes or 30 seconds, it will always rob of us of those moments.

The only thing I think is better for the game is goal line technology to determine if the ball has crossed the line.
Even then, I wouldn't be too upset if it disappeared.
The game isn't what we grew up with. Sadly, if they keep persisting with it it WILL be the game that the current young generation will grow up with and become a norm to them. That's progress for you.......

 

[1889]

Last night was nothing to do with VAR, the linesman flagged and stood perfectly still and made no attempt to keep up with play. The referee was therefore morally obliged to blow his whistle, whether he thought his colleague was right or wrong.

The linesman got it wrong and should be retrospectively dealt with by his own professional body. It was not a clear and obvious decision and he shouldn’t have flagged. In reality, he should be the one apologising to Newcastle this morning.

The referees, match officials and their various associations are killing football. Their priority is feathering their own nests and making themselves an ever increasing part of the game. They adapt laws of the game to include interpretation and phases, basically so they can never be wrong. Their goal, it seems is to make themselves more and more indispensable. Every season it gets worse, the introduction of full time ‘professional’ referees and assistant referees just fuelled their egos and now VAR has raised the bar further, it’s not going to be long before they have agents. They crave the spotlight, they are egotists by nature, its no longer about letting the game flow and being anonymous, its about courting controversy and being the centre of attention, to the games cost.

.

 

[HighfieldBlade]

The thing that I found odd was that, after Shelvey scored, the ref awarded the free kick for offside. So, presumably, he did think the assistant referee was right. If he backed his own judgement, he would have given a goal and then awaited VAR confirmation. Odd...

I've not watched the highlights and didn't realise at the time that the ref had awarded a free kick after Shelvey had netted. It makes the ref's decision all the more bizarre.