Another poor performance from another referee.
Posted on October 4th, 2010 | 144 Comments |
Perhaps not, but there has to be some excuse for some of the lousy officiating that Newcastle have found themselves on the end of so far this season.
There is a saying that goes something like ‘it’s tough at the top’. Well let me tell the people who said that that it is far far tougher at the bottom, and getting wrong decisions going against you all the time makes it that much harder. I’m not talking about small decisions here, I’m talking whopping great massive decisions that either aren’t being spotted or are just being ignored. Take your pick.
So with that in mind, is it now the time for match officials to become more accountable for their decisions?
The problem with referees, as I see it anyway, is that they can make these shocking decisions in the match then they just disappear, vanish, never to be asked a question about any obvious error that has been made.
I would quite like to know why Stuart Attwell let Wolves get away with their bully tactics for so long. Surely producing a quick yellow card would have stopped things getting out of hand? You never know, Wolves may have actually tried to play football a little instead of trying to neutralise our game.
I would also quite like to hear just how Andre Marriner failed to see Marouane Fellaini smash his elbow into the face of Mike Williamson. Interestingly I would also like to hear the justification behind the decision to not award Kevin Nolan and Newcastle a stonewall penalty. Thankfully neither decision altered the result.
Then move on to yesterdays game against Manchester City. I think it’s fair to say that Martin Atkinson had a shocker, and that his decisions did affect the result. I’m not talking about the tackle on Ben Arfa by the way. I’m more looking at the two wrong penalty decisions in the match.
I would like to hear how Atkinson can deem a challenge that is outside the box to be a penalty? I’d also like to hear why, after the award of the penalty, Mike Williamson didn’t get sent off? He was the last man after all. Then there is the Shola penalty that wasn’t given. Why? Why didn’t referee Atkinson consult his linesman, who was on that side of the pitch for both decisons?
We won’t hear anything though, and we probably never will, which is part of the problem. If referees were contracted to explain any contentious decisions through the media then perhaps they may think twice before making a decision that makes them look like an arse. At the very least I would expect them to use all the resources, and eyes, that are available to them. That hasn’t been happening so far this season.
I know it makes me sound a little bitter, but what else can I do other than moan about some of the shocking decisions that have gone against us? Funnily enough, maybe I could do something about it. My local league are looking to train up new referees via the FA. I may give it a go…
After all, I can’t be much bloody worse than the lot we have had to endure this season!
Is this what we’re all going to hide about if we go back down?
Alot on here blamed the ref against Fulham that disallowed Viduka’s goal.
It’s part and parcel of football. If, when we get into good positions we don’t waste the opportunity and have more than two men in the box we might not need refs.