I've decided to start refereeing some Saturday games in the Intra-Mural leagues at Grove Farm, starting today. The game I got myself assigned to was the Politics society (inventively called Real Politik) against the old boys team from Florence Boot. FB were a little late arriving, and started with 10 men as we were already running late.
I thought Politics had the better of the opening 10 minutes. They seemed to be controlling play, although there wasn't a lot in it. FB were playing on the break up to their lone centre-forward, with reasonable effect. In fact it was from one such incident that the game turned in the 11th minute. The forward was running through and was unceremoniously fouled by the Politics goalkeeper. My immediate reaction was that it had taken place inside the area, and so I gave a penalty - I think it probably was, as the only complaints seemed to be some rather desperate ones from the Politics defenders, not borne out of any sense of real injustice. The penalty was scored.
FB then proceeded to control the rest of the first half. They added a second goal in the 35th minute, and there wasn't a lot for me to do - just the odd free kick here and there and I had to run the rule over throw ins (with there being no linesmen). Half-time came briefly, but no-one wanted to stand around in the freezing cold for too long!
With FB 2-0 up, the next goal was always going to be crucial. Unfortunately, I played a role in it too - one of the FB players played a cross-field pass which hit me as I was trying to dodge out of the way. I always try to predict where play will be going, but sometimes you are inevitably unsuccessful. Of course, having intercepted the ball, it fell to a Politics player and they went forward and scored! It happened to Howard Webb in an FA Cup game a few weeks ago, so it happens to the best of us!
The goal really came against the run of play. In the end it didn't prove crucial, as FB continued to control the game, adding a third in the 78th minute. Their fourth in the 87th minute completed their captain's hatrick - there was probably a push on a defender in the build-up, but I didn't see the contact and so played on, but by that stage it didn't matter. The heads of the Politics players had dropped, and FB added a fifth with the very last kick of the game to complete a 5-1 victory.
Overall, not on of my best games, but there you go - its often difficult returning after a long break. I'm convinced the penalty decision was right, and the best team won in the end - the Politics team had a lot of huff and puff but didn't really create any clearcut chances, while FB were well organised, led well by their captain and were dangerous in attack. I tried to let the players play and let the game flow, and was pretty successful in that respect.
So I'm back in the swing of things now then, and look forward to the next match on Wednesday!
Saturday 31 January 2009
Sunday 11 January 2009
Webb's big match blues
Today we had another of the encounters between two of the so-called 'big four' clubs - Manchester United vs Chelsea. And, yet again, it was refereed by Howard Webb. This is the seventh such encounter so far this season, and the fifth which Webb has refereed. The two exceptions are the reverse of today's fixture, which was whistled to extinction by Mike Riley, and Chelsea vs Arsenal, which Mike Dean handled well. Now, Webb is definitely our best referee at the moment, but for him to have such a monopoly over the big games can't be good. It implies that no-one else is capable of doing them, and should Webb get injured or something similar, then the authorities would have a bit of a problem. Over-reliance on one referee to do the games can be dangerous. Furthermore, there must be other referees who deserve a shot at refereeing one of these games. What must others think they have to do to receive such an appointment?
More of that later, and to the match itself. The first half undoubtedly contained the most action, and several talking points. Webb set an early marker with a harsh yellow card to Frank Lampard for a tackle which was wildly overexaggerated by Cristiano Ronaldo. The game was quite tense, which probably necessitated frequent interruptions, although Webb could have let things flow a little more, and missed several advantage opportunities. However, Webb then had a couple of big calls to make, both of which would have sent out a message to the rest of the footballing world. And he didn't make them.
Rewind seven months. Austria vs Poland, Euro 2008. An English referee by the name of Webb gave a late penalty for the offence of holding by a defender at a set piece. Fast forward again. So why didn't the same referee give a penalty today, when Carvalho clearly impeded Ronaldo at a Manchester United free kick? I don't know. The offence committed by Carvalho far surpassed any committed by Ronaldo, who was penalised for something - I don't know what. Both then received rather unnecessary yellow cards for a minor altercation. I fail to see that Ronaldo did anything wrong (and I am not a fan of his at all!). Here was a chance to give a high-profile penalty award for such an offence, but Webb wasn't brave enough.
Worse was to follow. Bosingwa was doing a good job of shepherding the ball out of play near his own goalline, when Rooney came in and hacked at him. Foul, and Webb gave the free kick. Possibly a yellow card for the foul, but perhaps not. But Rooney then decided he didn't like the decision, and in one of the worst shows of dissent we have seen all season, berated Webb. Webb tried to pacify him, and eventually Rooney calmed down, but only at about the fourth attempt. Respect? There was none from Rooney. He is a great footballer, but his temper gets the better of him all too frequently. The only way he will learn is if he is disciplined for it, which means yellow and red cards. I know Webb was trying to manage him, but it was clearly failing, so he should just have given up and showed him yellow. Later in the same half, following an incident which I will discuss shortly, Rooney dissented in a similar way and received no sanction - he could have been receiving a second yellow at that point. If Rooney's dissent is seen to be acceptable, then players on parks all across the country will do the same in their next game, giving grief to all those referees at grass roots level. This was exactly what the Respect campaign was designed to sort out, but here Webb has missed a big opportunity to enforce it, in a game watched by millions across the world.
The later incident I referred to above is the rather bizarre one which occured just before half-time. Manchester United tried to play a clever trick from a corner, by letting Rooney take it short, and then waiting before Giggs took up the ball. It is best seen on video. The officials disallowed the goal which was then scored from Giggs' cross, as the corner was deemed not to have been taken properly. It had been, but I understand that Darren Cann, the assistant referee, thought it hadn't been. Had Rooney informed him that he was taking it early, then the problem would have been solved. I would probably have done the same as Cann in the situation, although what United did was legal. In the end, they scored from the retake anyway, so it matters little.
The second half was much less eventful, albeit littered with yellow cards. Apart from the Ronaldo penalty and the corner incident, I felt United got the rub of the green (as they often do at Old Trafford). I think some of the cards Webb gave were avoidable, and he missed some opportunities to let it flow. United deserved their win over a lacklustre Chelsea.
In one word, I'd describe Webb's performance as "safe". His attitude to the game, the early yellow card, and his unwillingness to make the bigger calls described above were all "safe". And by that I don't mean good. Our top referee should be making those calls. And herein lies the problem with the appointments situation. They say that familiarity breeds contempt, and I think Webb is too familiar with handling these big games in a safe way. He errs on the side of caution all the time - if he doesn't do them all, then he might be less afraid to make some of the bigger calls. He doesn't want to upset the clubs involved as he knows he'll meet them again soon. Its time for some fresh blood on these big games - a fresh approach, and someone who will make the big calls. Today, Webb didn't do that. He shouldn't be excluded from getting these games, but they should certainly be shared around a lot more.
More of that later, and to the match itself. The first half undoubtedly contained the most action, and several talking points. Webb set an early marker with a harsh yellow card to Frank Lampard for a tackle which was wildly overexaggerated by Cristiano Ronaldo. The game was quite tense, which probably necessitated frequent interruptions, although Webb could have let things flow a little more, and missed several advantage opportunities. However, Webb then had a couple of big calls to make, both of which would have sent out a message to the rest of the footballing world. And he didn't make them.
Rewind seven months. Austria vs Poland, Euro 2008. An English referee by the name of Webb gave a late penalty for the offence of holding by a defender at a set piece. Fast forward again. So why didn't the same referee give a penalty today, when Carvalho clearly impeded Ronaldo at a Manchester United free kick? I don't know. The offence committed by Carvalho far surpassed any committed by Ronaldo, who was penalised for something - I don't know what. Both then received rather unnecessary yellow cards for a minor altercation. I fail to see that Ronaldo did anything wrong (and I am not a fan of his at all!). Here was a chance to give a high-profile penalty award for such an offence, but Webb wasn't brave enough.
Worse was to follow. Bosingwa was doing a good job of shepherding the ball out of play near his own goalline, when Rooney came in and hacked at him. Foul, and Webb gave the free kick. Possibly a yellow card for the foul, but perhaps not. But Rooney then decided he didn't like the decision, and in one of the worst shows of dissent we have seen all season, berated Webb. Webb tried to pacify him, and eventually Rooney calmed down, but only at about the fourth attempt. Respect? There was none from Rooney. He is a great footballer, but his temper gets the better of him all too frequently. The only way he will learn is if he is disciplined for it, which means yellow and red cards. I know Webb was trying to manage him, but it was clearly failing, so he should just have given up and showed him yellow. Later in the same half, following an incident which I will discuss shortly, Rooney dissented in a similar way and received no sanction - he could have been receiving a second yellow at that point. If Rooney's dissent is seen to be acceptable, then players on parks all across the country will do the same in their next game, giving grief to all those referees at grass roots level. This was exactly what the Respect campaign was designed to sort out, but here Webb has missed a big opportunity to enforce it, in a game watched by millions across the world.
The later incident I referred to above is the rather bizarre one which occured just before half-time. Manchester United tried to play a clever trick from a corner, by letting Rooney take it short, and then waiting before Giggs took up the ball. It is best seen on video. The officials disallowed the goal which was then scored from Giggs' cross, as the corner was deemed not to have been taken properly. It had been, but I understand that Darren Cann, the assistant referee, thought it hadn't been. Had Rooney informed him that he was taking it early, then the problem would have been solved. I would probably have done the same as Cann in the situation, although what United did was legal. In the end, they scored from the retake anyway, so it matters little.
The second half was much less eventful, albeit littered with yellow cards. Apart from the Ronaldo penalty and the corner incident, I felt United got the rub of the green (as they often do at Old Trafford). I think some of the cards Webb gave were avoidable, and he missed some opportunities to let it flow. United deserved their win over a lacklustre Chelsea.
In one word, I'd describe Webb's performance as "safe". His attitude to the game, the early yellow card, and his unwillingness to make the bigger calls described above were all "safe". And by that I don't mean good. Our top referee should be making those calls. And herein lies the problem with the appointments situation. They say that familiarity breeds contempt, and I think Webb is too familiar with handling these big games in a safe way. He errs on the side of caution all the time - if he doesn't do them all, then he might be less afraid to make some of the bigger calls. He doesn't want to upset the clubs involved as he knows he'll meet them again soon. Its time for some fresh blood on these big games - a fresh approach, and someone who will make the big calls. Today, Webb didn't do that. He shouldn't be excluded from getting these games, but they should certainly be shared around a lot more.
Monday 5 January 2009
The Magic of the FA Cup
Yes, its cliche time again! FA Cup third round weekend is one of the most anticipated in the football calendar, and with a good draw this weekend didn't disappoint.
Controversy was virtually non-existent on Saturday, with plenty of goals, excitement and surprises. On Sunday, however, the two games saw the officials thrust into the spotlight.
First off was League Two side Gillingham's encounter with Premier League Aston Villa. This was a terrific cup tie, with Gillingham equitting themselves very well, but eventually losing out to Villa. I thought Keith Stroud had a great game. There are theorists who suggest that the big sides get the rub of the green in these games, but I thought he refereed it fairly, used good man management, and kept control while not stifling the game.
The controversy has centred around the penalty which ultimately decided the game. I'm rather surprised at the amount of debate about it. Granted, Ashley Young was probably looking for it, but Adam Miller has made clear contact with him and bodychecked him, and Keith Stroud had a good view of this. I think anyone's instinctive reaction in his position would be to give a penalty, so I'm fully supporting his decision here. Stroud hasn't really had a good run in the Premier League yet but on this evidence I think he deserves a chance.
The second game of the day was Southampton against Manchester United. Mike Riley was in charge, and there were three incidents of note. The first two require little discussion. Danny Welbeck was offside for Manchester United's first goal - albeit pretty marginally; this isn't the worst decision ever but Simon Beck will be disappointed that he didn't flag. The red card to Patterson was correct for me - a tackle which endangered the safety of an opponent - even though he probably meant to play the ball. But a good decision from Mike Riley there.
Less good was the penalty he gave to Manchester United. While David McGoldrick jumps up as the free kick comes in, there is some doubt as to whether the ball hits his hand or the back of his head, never mind whether it was intentional. How sure was Mike Riley that it definitely hit his hand? I think he must have used some guesswork, and I don't like the idea of using guesswork on penalties, which are important decisions. If there are doubts, then its not a penalty. It was an honest decision I'm sure, but not a good one for me. At least Keith Stroud had a clear view of the contact for the penalty he gave in the early game.
Its a shame that the officials have taken centre-stage in Sunday's games, as it has slightly marred a great cup weekend. Nonetheless, controversy is part of football so I guess it all adds to the fun!
Controversy was virtually non-existent on Saturday, with plenty of goals, excitement and surprises. On Sunday, however, the two games saw the officials thrust into the spotlight.
First off was League Two side Gillingham's encounter with Premier League Aston Villa. This was a terrific cup tie, with Gillingham equitting themselves very well, but eventually losing out to Villa. I thought Keith Stroud had a great game. There are theorists who suggest that the big sides get the rub of the green in these games, but I thought he refereed it fairly, used good man management, and kept control while not stifling the game.
The controversy has centred around the penalty which ultimately decided the game. I'm rather surprised at the amount of debate about it. Granted, Ashley Young was probably looking for it, but Adam Miller has made clear contact with him and bodychecked him, and Keith Stroud had a good view of this. I think anyone's instinctive reaction in his position would be to give a penalty, so I'm fully supporting his decision here. Stroud hasn't really had a good run in the Premier League yet but on this evidence I think he deserves a chance.
The second game of the day was Southampton against Manchester United. Mike Riley was in charge, and there were three incidents of note. The first two require little discussion. Danny Welbeck was offside for Manchester United's first goal - albeit pretty marginally; this isn't the worst decision ever but Simon Beck will be disappointed that he didn't flag. The red card to Patterson was correct for me - a tackle which endangered the safety of an opponent - even though he probably meant to play the ball. But a good decision from Mike Riley there.
Less good was the penalty he gave to Manchester United. While David McGoldrick jumps up as the free kick comes in, there is some doubt as to whether the ball hits his hand or the back of his head, never mind whether it was intentional. How sure was Mike Riley that it definitely hit his hand? I think he must have used some guesswork, and I don't like the idea of using guesswork on penalties, which are important decisions. If there are doubts, then its not a penalty. It was an honest decision I'm sure, but not a good one for me. At least Keith Stroud had a clear view of the contact for the penalty he gave in the early game.
Its a shame that the officials have taken centre-stage in Sunday's games, as it has slightly marred a great cup weekend. Nonetheless, controversy is part of football so I guess it all adds to the fun!
Friday 2 January 2009
New Year...but the same old favouritism?
I haven't written an article for a while; Christmas has seen the usual array of activities as well as plenty of football. There was a lot of discussion about the "penalty" which Steve Bennett rescinded on Tuesday in the Hull vs Aston Villa game, but the crucial thing here was that the correct decision was reached (in the end!). It may not have looked good, but the decision being correct is what is important.
The beginning of a new calendar year sees a selection of promotions among the international rankings of referees. Among them, Englishman Mike Dean has been elevated to UEFA's "Premier" category of referees. This is the second tier of European officials (behind the "Elite" list, which includes Howard Webb and Mike Riley). This should put him in line for some decent UEFA Cup games and some early stage Champions League encounters - just reward for the good season he is having domestically. Dean is undoubtedly one of our top three officials at the moment.
Webb, Riley and Dean are our top three European officials. Martin Atkinson is in the "Premier Development" category, so may well make the Elite list in the not too distant future. We have three other officials on the list - Rob Styles, Steve Tanner and Mark Clattenburg (whose future seems somewhat doubtful, given he hasn't refereed a game in some six months - clearly investigations are ongoing with regard to his personal situation).
That gives us seven continuing International officials, out of a potential ten, so January has seen two promotions onto the International list, bringing our total up to nine. First to go on has been Andre Marriner. I am delighted for Marriner. At 37, he was almost at the point where it wouldn't have been possible for him to make the International list. He has been a Premier League referee for almost four years now, but after injury problems at the start has settled down well. He will never be our 'top' referee (a Webb or a Poll) but in terms of doing a quiet, efficient job on some of the lower-profile games he is doing really well. The only moment of controversy for him so far this season was the second yellow card he gave to Wigan's Emerson Boyce at Newcastle back in November, a decision which he subsequently admitted was the wrong one. Back when he was refereeing in the Conference, he was always a safe pair of hands and did several of the higher profile games. Indeed, last Sunday he took charge of the West London derby at Craven Cottage, and again the game passed without incident. Based on performances, he deserves to be on.
The second promotion, however, is a more contentious one. When Stuart Attwell was appointed to the Premier League group of referees at the age of 25, there were murmurings. He has not had a good time since then, with the phantom goal at Watford and the chaotic end to the East Midands derby. He turned down an obvious penalty for Fulham in a Premier League game at Stoke a few weeks ago, and even in the lower leagues hasn't always made the big calls correctly. His confidence has been shot to pieces, and quite how the problem is to be solved I don't know.
Whether appointing him to the International list is a solution is doubtful. In fact, all it suggests is that the New Year signals only a continuation of the favouritism towards certain officials. Attwell is undoubtedly a good official, but whether he is one of our top 20, or now (as his International appointment suggests) one of our top 10, is very much open to question. All he will get internationally for the first year or two will be Intertoto Cup games and the like - he won't be shooting to Champions League fame - but the question is whether he deserves it. I think there are more deserving officials out there who might be doing better than he is, with the benefit of a little more experience. It is no reflection on him - more a reflection on the insistence of the powers that be to promote him quickly. His first match wearing the FIFA badge will be on Saturday, at Stamford Bridge, for his first visit as referee to Chelsea.
So, will the New Year be a new start for referees? I don't think a lot is going to change. Certainly those who are in charge have indicated that their relentless push of one poor young man from Nuneaton is unceasing - do they really believe that he is ready for what they are throwing at him, or is it now becoming blatant favouritsm? I'll let you be the judge of that.
The beginning of a new calendar year sees a selection of promotions among the international rankings of referees. Among them, Englishman Mike Dean has been elevated to UEFA's "Premier" category of referees. This is the second tier of European officials (behind the "Elite" list, which includes Howard Webb and Mike Riley). This should put him in line for some decent UEFA Cup games and some early stage Champions League encounters - just reward for the good season he is having domestically. Dean is undoubtedly one of our top three officials at the moment.
Webb, Riley and Dean are our top three European officials. Martin Atkinson is in the "Premier Development" category, so may well make the Elite list in the not too distant future. We have three other officials on the list - Rob Styles, Steve Tanner and Mark Clattenburg (whose future seems somewhat doubtful, given he hasn't refereed a game in some six months - clearly investigations are ongoing with regard to his personal situation).
That gives us seven continuing International officials, out of a potential ten, so January has seen two promotions onto the International list, bringing our total up to nine. First to go on has been Andre Marriner. I am delighted for Marriner. At 37, he was almost at the point where it wouldn't have been possible for him to make the International list. He has been a Premier League referee for almost four years now, but after injury problems at the start has settled down well. He will never be our 'top' referee (a Webb or a Poll) but in terms of doing a quiet, efficient job on some of the lower-profile games he is doing really well. The only moment of controversy for him so far this season was the second yellow card he gave to Wigan's Emerson Boyce at Newcastle back in November, a decision which he subsequently admitted was the wrong one. Back when he was refereeing in the Conference, he was always a safe pair of hands and did several of the higher profile games. Indeed, last Sunday he took charge of the West London derby at Craven Cottage, and again the game passed without incident. Based on performances, he deserves to be on.
The second promotion, however, is a more contentious one. When Stuart Attwell was appointed to the Premier League group of referees at the age of 25, there were murmurings. He has not had a good time since then, with the phantom goal at Watford and the chaotic end to the East Midands derby. He turned down an obvious penalty for Fulham in a Premier League game at Stoke a few weeks ago, and even in the lower leagues hasn't always made the big calls correctly. His confidence has been shot to pieces, and quite how the problem is to be solved I don't know.
Whether appointing him to the International list is a solution is doubtful. In fact, all it suggests is that the New Year signals only a continuation of the favouritism towards certain officials. Attwell is undoubtedly a good official, but whether he is one of our top 20, or now (as his International appointment suggests) one of our top 10, is very much open to question. All he will get internationally for the first year or two will be Intertoto Cup games and the like - he won't be shooting to Champions League fame - but the question is whether he deserves it. I think there are more deserving officials out there who might be doing better than he is, with the benefit of a little more experience. It is no reflection on him - more a reflection on the insistence of the powers that be to promote him quickly. His first match wearing the FIFA badge will be on Saturday, at Stamford Bridge, for his first visit as referee to Chelsea.
So, will the New Year be a new start for referees? I don't think a lot is going to change. Certainly those who are in charge have indicated that their relentless push of one poor young man from Nuneaton is unceasing - do they really believe that he is ready for what they are throwing at him, or is it now becoming blatant favouritsm? I'll let you be the judge of that.
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