Referee Appreciation Thread

scudzilla

Seems like the men in black (or yellow, green, purple) are getting a lot of stick lately.

Thought i'd start this thread to level things out a bit.

Most of these guys have amazing games yet it's rarely talked about.

Yes, today there was a few errors, but come on, we all fcuk up once in a while, i don't think anybody can say, hand on heart, that they fcuk up delibarately.

A lot of the time it's out of there hands, if they can't see the offence then they can't give it. Blame UEFA/FIFA for not allowing them to use the technology that is out there (Instant replays etc)

In grass roots level there's ref's who turn in, week in, week out, for pennies, they're abused, spat on, threatened. What motivation do they have for continuing while getting abuse from Internet Warriors et al.

When was the last time a ref was praised on here? I can't remember.

Do you have any POSITIVE ref stories?

MUSEIST

There all ****&rs, end of.

killwill

MUSEIST wrote: »

There all ****&rs, end of.

Childish post.

I think this thread deserves a poll of all refs!!!!

razorblunt

A Graham Poll? He's even worse than the current lot ;-)

keano_afc

They really should have video technology to help them at this stage and the level of disrespect towards them from players is appalling.

But they don't help themselves a lot of the time, and tend to favour the big teams in games.

Turtyturd

Let's ask the questions we all want answers to.....who's the slickest ref?

Lawrence1895

Some 15 years ago, Borussia Dortmund's Under23 team played a derby match, our substitute's bench was attacked by the opponent's supporters, flares and bottles were thrown. The ref stopped the match and refused to restart it, until the culprits were removed from the stadium. Fair play to him

double GG

I've played football since I was 7 years old for the same club, I'm 20 now.

Up until last season, playing a game away, we were winning 4-0 at the time I got my first yellow card in 12 years at the club. In Probably 300+ games. Totally innocuous challenge, absolutely gutted, and it's still my only yellow card for my club. So no appreciation for any refs from me! Ba****ds the lot of them!

willowthewisp

Man U love the refs. End of.

Dozen Wicked Words

David Elleray was a particular "favourite" of mine. Not biased to anyone I don't think, just absolute site. Gave a ridiculous penalty in the 94 FA Cup Final and was just generally crap in almost every game, with a pompous public school boy air about him.

willowthewisp

Man U fans have found a home in this thread, beyond the pale.....

killwill

willowthewisp wrote: »

Man U fans have found a home in this thread, beyond the pale.....

I think you will find only 2 Man United fans in here. Bitter much?

Kylo Ren

I'd like to dedicate this thread to Mark Clattenburg.

He is taking a lot of stick today, most of which he does not deserve.

scudzilla

Best ref ever was this guy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErjKDaWgE-o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TVZ4I1y5vg

willowthewisp

Keno 92 wrote: »

I'd like to dedicate this thread to Mark Clattenburg.

He is taking a lot of stick today, most of which he does not deserve.

Why do you think that?
Would you defend his performance today?
And on what grounds?

Rikand

Uriah rennie was a great ref. Made 1 bad decision in a prem game one day and was relegated instantly. It'd never happen to webb or clattenburg

Pj!

I don't know why anybody would want to be a ref. Pretty thankless job.

'Eh yeah it's all going to be on tv and the rest of us (millions) will watch slowed down replays from various angles but you have to run around the pitch after players and make the deciding decisions based on what you see, whether you see it or not'

'Eh no thanks'

MyBrokenKnees

When TV replays and goal line tech. comes in will be a great day for referees

But it will be a bad day for Boards as what will everyone have to bitch about and waste hours and days complaining that that the REFEREE is an A*****E

Dozen Wicked Words

Rickylovesuall wrote: »

Uriah rennie was a great ref. Made 1 bad decision in a prem game one day and was relegated instantly. It'd never happen to webb or clattenburg

Uriah Rennie was atrocious, the lower leagues had to endure him for years before he made the Premier league and were delighted to see the back of him. So many times he had the red card out before he had thought about anything, he was no better when he came back down again. One of THE worst refs I have ever seen, Elleray, Clattenburg, Webb, Poll any other muppet you care to mention would be better than Rennie. So clueless, not even funny.

Mr.Nice Guy

The thing with referees is that the best ones are the ones you don't notice.

I agree it must be the most thankless job out there. If you do the job well pretty much nobody takes note or cares. If you make a mistake you're subjected to what can often be vicious levels of abuse.

TimeToShine

but why do so many of the referee cock ups involve united?

Pj!

TimeToShine wrote: »

but why do so many of the referee cock ups involve united?

They don't. They are just the most publicised.

Even today there is little discussion of the huge mistake in the Liverpool game.

DazMarz

I admire the German referees that have plied their trade in International games and in the Champions League; Florian Meyer, Felix Brych, Marcus Merk, Wolfgang Stark, etc. They all seem level-headed, solid and rarely make too many mistakes from what I can see from the games I've watched with them officiating.

Also, mentions to Pierluigi Collina. He was some man. Also, probably the only referee ever to feature on the cover of a football video game (one of the Pro-Evo games). He was a huge figure in world football and was instantly recognisable. Probably one of the few referees that nobody minded getting in games, as he was so solid and reliable.

dfx-

DazMarz wrote: »

Also, mentions to Pierluigi Collina. He was some man. Also, probably the only referee ever to feature on the cover of a football video game (one of the Pro-Evo games). He was a huge figure in world football and was instantly recognisable. Probably one of the few referees that nobody minded getting in games, as he was so solid and reliable.

But made a huge mistake not seeing Carvalho's drag on Valdes in the Champions League 4-2 game. Everyone makes mistakes.

but yeah, Stark, Frisk, Kim Milton Nielsen, Mejuto Gonzalez, crazy Itturalde..

niallo27

Pj! wrote: »

They don't. They are just the most publicised.

Even today there is little discussion of the huge mistake in the Liverpool game.

Little discussion, they had to shut down the match thread here after it.

The_Kew_Tour

TimeToShine wrote: »

but why do so many of the referee cock ups involve united?

lol

Like I said already could you name many decisions that go for and against teams from bottom half of table over the past few seasons as well as you remember United?

I doubt it.

G.K.

Victor Kassai is a top, top ref. Shame the same can't be said for his linseman...

_blank_

G.K. wrote: »

Victor Kassai is a top, top ref. Shame the same can't be said for his linseman...

altight Jamie?

Richard Hillman

Agree with Scuzilla, Collina was a brilliant ref. So good he even got on the cover of Pro-Evo. It was ridiculous that he was retired due to age rules in Italy.

oldyouth

Can't agree with the thread. Anyone who follows the LOI will testify to the fact that they are all, generally, total incompetents. I don't doubt that the majority are honest but they are not up to the job

kitakyushu

Jorge José Emiliano dos Santos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_HtQH7A0jY

Brilliant ref. Could always correctly spot simulation and when a player wasn't being fabulous.

dfx-

Richard Hillman wrote: »

Agree with Scuzilla, Collina was a brilliant ref. So good he even got on the cover of Pro-Evo. It was ridiculous that he was retired due to age rules in Italy.

In fairness, as far as I remember - the rules were changed specifically to give him another year until halfway through that year he was removed because of sponsorship.

Mr.Nice Guy

I thought the referee for the Southampton vs West Brom game, Roberto Madley, did a great job.

It was his first game in the Premier League too and I'm sure the guy was hoping for a nice and easy start but he found himself issuing three red cards. I thought he got each decision spot on, though.

Morzadec

One thing I would say is that linesmen, for the most part, get the vast majority of their calls correct, often when the call is extremely close too.

Could be my imagination but I feel like the standard of linesmanning has gone up in the last decade or so

Obviously there's the odd obvious mistake but it surprises me how often they get the closer decisions right.

Pro. F

With the current way things are done it is not possible to referee football without a lot of errors. People saying things like ''most of them are shìte'' and ''they bring it on themselves'' are being incredibly stupid (and even in this appreciation thread it's being said). If the vast majority of refs don't do a good enough job in your view then the problem is with your expectations, not the refs' abilities.

On the appreciation: it might be Match Of The Day waffle influencing me, but it seems like whenever Sian Massey has to make a tough call she gets it right remarkably often.

Will I Amnt

Pro. F wrote: »

On the appreciation: it might be Match Of The Day waffle influencing me, but it seems like whenever Sian Massey has to make a tough call she gets it right remarkably often.

Yea, been impressed with her myself and she has had a lot of big decisions over the last few weeks.

I think Anthony Taylor is very good. Don't think anyone has given more red cards than him this season but from what I've seen he consistently gets the big calls right.

Morzadec

Pro. F wrote: »

On the appreciation: it might be Match Of The Day waffle influencing me, but it seems like whenever Sian Massey has to make a tough call she gets it right remarkably often.

From what I've seen she always gets it spot on - often really tight ones. I'm sure we'd hear about if/when she gets one wrong too.

There's another linesman who always seems to make great calls, but I can't recall his name. He's got a black goatee and is slightly balding, and I think he officiated in the Euros, or maybe the World Cup a couple of years back. He seems to nail every decision.

upandcumming

I reffed a day long competition there a couple of weeks ago. I feel I made mostly the right calls and neutral people watching agreed with me.
The abuse from the players was beyond ridiculous. I've no problem with abuse regardless if I made the right call or not, but the sheer amount was crazy. There was one penalty I gave where the defender put out his arm and pushed the attacker over. Simply pushed him. Cue 11 players running over in my face. It was ****ing clear as day!

Referees in general could do with some respect.

Lovely Bloke

The Sian Massey thing is weird, whenever she makes a good call the commentators always make a point of telling everyone, close up for the camera and replay the incident a few times then a "Well, hasn't she done well" kind of comment.

Lovely Bloke

upandcumming wrote: »

I reffed a day long competition there a couple of weeks ago. I feel I made mostly the right calls and neutral people watching agreed with me.
The abuse from the players was beyond ridiculous. I've no problem with abuse regardless if I made the right call or not, but the sheer amount was crazy. There was one penalty I gave where the defender put out his arm and pushed the attacker over. Simply pushed him. Cue 11 players running over in my face. It was ****ing clear as day!

Referees in general could do with some respect.

As a manager, during a match I'll dispute calls, even though I may think the ref has gotten it wrong, or I'll tell the ref there's been a push in the back that he's missed - it makes them maybe look out for it a bit more.

However, I'll also call all throw-ins the correct way, even if it's against us, so he knows I'm being honest in that part of it - I'll even just nod in his direction if he gives a 50/50 against us that I think he's gotten right.

Then, at the end of a match I always come onto the pitch and shake his hand, say thanks, and maybe ask about a decision or two he's given against us, see what his thinking was.