I see that snivelling little c*nt Graham Poll has changed his tune from yesterday and is now fully backing Atkinson's dodgy time-keeping:
There were three goals and three substitutions in the second half at Old Trafford, which means that a minimum of three minutes had to be added, plus a minute due to other causes, hence the four minutes which were indicated.
Then, in stoppage time, there was another goal and a substitution, meaning that at least one more minute had to be added, with a fan running on to the pitch taking up further seconds.
Read more: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1215132/GRAHAM-POLL-Well-ref-timed-just-right.html#ixzz0RoiegjRz" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... z0RoiegjRz</a>
Is it really any wonder that the game is held up to be corrupt when the authorities can justify blatant cheating by officials with such pathetic vagaries as "plus a minute due to other causes"?????
What "other causes" exactly? Come on, tell us.
Earlier in the same article, he says:
There is no need to add time on whenever the ball goes out of play for throw-ins, goal kicks or free-kicks, as they are viewed as natural stoppages.
So that basically leaves time-wasting and injuries then. Well there certainly wasn't ANY time-wasting in that game (why would there be?) and the game wasn't stopped at all for any injuries. So, again I ask, what exactly were these mythical "other causes"?
And why exactly are 30 seconds being added for each substitution? If the substitution takes 5 seconds, 5 seconds should be added. If it takes 40 seconds, 40 seconds should be added. Where does the arbitrary 30-second nonsense come from?
I'm amazed that football leaves itself open to such innuendo and ridicule when any doubts could easily be dispelled by having a central time-keeper whose clock is clearly on display in the stadium. Start it on 45 minutes and stop it for goal celebrations, substitutions and injuries. And the very second the 45 minutes is up, the game stops. Simple.