Ref Watch

Dirty Harry said:
Ok if that’s true then fair enough and my mistake, now, I’m sure you’re going to tell me where he did grow up ?

Ps, have you been a member here before under another name ?
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No mate, I’m done on the subject now. My only reason for bringing up the subject was to point out how fans of different clubs will judge a refereeing performance based largely on the result and just maybe, every time City drop points it isn’t due to a bent, rag loving, cheat.

And, yes. I was a member maybe 20 years ago. Made about two posts and have long since forgotten what my username was.
 
Stephen230 said:
No mate, I’m done on the subject now. My only reason for bringing up the subject was to point out how fans of different clubs will judge a refereeing performance based largely on the result and just maybe, every time City drop points it isn’t due to a bent, rag loving, cheat.

And, yes. I was a member maybe 20 years ago. Made about two posts and have long since forgotten what my username was.
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Fair enough mate (although I stick by my comments to Crazy g), my issue, just so we’re clear, is that I’m not and never will be convinced referees won’t be influenced by family or friends who support a local team they may be officiating, nobody, not even high court judges, are that fair.

And I know we have to say you have to draw a line somewhere distance-wise, in Taylor’s case, for me, that’s way too close and is obviously going to cause issues.
 
Dave Ewing's Back 'eader said:
It's never a red card as we are on the receiving end. If Salah or Nunez, or Rashford are on the receiving end of a 'tackle' like that Parry will be screaming for a red. He is the football's moron's moron!
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He speaks in confident pompous way to give an air of authority and intelligence. Listen to the words and it’s soon clear he’s a thick prat with an ego.
 
Dirty Harry said:
Tbf, born in Wythenshawe (ie the hospital) doesn’t necessarily equate to being raised there mate, I’m just hoping Stephen doesn’t come back and say the likes of Broadheath, Timperley, Brooklands etc.
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So I had a quick look at this and his birth was registered in Trafford (yes, really) and his mother's maiden name was ..... Ferguson.

I suppose that explains everything. :D
 
Tangled up in blue. said:
He was brought up on the Broomwood estate
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Cheers mate, so not quite Wythenshawe, and tbh quite happy to concede any influence will be less there than actually growing up in Wythenshawe, but literally a minute down the road, and in Trafford too, to say there’s no influence is a real stretch to say the least.
@Stephen230 , If that’s true pal I’m a bit disappointed ?
 
Dirty Harry said:
Fair enough mate (although I stick by my comments to Crazy g), my issue, just so we’re clear, is that I’m not and never will be convinced referees won’t be influenced by family or friends who support a local team they may be officiating, nobody, not even high court judges, are that fair.

And I know we have to say you have to draw a line somewhere distance-wise, in Taylor’s case, for me, that’s way too close and is obviously going to cause issues.
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Yes, on a more general point, it would be ideal if referees didn’t do teams from their own area, to avoid the suggestion of favouritism. The trouble is we’re such a small country with a lot of the traditional top teams coming from a few small areas.

It’s easy for someone like Michael Oliver for example. He’s a self confessed Newcastle fan, so can’t do them or Sunderland. But they’re a bit isolated up there.

A referee from Wigan or Warrington for example is less than 25 miles from Manchester and Liverpool. Not to mention all the other Lancashire and Greater Manchester teams. If you were from London, you may as well forget it.

It’s difficult but I think the self declaration that they use at the moment is really the only workable way of doing it.

Don’t forget they often work in teams, of a ref and two linesman. So imagine the logistics of ensuring none of them ever have ties to either team’s area every week?
 
Stephen230 said:
Yes, on a more general point, it would be ideal if referees didn’t do teams from their own area, to avoid the suggestion of favouritism. The trouble is we’re such a small country with a lot of the traditional top teams coming from a few small areas.

It’s easy for someone like Michael Oliver for example. He’s a self confessed Newcastle fan, so can’t do them or Sunderland. But they’re a bit isolated up there.

A referee from Wigan or Warrington for example is less than 25 miles from Manchester and Liverpool. Not to mention all the other Lancashire and Greater Manchester teams. If you were from London, you may as well forget it.

It’s difficult but I think the self declaration that they use at the moment is really the only workable way of doing it.

Don’t forget they often work in teams, of a ref and two linesman. So imagine the logistics of ensuring none of them ever have ties to either team’s area every week?
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Equally the idea of allegiances being related to location of birth/upbringing becomes more anachronistic by the day.

Since the advent of the premier league being heavily marketed as a product, affinity with the 2 cash cows as a successful brand must influence those beyond the boundaries of Merseyside and Trafford for example.
 
Stephen230 said:
A referee from Wigan or Warrington for example is less than 25 miles from Manchester and Liverpool. Not to mention all the other Lancashire and Greater Manchester teams. If you were from London, you may as well forget it.
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Interesting you should mention that because Tierney is another I’d question (and do), claims to be a Wigan fan, from my experience (and I have quite a bit as I’ve lived near there and don’t live too far from there now), Wigan ‘fans’ are one of the worst for having a second ‘glory team’, and it’s generally Liverpool or less often, depending on age group, united, slightly amusing story, I was at a wedding where the best man(brides brother) gave his speech, first words “well, first and foremost, he’s a United fan, so that’ll do for me”, I asked why he was a season ticket holder at Wigan then, which raised a quite a few laughs and cheers, but it does sum up the area in general for me.
Stephen230 said:
It’s difficult but I think the self declaration that they use at the moment is really the only workable way of doing it.
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Totally agree it’s difficult mate, as I suppose depending on your outlook and experience, you could find something if you wanted to and make a judgement, sometimes correct, sometimes not, but what I will say is, we’ve probably all told little white lies at least in job applications/interviews, so I don’t see why people going for referee’s jobs should be seen as being any different, they’re no more remarkable than anyone else.
 
Dirty Harry said:
Interesting you should mention that because Tierney is another I’d question (and do), claims to be a Wigan fan, from my experience (and I have quite a bit as I’ve lived near there and don’t live too far from there now), Wigan ‘fans’ are one of the worst for having a second ‘glory team’, and it’s generally Liverpool or less often, depending on age group, united, slightly amusing story, I was at a wedding where the best man(brides brother) gave his speech, first words “well, first and foremost, he’s a United fan, so that’ll do for me”, I asked why he was a season ticket holder at Wigan then, which raised a quite a few laughs and cheers, but it does sum up the area in general for me.

Totally agree it’s difficult mate, as I suppose depending on your outlook and experience, you could find something if you wanted to and make a judgement, sometimes correct, sometimes not, but what I will say is, we’ve probably all told little white lies at least in job applications/interviews, so I don’t see why people going for referee’s jobs should be seen as being any different, they’re no more remarkable than anyone else.
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What we all want mate js the best referees doing the big games. As someone else has alluded to, geography alone is far from the be all anyway. Go to any remote small town in the country and the chances are you’ll see more United and Liverpool “fans” than whoever the nearest teams are.

It’s a cut throat business. All professional referees want to progress as far as they can. And the idea they’re going to risk blowing that by giving a team they had a vague allegiance to in their younger days, favourable decisions, is unlikely to me.

If a top referee openly admitted he was a schoolboy United fan but had proved himself as a top referee, I honestly wouldn’t have an issue with him refereeing a derby. But that obviously won’t happen so you are bound to get ambitious referees being a little coy if they think it will impede their career.
 
Stephen230 said:
Ok mate. I’m not going to spend all day arguing. I’m happy for you to believe whatever tales your United friends tell you. Although if you are interested in the truth you may wish to inform them that the father of this long line of rags is from the North East and has always been a Sunderland fan.
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When did I mention where his father was from? You believe what you want, and maybe you also don’t believe that rag fans come from all over, including the north east. And when you’ve finished being sanctimonious I never said they were friends, they aren’t I just know them, and you spell united with a small u. As you were
 
BringBackSwales said:
When did I mention where his father was from? You believe what you want, and maybe you also don’t believe that rag fans come from all over, including the north east. And when you’ve finished being sanctimonious I never said they were friends, they aren’t I just know them, and you spell united with a small u. As you were
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Well you said he was “a rag from a family of rags” which without actually specifying his father, is certainly implying it. You also agreed with a bloke who’d just made a load of random shit up, including him making a point of moving from Manchester to Cheshire for the sole purpose of registering with Cheshire FA. ( Which you can choose to do wherever you live ) Anyway, that really is my last word on the subject this time. Apologies if you felt I was being sanctimonious. It certainly wasn’t my intention.
 
Bluearmy said:
He’s not tho is he. Grew up a united fan, went to games. The family still has season tickets @ the Rags.

When he became a ref, he moved a few hundred meters over the border from Wythenshawe to Timperley, so he could join the Cheshire FA, and promptly declared as an Altrincham fan (lie).

Disgraceful this is allowed….
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He didn’t grow up a United fan.

My mate went to Alty Grammar with him and he’s said he was an Alty fan at school.
 
BringBackSwales said:
Is it bollocks false. I know a couple of well connected rags who are regular contributors to their fanzine ushited we stand and who never accept anything negative about United who know for a fact that he is a rag from a family of rags. They then add that he therefore never gives them anything on the pitch because of it. So every bit of what you said is false
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I’ve mentioned this many times on here, but I’ve got three links to the bloke:
One mate went to school with him, another mate used to play for Alty who knows Taylor fairly well through Taylor’s interest in my mate through playing for Alty, a third mate is married to Taylor’s wife’s mate… as bizarre as it is, as uncommon this situation of someone from round here not being either City or United; Anthony Taylor is genuinely an Altrincham fan.

Lee Mason on the other hand - now he is a United fan!

I don’t know why some Blues get so worked up about Anthony Taylor. For me, he’s the best ref in the country these days. That’s why we get him for so many of our big games.

And why get worked up about Anthony Taylor so much but never get worked up about Lee Mason? It seems a bit odd, a bit like we’ve got a bunch of fans who are a bit obsessed with him.

He had a couple of shockers not sending off David Luiz and changing his mind to send of Fabian Delph, but outside that he’s usually a very good ref for us. Barely anything else controversial has ever happened with him.
 
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Stephen230 said:
Yes, on a more general point, it would be ideal if referees didn’t do teams from their own area, to avoid the suggestion of favouritism. The trouble is we’re such a small country with a lot of the traditional top teams coming from a few small areas.

It’s easy for someone like Michael Oliver for example. He’s a self confessed Newcastle fan, so can’t do them or Sunderland. But they’re a bit isolated up there.

A referee from Wigan or Warrington for example is less than 25 miles from Manchester and Liverpool. Not to mention all the other Lancashire and Greater Manchester teams. If you were from London, you may as well forget it.

It’s difficult but I think the self declaration that they use at the moment is really the only workable way of doing it.

Don’t forget they often work in teams, of a ref and two linesman. So imagine the logistics of ensuring none of them ever have ties to either team’s area every week?
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When I reffed in the Northern League they had a rule that you couldn't ref a team within 5 miles of your residence. So I couldn't ref Crook Town, Willington or Tow Law. However when it came to the FA Vase in one season the London FA sent me to Hebburn V Tow Law and then in the next round South Shields v Crook Town. Also managed rto ref City ladies in the FA Cup despite the FA knowing I was a City fan
 
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Psychedelic Casual said:
I’ve mentioned this many times on here, but I’ve got three links to the bloke:
One mate went to school with him, another mate used to play for Alty who knows Taylor fairly well through Taylor’s interest in my mate through playing for Alty, a third mate is married to Taylor’s wife’s mate… as bizarre as it is, as uncommon this situation of someone from round here not being either City or United; Anthony Taylor is genuinely an Altrincham fan.

Lee Mason on the other hand - now he is a United fan!

I don’t know why some Blues get so worked up about Anthony Taylor. For me, he’s the best ref in the country these days. That’s why we get him for so many of our big games.

And why get worked up about Anthony Taylor so much but never get worked up about Lee Mason? It seems a bit odd, a bit like we’ve got a bunch of fans who are a bit obsessed with him.

He had a couple of shockers not sending off David Luiz and changing his mind to send of Fabian Delph, but outside that he’s usually a very good ref for us. Barely anything else controversial has ever happened with him.
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He is the best referee in the Premier league, has been for 2 seasons.
He is the one I want for big games.

He has ambition to get to the top, so wants to do the best job he can.
 
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