Antony Taylor is the referee for the West Ham game.

[Paladin]

The linesman on the East Stand line was diabolical. Offsides not given, only flagged for throws once he saw which way Taylor was indicating and watched Joe get fouled as he tried to clear and did fuck all! It looked suspicious all day to me.

Totally agree, either incompetent or bent

it's not often you see Joe get that stressed with a lino..


He was worse than shyte and should be doing the Evostick league (bit unfair on their players, too, I grant you)

I used to run the line in the Unibond (now Evostik). The only thing I would say which might go in his favour, is that if he wasn't sure who kicked the ball off, he would naturally wait for a signal from the referee before confirming it. This is far better than if they give opposite decisions. This happens a lot.

All assistant referees receive instructions from referees, and must obey them. I have been told by a referee not to give any decision but offside, and to confirm every decision of the referee after he has given it.

I don't think Taylor has that much confidence in his own ability to do that sort of thing, but you have to sometimes make allowances for referee's instructions.

That said, one would expect both assistants to be operating to the same instructions, and one was clearly worse than the other against West Ham.

 

[ballbag]

I get really fucked off with these 'phases of play offside rules as well as the 'is he interfering with play?' bollocks too.

Defences keep a line and all push out to play the offside...only for an opposition player ahead of the defensive line who was about 10 yards from the ball to be onside as he's not deemed to be interfering. Well, he is interfering. The defence just saw the last man in their attack and pushed up to play everyone offside. So if the defence uses the opposition player to move up, wasn't he interfering with play all along? Seems a bit strange that if a ball gets played forward into the middle and an attacking winger is 5 yards further forward than the last man but isn't offside, yet if Zab or Clichy were lay injured by our corner flag they would be playing everyone onside.

Also, I'd hate to be an attacking player who makes a 10 yard sprint for a ball only for a linesman to raise his flag once he touched it. What a waste of energy that didn't have to be expended.

Not so much the linesman's fault...just shit rules.