FA Watch

[Chippy_boy]

This my reply from the FA


Thank you for your e-mail. The Football Association receives frequent correspondence on individual refereeing decisions across all levels of football as well as on the performance of referees in general. Every supporter will have an opinion on the game’s major talking points and we’re always interested to hear them. It's a revealing fact that for every piece of correspondence we have from supporters complaining of a bias to a particular club we have the same amount claiming a bias against that club.

There are set procedures in place for when The FA can take retrospective action in relation to incidents that have not been seen by the Match Officials at the time. In contrast, if an incident was witnessed by the referee at the time, The FA generally has no power to take retrospective action, due to FIFA directions. Similarly, The FA has been given express direction from FIFA that we cannot upgrade yellow cards to red. On this basis, we can only bring additional charges in the most exceptional cases.

Whilst 100% consistency is impossible when human judgment is introduced into a situation, referees get the overwhelmingly majority of decisions right. In fact they are arguably the most consistent people in the game making split-second decisions that will be analysed repeatedly by slow motion cameras and panels of football experts. The FIFA laws of the game stipulate that we cannot re-referee matches by issuing or upgrading cards on incidents that the referee has scene.

Supporters often compare incidents with others and ask why the same actions are not taken? This is simply due to no two incidents being the same. The Football Association takes its disciplinary procedures very seriously and judges each investigation on its merits.

We do appreciate all of the feedback we receive from supporters. This feedback is collated and used to build a picture of public opinion and is subsequently fed back internally within the organisation. Please rest assured your suggestions will form part of this feedback process.

Kind regards

Tracey Bates | Customer Relations Assistant
Communications
The FA Group
Wembley Stadium I Wembley | London | HA9 0WS
Postal address: Wembley Stadium, PO Box 1966, London SW1P 9EQ
T +44 (0) 844 980 8200 # 4707
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.TheFA.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.TheFA.com</a>

**If you wish to reply, please click on the link below to go to the contact us form**
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"Nice try Tracey. I understand you are in a terrible spot, but your response is a complete joke."

 

[Chippy_boy]

In contrast, if an incident was witnessed by the referee at the time, The FA generally has no power to take retrospective action, due to FIFA directions. Similarly, The FA has been given express direction from FIFA that we cannot upgrade yellow cards to red. On this basis, we can only bring additional charges in the most exceptional cases.

I would be interested in a follow up question to Tracey Bates.

Did the referee not see Adebayors celebration, ordo the FA only apply their own rules when it suits them?

Can I also add, Tracey - you are clearly in a terrible position of having to lie on behalf of the FA. Can I suggest you resign. I am sure you would sleep better.

 

[judleberry]

I will be more than happy to help in anyway in bringing these fuckers. Currentley doing a Journalism degree so if I could help in anyway please ask.

Any chance you're looking for a topic for your dissertation!? As you could be onto a goldmine with this one!

 

[Richard]

I will be more than happy to help in anyway in bringing these fuckers. Currentley doing a Journalism degree so if I could help in anyway please ask.

Any chance you're looking for a topic for your dissertation!? As you could be onto a goldmine with this one!

Sounds like a plan to me. I will ask when I go back this week.

 

[SboroBlu]

This my reply from the FA


Thank you for your e-mail. The Football Association receives frequent correspondence on individual refereeing decisions across all levels of football as well as on the performance of referees in general. Every supporter will have an opinion on the game’s major talking points and we’re always interested to hear them. It's a revealing fact that for every piece of correspondence we have from supporters complaining of a bias to a particular club we have the same amount claiming a bias against that club.

There are set procedures in place for when The FA can take retrospective action in relation to incidents that have not been seen by the Match Officials at the time. In contrast, if an incident was witnessed by the referee at the time, The FA generally has no power to take retrospective action, due to FIFA directions. Similarly, The FA has been given express direction from FIFA that we cannot upgrade yellow cards to red. On this basis, we can only bring additional charges in the most exceptional cases.

Whilst 100% consistency is impossible when human judgment is introduced into a situation, referees get the overwhelmingly majority of decisions right. In fact they are arguably the most consistent people in the game making split-second decisions that will be analysed repeatedly by slow motion cameras and panels of football experts. The FIFA laws of the game stipulate that we cannot re-referee matches by issuing or upgrading cards on incidents that the referee has scene.

Supporters often compare incidents with others and ask why the same actions are not taken? This is simply due to no two incidents being the same. The Football Association takes its disciplinary procedures very seriously and judges each investigation on its merits.

We do appreciate all of the feedback we receive from supporters. This feedback is collated and used to build a picture of public opinion and is subsequently fed back internally within the organisation. Please rest assured your suggestions will form part of this feedback process.

Kind regards

Tracey Bates | Customer Relations Assistant
Communications
The FA Group
Wembley Stadium I Wembley | London | HA9 0WS
Postal address: Wembley Stadium, PO Box 1966, London SW1P 9EQ
T +44 (0) 844 980 8200 # 4707
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.TheFA.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.TheFA.com</a>

**If you wish to reply, please click on the link below to go to the contact us form**
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.thefa.com/feedback" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.thefa.com/feedback</a>

Cheers SBoro,

Can you remind us what your e-mail asked, so we can put the reply in some context?

Thanks

Sorry,
I used the say question as Blueyorkie to see if we got different a response

question was:

I am at a loss to understand why Adebayor has been charged and yet Van Persie the instigator of the problem has not been charged, after all he was guilty of putting in a reckless challenge which was a potential leg breaker. A former FIFA referee commented that the incident was too quick for the referee to see what had happened , yet Adebayor was forced to jump to avoid a tackle from behind and has allegedly in that split second has had the ability to aim to kick Van Persie. This does not compute. I have to say this yet again stinks of FA hypocracy with statements from the FA' s Mr Watmore a self confessed Arsenal supporter who managed to publiclly prejudge the issue on Monday. David Sheepshanks added to this on Tuesday which means that the witch hunt was in full swing. Its not the first time that Manchester City has been unfairly dealt with, I recall the shoddy treatment that was meted out to Shaun Wright Phillips after an incident at Stoke last season. Weeks after both Rooney and Ronaldo were not charged for worse challenges . Like many millions I can only conclude that the FA is guilty of having its own agenda in protecting the so called big four and having different rules for others.

Yours in the vain hope of someone actually listening

 

[Montgomery Burns]

Thanks for that SBoro Blu. I bet if you press her again she will not sign off with 'Kind regards' - they never do!

We have to be tight with our questioning as these people don't want to answer - the poor girl replying is really on a hiding to nothing and is simply trotting out the party line.

Was the reply the same as Blue Yorkie's or was it subtly different?

 

[Montgomery Burns]

Re: FAO PISTON BLUE!!

PISTON BLUE - PISTON BLUE - PISTON BLUE - PISTON BLUE

Did you see my PM from last night? Can you reply?

Thanks


Monty

 

[Montgomery Burns]

This will be a pain in the butt for many but it has been rightly pointed out that a national organisation such as ours should have a mission statement and for that matter a series of policy objectives. It is hard to argue with that when we might end up accusing the FA of not behaving in a transparent manner so I have cobbled a few words together.

Please let me know whether they seem OK, but more importantly, I am looking for people to come up with suggestions that improve this first draft, which is as follows:

Mission statement

FA Watch represents football fans of all English Premier League clubs who are worried that the Football Association (FA) as an organisation are either unable or unwilling to police the laws of the game in a fair and objective manner, in so much they appear biased towards particular clubs.

FA Watch is committed to highlighting specific examples of such perceived bias where clubs and players do not appear to have been treated by the FA in a fair and objective manner. This will be solely in relation to incidents of violent conduct and goal celebrations where referees and subsequently the FA’s own Regulatory Commission have dealt with incidents inconsistent with what would normally be expected. (end)

Your thoughts please.

 

[Montgomery Burns]

Absolutely typical! One mention of Mission Statements and you all head for the hills!

 

[City Raider]

Seems fine Monty, you might want to throw the word 'consistent' in the 1st para too?