FA Watch

[Montgomery Burns]

The FA requested that Howard Webb review the relevant television footage after the Match Referee confirmed that he did not witness the whole event. Having viewed the footage, Howard Webb felt it was not sufficiently clear and accordingly could not recommend issuing retrospective charges against Vidic for a red card offence.

Which no doubt will be the formal response to FA Watch when they reply to us - a reminder has been sent.

Having viewed the incident on MOTD on the evening of the game and seen it analysed afterwards, it is truly staggering that Webb could have reached this conclusion.

If that is the considered verdict of Howard Webb then the considered verdict of the vast majority of football lovers, I would suggest, is that he is not fit to continue in his position. It's that serious. Forget about all the easy jibes about 'he should have gone to Specsavers' etc, this one was so clear cut it beggars belief he reached this conclusion.

I wonder what verdict other referees would have come up with having reviewed the same footage? Of course we shall never know.

 

[mike channon´s windmill]

Thought you might be interested in my correspondence with the FA - unbelieveable comment from Howard Webb!

My e-mail:

Dear sirs, Following the Wigan v Man Utd game, I understand that the FA had indicated that they would consider the incident where it appears that Vidic struck a Wigan forward Rodallega. I would like to know if this review\investigation progressed and what the outcome was. Further, I am aware of a number of formal complaints against Van Persie for his celebration in front of Man City fans where it is alleged that foul and abusive language was directed to said fans. Are the FA aware of those complaints and what stance is being taken? The credibility of the FA is being compromised by a lack of consistency. I like many Man City fans support the ban given to Adebayor for his incident with RVP; however, it can only be 'accepted' with grace if the same approach is adopted for all. It will also be interesting to see how the incidents involving Gary Neville and his celebration in front of Liverpool fans compare with the expected punishment for Adebayor's celebration - both having been subject of outrageous vitriol during the course of the game. We, as fans, cannot expect to hand out such abuse (and I am not in that mindless category) without expecting some response from players. Yours faithfully, Darren Griffiths


Their response:

Thank you for your email.



The FA requested that Howard Webb review the relevant television footage after the Match Referee confirmed that he did not witness the whole event. Having viewed the footage, Howard Webb felt it was not sufficiently clear and accordingly could not recommend issuing retrospective charges against Vidic for a red card offence.

This pathetic, cowardly and frankly disgusting whitewash of an answer shows clearly and damningly WHO pays the F.A piper and this is why we must take this campaign on to ultimate victory

 

[The Pink Panther]

Graham Poll (the fucking arsehole) was a guest of Simon Mayo on 5 live last year. In this interview Poll mentioned about when he sent Terry off and he was relegated to referee lower league games whilst the FA investigated him for sending off the England captain. He then said that referees make decisions based upon their career ambitions.

I've searched for this on tinternet and can't find it unfortunately.

 

[Dyed Petya]

It strikes me that it may be useful if FA Watch can bring on board a qualified referee, preferably one who has officiated at a high professional level, who can be consulted on issues like this. It's fairly easy to dismiss 'mere fans' who say that the referee must have seen something, but if the opinion comes from or is endorsed by an experienced ref, it would carry much more weight, I think.

 

[nijinsky's fetlocks]

Graham Poll (the fucking arsehole) was a guest of Simon Mayo on 5 live last year. In this interview Poll mentioned about when he sent Terry off and he was relegated to referee lower league games whilst the FA investigated him for sending off the England captain. He then said that referees make decisions based upon their career ambitions.

I've searched for this on tinternet and can't find it unfortunately.

Can't help but think that giving Simunic 3 yellow cards in the Croatia v Convicts game at the World Cup was possibly not the most career-orientated decision he ever made.

 

[moonbeams]

It strikes me that it may be useful if FA Watch can bring on board a qualified referee, preferably one who has officiated at a high professional level, who can be consulted on issues like this. It's fairly easy to dismiss 'mere fans' who say that the referee must have seen something, but if the opinion comes from or is endorsed by an experienced ref, it would carry much more weight, I think.

I suppose someone could join this forum under the FA Watch name and put questions to them. However, I'm not sure if any referee's on there have officiated at high level.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.footballreferee.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=5&sid=7cc94a5f657ff647d3e78fcd99cf9faf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.footballreferee.org/forum/vi ... cd99cf9faf</a>

 

[nijinsky]

Or the club need to sign up a referee. Don't laugh. Real Madrid are the latest Spanish club to take an ex-ref officially on the payroll. Just to "improve realationships with the matchday referee" you see. mmm!
The only surprise is they weren't the first. Villarreal, el Athletic, el Deportivo, el Valladolid, el Sevilla, and Xerez, all got in there before them.

http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/513252/0/real-madrid/fichaje/arbitro/

 

[bluemoonmatt]

Or the club need to sign up a referee. Don't laugh. Real Madrid are the latest Spanish club to take an ex-ref officially on the payroll. Just to "improve realationships with the matchday referee" you see. mmm!
The only surprise is they weren't the first. Villarreal, el Athletic, el Deportivo, el Valladolid, el Sevilla, and Xerez, all got in there before them.

http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/513252/0/real-madrid/fichaje/arbitro/

haha probably go down like a sack of the proverbial if we signed up a certain Tring official, or Jeff Winter for that matter, from what I can gather neither we're particularly popular amongst their peers

 

[SboroBlu]

Graham Poll (the fucking arsehole) was a guest of Simon Mayo on 5 live last year. In this interview Poll mentioned about when he sent Terry off and he was relegated to referee lower league games whilst the FA investigated him for sending off the England captain. He then said that referees make decisions based upon their career ambitions.

I've searched for this on tinternet and can't find it unfortunately.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.epltalk.com/arsene-wenger-slams-referees-after-graham-poll-highlights-weaknesses-in-officials/3993" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.epltalk.com/arsene-wenger-sl ... cials/3993</a>

It was on Monday night, when Graham Poll was speaking live on Setanta Sports in the aftermath of John Terry’s controversial dismissal against Everton, that a serious weakness in top flight referees was revealed.

Poll claimed that even the best of officials find it extremely hard to send off big-name players, and that it is more difficult to show a red card to the England captain than it is to a youngster just breaking through the ranks.

Poll said that in the moments before a referee sends off a high-profile player, thoughts always rush through their minds about the consequences of their decision. All the controversy. All the talk in the media. Maybe all the criticism they would receive. Fair enough – they are only human.

The problem, however, is not when referees just think of these consequences, but when they actually take of their mind so much that they eventually duck out of punishing the player appropriately.

Graham Poll admitted the following evening, when speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, that in the early part of his refereeing career he let that happen to himself. If it happened to him, one of the best officials the Premier League has seen in recent times, then it must be happening to many young referees at the moment as well. That is a serious worry.

There was always bound to be some angry reaction to Poll’s revelations, and Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal manager, provided it in his press conference yesterday.

“For me it was embarrassing when you listen to that,” thundered Wenger.

“They ask whether it was a sending-off or not. He says you have to consider that you are sending off the captain of the national team.”

“What has that got to do with the rulebook? The rulebook doesn’t look at passports. When you listen to that it is embarrassing for the referees.”

“Is it a sending-off or not? Are you from England or not from England? Are you 17 or 30? It has nothing to do with that.”

“It is a big concern when you hear the national number one referee talk like that.”

It certainly is.

 

[Gordyola]

It strikes me that it may be useful if FA Watch can bring on board a qualified referee, preferably one who has officiated at a high professional level, who can be consulted on issues like this. It's fairly easy to dismiss 'mere fans' who say that the referee must have seen something, but if the opinion comes from or is endorsed by an experienced ref, it would carry much more weight, I think.

I sent Mark a PM when FA Watch was starting to inform him of ex pro ref Jeff Winter's website and his weekly comments about controversial decisions, he has a league table adjusted to take account of his retrospective decisions. Mark asked me to remind him a few weeks later and I have just done that. Maybe Winter will be interested in getting involved?