Howard Webb to Ref Newcastle Game

[i8rags]

i'm not arsed any agendas would of happened on monday.

 

[TheMightyQuinn]

Oh ffs - get a grip,and put this delusional,paranoid bullshit to bed.
Bleating on about Slur Alex running football just makes us look fucking ridiculous in the eyes of others.
You quote the 'Football Is Fixed' blog - well obviously they have no preconceived agenda.
There are blogs out there who think that aliens abducted Elvis,and that Diana was killed by the Illuminati - do you go along with their bonkers worldview too?
This childish idea that the whole of football is in collusion to stop City winning anything is pathetic.
We have got the best referee for our biggest game,but still you and the rest of the 'shadowy figure on the grassy knoll' brigade aren't happy.
Is there any referee in this country who you would be happy with,or all they all in on the conspiracy?

I have a grip and it's worryingly firm.

Fine, you choose to believe we live in a little paradise where everything is just so and all the children are happy.

You just leave me and others to believe what we wish to believe.

You've also managed to put a hell of a lot of words into my mouth, congratulations on that.

Ok - a simple,straightforward question.
Do you honestly believe that Slur Alex has a say in who referees City's games?
Just yes or no.

You know what, I can't answer that with a 'yes' or 'no' because it's simply got to the stage where I do not know. That's my answer, 'I don't know'.

However, considering my answer, and everyones answer really, should be 'No, absolutely not, that's insane and very wrong', then it's a little worrying.

I do believe that football is manipulated to a certain degree and referees are the obvious and easiest route to doing this.

My answer to the question 'Does Ferguson pick refs for rag games' would be 'Fucking yes'.

Let me believe what I want to believe. I don't see why you and Pidge feel the need to desecrate these threads when the posters on them have every right to their opinion.

I think it's insane and very naive to believe what you and Pidge do but I don't shout about it, I leave you both to get on with believing that it's simply 'inconsistency'.

I'm all peace, I'm not having a pop at you or anyone, I'm just saying that in my head, it's naive to believe that a billion dollar industry isn't having lots of strings pulled in the shadows and is instead simply run badly by middle aged men who are incredibly consistent in their inconsistent manner of refereeing.

 

[Pigeonho]

I have a grip and it's worryingly firm.

Fine, you choose to believe we live in a little paradise where everything is just so and all the children are happy.

You just leave me and others to believe what we wish to believe.

You've also managed to put a hell of a lot of words into my mouth, congratulations on that.

Ok - a simple,straightforward question.
Do you honestly believe that Slur Alex has a say in who referees City's games?
Just yes or no.

You know what, I can't answer that with a 'yes' or 'no' because it's simply got to the stage where I do not know. That's my answer, 'I don't know'.

However, considering my answer, and everyones answer really, should be 'No, absolutely not, that's insane and very wrong', then it's a little worrying.

I do believe that football is manipulated to a certain degree and referees are the obvious and easiest route to doing this.

My answer to the question 'Does Ferguson pick refs for rag games' would be 'Fucking yes'.

Let me believe what I want to believe. I don't see why you and Pidge feel the need to desecrate these threads when the posters on them have every right to their opinion.

I think it's insane and very naive to believe what you and Pidge do but I don't shout about it, I leave you both to get on with believing that it's simply 'inconsistency'.

I'm all peace, I'm not having a pop at you or anyone, I'm just saying that in my head, it's naive to believe that a billion dollar industry isn't having lots of strings pulled in the shadows and is instead simply run badly by middle aged men who are incredibly consistent in their inconsistent manner of refereeing.

D'ya wanna fight?

 

[Bnblue]

Where did that 5 mins come from the other night btw, any excuse for that yet?

 

[TheMightyQuinn]

Ok - a simple,straightforward question.
Do you honestly believe that Slur Alex has a say in who referees City's games?
Just yes or no.

You know what, I can't answer that with a 'yes' or 'no' because it's simply got to the stage where I do not know. That's my answer, 'I don't know'.

However, considering my answer, and everyones answer really, should be 'No, absolutely not, that's insane and very wrong', then it's a little worrying.

I do believe that football is manipulated to a certain degree and referees are the obvious and easiest route to doing this.

My answer to the question 'Does Ferguson pick refs for rag games' would be 'Fucking yes'.

Let me believe what I want to believe. I don't see why you and Pidge feel the need to desecrate these threads when the posters on them have every right to their opinion.

I think it's insane and very naive to believe what you and Pidge do but I don't shout about it, I leave you both to get on with believing that it's simply 'inconsistency'.

I'm all peace, I'm not having a pop at you or anyone, I'm just saying that in my head, it's naive to believe that a billion dollar industry isn't having lots of strings pulled in the shadows and is instead simply run badly by middle aged men who are incredibly consistent in their inconsistent manner of refereeing.

D'ya wanna fight?

Only if I can pick the venue, the ref and the rules!

 

[Pigeonho]

You know what, I can't answer that with a 'yes' or 'no' because it's simply got to the stage where I do not know. That's my answer, 'I don't know'.

However, considering my answer, and everyones answer really, should be 'No, absolutely not, that's insane and very wrong', then it's a little worrying.

I do believe that football is manipulated to a certain degree and referees are the obvious and easiest route to doing this.

My answer to the question 'Does Ferguson pick refs for rag games' would be 'Fucking yes'.

Let me believe what I want to believe. I don't see why you and Pidge feel the need to desecrate these threads when the posters on them have every right to their opinion.

I think it's insane and very naive to believe what you and Pidge do but I don't shout about it, I leave you both to get on with believing that it's simply 'inconsistency'.

I'm all peace, I'm not having a pop at you or anyone, I'm just saying that in my head, it's naive to believe that a billion dollar industry isn't having lots of strings pulled in the shadows and is instead simply run badly by middle aged men who are incredibly consistent in their inconsistent manner of refereeing.

D'ya wanna fight?

Only if I can pick the venue, the ref and the rules!

I hear that Jimmy Lennon Jnr is a right corrupt ****, so fuck that!

 

[TheMightyQuinn]

D'ya wanna fight?

Only if I can pick the venue, the ref and the rules!

I hear that Jimmy Lennon Jnr is a right corrupt ****, so fuck that!

Me and my boys, so hard we batter babies and then rip their little heads off!

 

[Pigeonho]

Only if I can pick the venue, the ref and the rules!

I hear that Jimmy Lennon Jnr is a right corrupt ****, so fuck that!

Me and my boys, so hard we batter babies and then rip their little heads off!

They look like little baby Howard Webbs

 

[nijinsky's fetlocks]

I have a grip and it's worryingly firm.

Fine, you choose to believe we live in a little paradise where everything is just so and all the children are happy.

You just leave me and others to believe what we wish to believe.

You've also managed to put a hell of a lot of words into my mouth, congratulations on that.

Ok - a simple,straightforward question.
Do you honestly believe that Slur Alex has a say in who referees City's games?
Just yes or no.

You know what, I can't answer that with a 'yes' or 'no' because it's simply got to the stage where I do not know. That's my answer, 'I don't know'.

However, considering my answer, and everyones answer really, should be 'No, absolutely not, that's insane and very wrong', then it's a little worrying.

I do believe that football is manipulated to a certain degree and referees are the obvious and easiest route to doing this.

My answer to the question 'Does Ferguson pick refs for rag games' would be 'Fucking yes'.

Let me believe what I want to believe. I don't see why you and Pidge feel the need to desecrate these threads when the posters on them have every right to their opinion.

I think it's insane and very naive to believe what you and Pidge do but I don't shout about it, I leave you both to get on with believing that it's simply 'inconsistency'.

I'm all peace, I'm not having a pop at you or anyone, I'm just saying that in my head, it's naive to believe that a billion dollar industry isn't having lots of strings pulled in the shadows and is instead simply run badly by middle aged men who are incredibly consistent in their inconsistent manner of refereeing.

Fair play - we're all entitled to our thoughts.
I guess what i'm after before I jump onto your boat is something tangible that points to corruption/conspiracy/agendas,rather than a few random dodgy calls here and there that look bad,but could also be down to sheer human stupidity.
I am agnostic rather than atheist on the matter,but a bit of proof would be nice,as the scale required for institutionalised corruption would be huge,and you'd think that some intrepid reporter or honest referee would have become whistleblower,if you pardon the pun.

 

[Chris in London]

[Sorry to interject here Chris,as you clearly don't want to engage complete sceptics like me in debate,but I have a couple of pertinent questions.
The first of which is why would the FA have some kind of agenda to protect their brand that would wilfully exclude the richest club on the planet?
Surely if their vested interest was financial,they would want us,of all clubs,in their back pocket,rather than united who owe a small fortune.
And secondly - if such a conspiracy really exists,then who exactly is in on it?
It would simply be impossible to hide,given the scale and scope necessary for the corruption to have any significant effect.
Interesting as your observations are,there is absolutely nothing tangible that points to endemic institutionalised corruption.
Human error is not corruption.
A referee upping sticks and clearing off to sunnier climes is not corruption.
There is a massive danger here of viewing the world through blue tinted glasses,and thinking that higher powers are at work every time a throw in goes the wrong way.
There are undoubtedly incompetent officials,linesman of questionable eyesight,and people on FA committees who know FA about the game,but this,in itself,is not enough to come to the conclusion that the whole football establishment is bent.

Happy to discuss the issue with anybody who can express their view without resorting to personal abuse or rude sniping at those they disagree with. I'm very interested in hearing the reasoned opinions of others even if their opinions differ to mine - just not very interested in the 'nah nah not listening its all paranoid crap' school of debate.

The first point is that I don't see an inextricable link between the FA wanting to protect and enhance its product and refereeing bias (if there is any). To take an example, it is pretty much a given for us that Clattenberg (who has a well documented history of financial difficulties) should have given a penalty for the foul on Silva about 15 minutes into the Chelsea game with us leading 1-0. It was a game-changing moment.

Why did he not give it? Human error? Maybe. Unsighted? Maybe. Or something else? Well, on talksport the morning after that game, somebody from Betfred or Paddy Power or some such came on air and said a very large bet had been placed on a Chelsea win minutes before kick off. I do not say Mr Clattenberg accepted a bribe to referee the game the way he did, there is nowhere near enough evidence to make such a statement, but I do say three things: (a) it is possible that he did, and his failure to give the Silva penalty and various other baffling decisions he made during the game would be consistent with that; (b) he would not be the first referee ever to have accepted a bribe to affect the outcome of a game; and (c) it is well documented that betting syndicates have subverted sporting events in this country (eg the Pakistani cricketing trial last year). Feel free to reject as wholly without foundation the suggestion that something improper may have affected the result of that game if you like. Personally, I have an open mind on the possibility.

But if this sort of thing is going on, plainly it would not be in the PLs interests to permit it for a number of obvious reasons. So the suggestion that if there is bias it must be the product of a conspiracy between the referees and the FA is not one that I think stands up to any sort of scrutiny. It seems to me that when you reject refereeing bias on the grounds that there is no overall anti City conspiracy at the heart of the FA/PL/FIFA etc you are binding two separate issues together which need to be considered in isolation from each other. If Lee Mason gives decisions against us wherever possible for the simple reason that he can't stand City, that hardly evidences endemic corrpution but it is clear evidence of bias.

I agree with you entirely that the evidence of this season falls a long way short of demonstrating clear and institutionalised corruption. But IMO FWIW the evidence raises questions as to the performance of some - certainly not all - referees. I also agree with you that there is not enough to conclude that the entire football establishment is bent.

Where I differ from you, I think, is that in the absence of clear uncontrovertible evidence of bias you take the view that none exists. I, on the other hand, see enough to make me suspicious, and I keep an open mind about the possibility that some of our referees may deal with games in a less than even handed way.

Oh, by the way, if you stop looking the mirror you'll see one less ;)