"Lee Mason. Oh Dear"

[Didsbury Dave]

Re: Re:

Yeah, why can't they? I assume you've missed all the police investigations, high-profile resignations, parliamentary enquiries, court cases, criminal convictions, entire newspapers being shut down, and massive compensation payouts around this very matter over the last few years. It's been fairly big news.
!

It's the fundamental point that all the conspiracy people miss. We have the most vigorous press in the world. News that referees were bent would be one of the biggest news stories of the decade, if not the century. Can you imagine? It would bring the game to it's knees.

One referee, past or present, could expose this and make himself millions. Just one. One retired ref earning a pension of £150 per week. He wouldn't even need to give his name.

It doesn't happen because whilst referees are routinely rubbish, and influenced by external factors doing a game, they are not intentionally corrupt. They are paid professionals now. They are doing a job they have dedicated their lives to obtaining. You think they'd give up their nice, high profile career, risk killing football forever, be demonsied by every press outlet forever and become the target of death threats for the rest of their lives? Just because they "don't like City"?

It's deluded to even think we are that important.

 

[mancboy123]

We have the most vigorous press in the world. That is rubbish dave the american sports press is much more vigorous than ours and would not be afraid to go after the likes of ferguson or in fact anyone at all, take the sean peyton year long ban.

An umpire in baseball last year made a bad call which denied a player a no hitter and after a hounding by the press was forced to issue a public apology, as was MLB, if you think the press over here are vigorous you are having a laugh mate, the way they creep to the likes of Redknapp and Ferguson is nothing short of cringeworthy.

While in no way do I think that validates the argument that refs are bent or there is influence exerted elsewhere if you think that an argument against it is that the press would be all over it, thats completely not the case.

Also one of the most fundamental things behind every conspiracy theory is that its nonsense, until it isnt, there couldnt be wide spread corruption in a high profile league like italy until there was, there couldnt be a newspaper who would tap peoples phones until there was.

Thats the thing with conspiracies they are dismissed as poppycock, far fetched fantasies justified by people making a point until they are proved to be true.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Re:

Yeah, why can't they? I assume you've missed all the police investigations, high-profile resignations, parliamentary enquiries, court cases, criminal convictions, entire newspapers being shut down, and massive compensation payouts around this very matter over the last few years. It's been fairly big news.
!

It's the fundamental point that all the conspiracy people miss. We have the most vigorous press in the world. News that referees were bent would be one of the biggest news stories of the decade, if not the century. Can you imagine? It would bring the game to it's knees.

One referee, past or present, could expose this and make himself millions. Just one. One retired ref earning a pension of £150 per week. He wouldn't even need to give his name.

It doesn't happen because whilst referees are routinely rubbish, and influenced by external factors doing a game, they are not intentionally corrupt. They are paid professionals now. They are doing a job they have dedicated their lives to obtaining. You think they'd give up their nice, high profile career, risk killing football forever, be demonsied by every press outlet forever and become the target of death threats for the rest of their lives? Just because they "don't like City"?

It's deluded to even think we are that important.

Ok, Devil's advocate time...

The game has been bent since the year dot - see the numerous scandals going back to the late 1800s/early 1900s.

If refs have been made comfortable through what goes on, no need to rock the boat.

The press have a vested interested (income) protecting their cash cow (333 million fans worldwide - you cater to your customer).

The press interest is further vested by the fact the majority support the rags, with few City men among them; easy to surpress.

It is not their loathing of City, per se; it is their love of the rags.

 

[Dubai Blue]

Re: Re:

Didsbury Dave is spot on again. It was a mildly interesting read but you really can't infer anything whatsoever from 3 games. Damocles would have a wet dream dissecting this article!

DD spot on again? You lose all credibility there (only joking DD!!)

Seriously though to say it "...was a mildly interesting read..." is a tad harsh on the writer. I thought it was very well put togehter and put some good points across. Whether you agree with them is another matter, but it was certainly interesting.

Yeah, sorry. The 'mildly' bit referred to the fact that all the way through I couldn't take the data particularly seriously because there are just far too many variables in football to pin an agenda down in the space of only 3 games.

But the fact that I read it all speaks volumes; it was thoroughly well researched, well written and interesting to read. I just don't agree with any of the conclusions (yet!!).

 

[the blue panther]

Congrats on the article. Very well written.
A very interesting read and Chris has clearly delved deep and put great effort into it.
Food for thought, and whether Mason intends his reults or not, I hope somebody draws the stats to his attention.
I wonder whether ref's watch their games afterwards - and maybe it's time that the FA, in the spririt of openness, made referring assessments available to the public. I can't see any need to keep them secret, and it would be enlightening for all of us. They can still be kept anonymous, if necessary. I assume that there is still an assessor at every big match.
Roll on the day when we can have video playback and decisions approved by a 4th official, in the same way as Cricket does it -2/3 appeals per match, or something like that.

 

[mancboy123]

As i alluded to earlier if Lee Mason does watch his games back and has decided that he made the correct decision with regards to the shaun derry sending off and we have to assume that he thinks he has seeing as the ban was upheld then there is quite frankly no hope for him and the fact that the FA are still allowing him to referee games just shows them to be a spineless organization

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Re: Re:

Yeah, why can't they? I assume you've missed all the police investigations, high-profile resignations, parliamentary enquiries, court cases, criminal convictions, entire newspapers being shut down, and massive compensation payouts around this very matter over the last few years. It's been fairly big news.
!

It's the fundamental point that all the conspiracy people miss. We have the most vigorous press in the world. News that referees were bent would be one of the biggest news stories of the decade, if not the century. Can you imagine? It would bring the game to it's knees.

One referee, past or present, could expose this and make himself millions. Just one. One retired ref earning a pension of £150 per week. He wouldn't even need to give his name.

It doesn't happen because whilst referees are routinely rubbish, and influenced by external factors doing a game, they are not intentionally corrupt. They are paid professionals now. They are doing a job they have dedicated their lives to obtaining. You think they'd give up their nice, high profile career, risk killing football forever, be demonsied by every press outlet forever and become the target of death threats for the rest of their lives? Just because they "don't like City"?

It's deluded to even think we are that important.

Ok, Devil's advocate time...

The game has been bent since the year dot - see the numerous scandals going back to the late 1800s/early 1900s.

If refs have been made comfortable through what goes on, no need to rock the boat.

The press have a vested interested (income) protecting their cash cow (333 million fans worldwide - you cater to your customer).

The press interest is further vested by the fact the majority support the rags, with few City men among them; easy to surpress.

It is not their loathing of City, per se; it is their love of the rags.

It's just "Reds Under The Bed" paranoia and it saddens me that City fans have become so intimidated by Man Utd that they think that way.

 

[the blue panther]

As i alluded to earlier if Lee Mason does watch his games back and has decided that he made the correct decision with regards to the shaun derry sending off and we have to assume that he thinks he has seeing as the ban was upheld then there is quite frankly no hope for him and the fact that the FA are still allowing him to referee games just shows them to be a spineless organization

Yep - can't argue with that. Looks like there's no hope in sight.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Re:

It's the fundamental point that all the conspiracy people miss. We have the most vigorous press in the world. News that referees were bent would be one of the biggest news stories of the decade, if not the century. Can you imagine? It would bring the game to it's knees.

One referee, past or present, could expose this and make himself millions. Just one. One retired ref earning a pension of £150 per week. He wouldn't even need to give his name.

It doesn't happen because whilst referees are routinely rubbish, and influenced by external factors doing a game, they are not intentionally corrupt. They are paid professionals now. They are doing a job they have dedicated their lives to obtaining. You think they'd give up their nice, high profile career, risk killing football forever, be demonsied by every press outlet forever and become the target of death threats for the rest of their lives? Just because they "don't like City"?

It's deluded to even think we are that important.

Ok, Devil's advocate time...

The game has been bent since the year dot - see the numerous scandals going back to the late 1800s/early 1900s.

If refs have been made comfortable through what goes on, no need to rock the boat.

The press have a vested interested (income) protecting their cash cow (333 million fans worldwide - you cater to your customer).

The press interest is further vested by the fact the majority support the rags, with few City men among them; easy to surpress.

It is not their loathing of City, per se; it is their love of the rags.

It's just "Reds Under The Bed" paranoia and it saddens me that City fans have become so intimidated by Man Utd that they think that way.

I'm as guilty as anyone for this, but I think the real picture is the middle ground somewhere between the new experience of the strain and pressure of being successful (would you believe!) and the conspiracy.

I'm sure most referees ref honestly, but there is an issue with the FA not allowing them to admit their mistakes. However, I also believe one or two to be dishonest in their work.

 

[mancboy123]

It saddens me that people are so dismissive of others opinions because it doesnt fit in with their way of thinking. Like i said earlier every conspiracy is a joke , a laugh we are all paranoid until it isnt.

If someone had told you there was corruption in the italian league before it was proved to be true this same argument would have been trotted out that it would be impossible to do such a thing.