Mark Clattenburg

[Burtonblue]

I think he guessed. He's seen Stirling turn his back, he's seen the ball bounce off him, and he's seen the Spurs player asking for it, so he gave the penalty. It's just a mistake, and I'm sure we'll get our fair share in the remainder of the season, probably a very dodgy penalty v Liverpool in the CC final.........

My case is since when did guesswork come into making critical decisions. They should be beyond reasonable doubt.
The fact he rushed to award it is what makes me suspicious he was just waiting for such an occasion.
Even if it were to be handball it could in no way be considered to be intentional.
Truth is the bastard was looking out for that decision all day long. Much more worrying than it being a simple mistake....

 

[Burtonblue]

Being reported that MP will face no action for his post-match comments. That would have just rubbed salt into the wounds if he'd been charged.

I suppose it's hard for the FA to defend shit refereeing decisions.
Doubt him being in the stands would make a big difference atm...

 

[2sheikhs]

Has clattenburg tried to justify it yet?
Has he admitted that he could have been mistaken?

 

[jay_mcfc]

As much as I like the way we are as a club, and as much as I dislike the way some other clubs behave, to see that **** walk off the pitch yesterday completely unattested from any of our players, management or coaches just pissed me off. People are living in cloud cuckoo land if they don't think refs find it easier to give decisions against some teams rather than others.

 

[eyejay51]

I think we all need to really let him have it should we be unfortunate enough to get the wiggy wanker again. 90+ minutes full-on abuse from all sides of the ground so that the tv microphones cannot fail to pick it up. Might make him think twice before another dodgy decision proves terminal to this years campaign.

 

[happy]

i thought at the time that not giving yellow cards for a couple of fouls by Toure early on and another one (was it Fernandinho?) was a great cover to give Spurs a game-changing decision later on and be able to point to the earlier decisions as some sort of justification for not being biased. It's pretty sad when you start looking at referees' performances that way.

So, let's get this straight. He was subtle enough to let two yellow card challenges go but then gives a decision so ludicrously incorrect that he exposed himself to questions regarding his impartiality?

Hardly Machiavellian in its construct is it.

Anyhoo, it's been a few hours since the incident and despite the best efforts of the Bluemoon Brains Trust there has been a startling lack of evidence other than an article from the BBC which confirmed people in the Far East like a bet (well, durr as the kids say). Throw in a bit of casual racism and a splash of xenophobia, a hint of delusion and a handful of paranoia and hey presto....the new breed of entitled City fan, 'we must be being cheated because we lost'. The lack of empirical evidence or facts to support your claim does nothing to dampen the enthusiasm for outrageous accusations and bitter recrimination.

You've become what you hated, you are United fans*

Cynicism is a self imposed blindness, if you are wrong you're unhappy and bitter, if you are right you're disappointed and bitter...the original lose:lose.

*I'm sure this will be picked on so just for the avoidance of doubt I am not saying that you support United just that you are displaying all the spoiled brattish traits of the entitled red that we all know so well.

 

[Blueside]

Totally agree with the comments on this page - it is depressing to think that Fergie would have truly prevented the penalty award yesterday by gamesmanship highlighting a 'fact sheet' of previous incursions by Clattenburg - starting with Chelsea 2011 (about which I can still remember how gutted I felt stood in an 'away' pub watching it and having to suck it up: penalty turned down, player sent off for two minor yellows, penalty given for handball from a shot blasted from 1 metre away from the player), going all the way through to the two inexplicable offsides at the lane last year: possibly the worst officiating decisions seen this side of Maradona hand of god: how blatant does something need to be?

Fergie would have set it up, saying he fully expects Clattenburg to be involved in a controversial decision so that either way Fergie gets a 'result': either no contentious decision to fret over, or an 'I told you so' fume to the press followed by formal letter of complaint to the FA.

Can any City fan now honestly say they will be not bothered should we get Clattenburg for another big game: I'm dreading it.

What is worse on top of all of that is that all the (southern) media reaction is based on the favoured result - so Arsenal's last minute winner yesterday defines their 'solid' title charge; Spurs have now easily beaten City home and away, with no reference to the signifcant assistance as to how they did it. I just hope that Kompany can use the energy from yesterday to get the players feeling as angry and moody as they were at the start of the season.

Also I do hope Leicester can really stick at it now, because aside from City pulling it off against all the odds - I cannot stand the thought of the media love-in that is now building for the other 'preferred' outcomes.

 

[MCFC97]

Has clattenburg tried to justify it yet?
Has he admitted that he could have been mistaken?

I know for a fact that Clattenburg isn't bent but yesterday he Fucked up Massively
He hasn't tried to justify it. He knows he got it seriously wrong I cannot say who my source is but it is very credible.

I know as a referee myself that he has Guessed the decision he appears to have gone with the reaction of the players and also Sterling's body position, guessing a decision is breaking a golden rule of refereeing, if you can't see it of you aren't sure, oh well that's the way it is, don't remove that doubt with guess work

 

[Burtonblue]

So, let's get this straight. He was subtle enough to let two yellow card challenges go but then gives a decision so ludicrously incorrect that he exposed himself to questions regarding his impartiality?

Hardly Machiavellian in its construct is it.

Anyhoo, it's been a few hours since the incident and despite the best efforts of the Bluemoon Brains Trust there has been a startling lack of evidence other than an article from the BBC which confirmed people in the Far East like a bet (well, durr as the kids say). Throw in a bit of casual racism and a splash of xenophobia, a hint of delusion and a handful of paranoia and hey presto....the new breed of entitled City fan, 'we must be being cheated because we lost'. The lack of empirical evidence or facts to support your claim does nothing to dampen the enthusiasm for outrageous accusations and bitter recrimination.

You've become what you hated, you are United fans*

Cynicism is a self imposed blindness, if you are wrong you're unhappy and bitter, if you are right you're disappointed and bitter...the original lose:lose.

*I'm sure this will be picked on so just for the avoidance of doubt I am not saying that you support United just that you are displaying all the spoiled brattish traits of the entitled red that we all know so well.

Yoy are quite mistaken.
People here are not bitter.
They are just fed up with a repeated pattern of critical decisions not going the way of their team. It is cumulative.
It's nothing to do with being like yoonited.
Nothing.

 

[ancoats]

the little things aswell like throw inns and the offsides was shocking yesterday whatever ever happen to the home advantage that the refs always give the big teams
like I said its not just yesterday its been like this all season and after we went 5.0 at the start of the season the ref started there campaign to stop Manchester city running away with it. even in the last 10 games I can make a plea for 10 stone wall pens that have been turned down the other teams are kicking holes out of our players and nothing but when its on the other foot and city start to kick back you bet the ref starts the waving cards

its not me being a bitter blue and all that but just asking for a level playing field and fair to both teams and the best team win but its like playing 15 vs 11 every game its talk is about the ref not seeing that or why did he just them that. my last word is this last week pablo zabaleta was fouled right on the line of the box the ref not sure its a pen so he gives it outside the box. but the replays show it was on the line so the pen should have been given that's what going on at Manchester city every little thing is given against us