I remember him, and someone else I've forgotten, getting 'fast tracked' into the PL but fuck knows where he came from, and I thought at the time that a 28yr old PL ref clearly hasn't got anything like the experience that would be needed to ref any PL game, and I think that's how it's turned out. PiGMOL must be desperate for bodies to cover matches, fourth official duties AND the VAR shed, so we end up with personnel who are just not up to the job. People are still suggesting that it isn't corruption that delivered the abortion of refereeing we saw at Brighton, but it's certainly a dereliction on the part of PiGMOL to foist the likes of Attwell into a PL match, even one where points are irrelevant. His performance was beyond abysmal.
Those decisions, which are becoming more and more common in the PL, and not just the ones we have to swallow, just don't pass any kind of scrutiny. The one where Jesus gets cleaned out round the halfway line and seconds later Ferny's booked should leave any fan of any club, bar Rags 'n Dippers, wondering what's goin' on! And the only conclusion is that momentarily the LotG are suspended and it's the 'Referee's Fuckin' Free For All'!The result in terms of overall league positions is irrelevant, but imagine for a moment if there was a pattern of Far Eastern betting Syndicates lumping money on City to have a player sent off before half time, or City winning at half time/losing at full time, or City losing 3-2, or giving away a foul throw, or even all of those potential outcomes?
Those officials are in the perfect position to try and make sure that happens, and when you witnessed some of those utterly baffling decisions you have to be concerned that potentially what we witnessed was corruption.
He wouldn't have got off the ground in less than a dozen piecesWouldn't ya just love to see his annual report?
Tuesday's debacle also begs the question of when the idiot will next be involved with and influencing the outcome of a game involving us?
Noticed a post suggesting he should be officiating Sunday League games! Any I've seen, he would have lasted 15 - 20 minutes and then had a prolonged stay as an in-patient in the nearest hospital requiring significant facial reconstructive surgery.
81st minute. It's in the Tweet, linked in the post.do you know what minute this was, wouldn’t mind watching it again Ta.
Sorry I saw it after posting duh!81st minute. It's in the Tweet, linked in the post.
Attwell and Moss were both disgraceful - but on that incident I think he was about to blow for a foul by Gabby and played advantage for Brighton. That said, no excuses for the other dreadful decisions.The Twitter link showing the foul on the Jesus, a few posts back, confirms to me that this is corruption. Attwell sees the foul, and is about to blow. (Reminiscent of Luiz v Aguero). He then turns round and lets play continue, with Brighton in possession. Attwell then looks back at Jesus, who is on the floor, before continuing to follow play. Play stops following the Fernandinho foul.
Look at the Brighton player that kicks Jesus, and where the ball is in relation to the "challenge". It is clear that he has no intention of playing the ball. It is just a dangerous kick out at Jesus.
Under the Laws of the Game, this is a definite foul, at least a yellow card, and potentially a red card. There is absolutely no rational reason why Attwell didn't penalise this foul, because he saw it and was about to penalise it.
It is almost as if the Brighton player knew he could perform this foul with impunity. Maybe he could. Maybe the other guy that fouled Gundogan knew that he could commit any foul and the maximum punishment would be a yellow card.
But for Attwell to see the foul, instinctively go to penalise it, and change his mind, to me, says he was carrying out instructions from someone else. This needs to be explained, or even investigated.
Attwell was on the FIFA panel of referees in 2009, and despite his demotion in 2012 here, he is back on it. I'm not sure if FIFA choose the elite referees to go on their list of if they are nominated by the associations. It wouldn't surprise me though, if he was nominated by Riley and in return he does Riley's bidding.A quick Google tells me his demotion was in 2012. That's fooking 9 years ago. It's sad that in 9 years he hadn't improved an inch as a referee.
Bastard should be refereeing Sunday leagues instead.
I agree it is stripping the joy from the game, I have lost count how many times I’ve asked after City have scored, do you think that was offside, the moments gone then.Football decisions STILL have the same "WTF" feeling as they did pre VAR days. So why not just get rid of it!
It has actually made things worse imo, because nowadays they can forensically investigate stuff and then apply those rules selectively. I preferred it when it was just the ref fucking up... and not 6 refs and a fkin Match Commander deciding what is and what isnt a handball.
VAR IS actually ruining the game just by being there.
I disagree. Jesus did nothing to warrant giving away a free kick. There is no way Attwell was about to penalize him.Attwell and Moss were both disgraceful - but on that incident I think he was about to blow for a foul by Gabby and played advantage for Brighton. That said, no excuses for the other dreadful decisions.
1. A video assistant referee (VAR) is a match official, with independent access to match footage, who may assist the referee only in the event of a ‘clear and obvious error’ or ‘serious missed incident’ in relation to:
a. Goal/no goal
b. Penalty/no penalty
c. Direct red card (not second yellow card/caution)
d. Mistaken identity
that one had me shouting "you can't be offside from a throw in you thick twat" because that was the only reason to flag, Bernardo was fuckin left scratching his head(reference the bizarre free kick against Bernardo following a City throw in, signalled by one of the assistant referees)
He didn't give it for offside. He pointed his flag to his left, indicating an offence of some sort. Offside would have been flagged towards the other side of the pitch, and pointing down, to show the position of the offside close to the linesman.that one had me shouting "you can't be offside from a throw in you thick twat" because that was the only reason to flag, Bernardo was fuckin left scratching his head
Look again at the challenge by a Brighton player on Jesus in the second half, just inside the Brighton half, just past the half way line. Jesus beats his man and turns back towards his own half. The Brighton player, for no reason, kicks out at Jesus, sending him to the floor. It wasn't an attempt for the ball as the ball is on the half way line at this point. Jesus throws his arms up in frustration.
Attwell sees everything. He is in the perfect position. He raises his whistle to his mouth, but doesn't blow. Play continues. Attwell looks round to check on Jesus. Fernandinho fouls the Brighton player and receives a caution.
The correct decision here was for Attwell to blow for a foul on Jesus, then caution or dismiss the Brighton player. He was about to give the foul. What changed his mind? There can be only one explanation - CHEATING. For some reason, he decided not to penalise a clear foul on a City player. There were loads of similar instances of this cheating during the game. Far too many to put this down to incompetence or innocent mistakes.
They keep their jobs because those who employ them condone and encourage those actions.The one thing you have missed is that, unbelievably, Atwell wasn’t going to whistle to award a free kick to Jesus. He was going to award a free kick AGAINST Jesus and actually played the advantage as Brighton had possession of the ball and were starting an attack.
It was an absolutely mind-boggling decision. Unfortunately, as others have said, it wasn’t the only mind-boggling decision of the night.
What is also mind-boggling is how these people keep their jobs.
I think it’s the ‘provable’ part that’s the stumbling block tbh.If that is true and provable it must attract the attention of the police.