Referees

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

Why are match officials named on the Monday before the weekend games.
What benefit can it be to anyone to name them so early?

I can only see benefits in those who might want a corrupt system and have plenty of time to organise a 'fix'.
Plus keeping the same team of three together also leads to greater opportunities for collusion.

Many on here critisise foreign refs, but they didn't do a bad job in the euros, having said that it was odd just how good our refs were there too!

I've often wondered this. Although I'm getting on a bit, I seem to remember that you only knew who the referee was by looking in the programme, usually after the game had kicked off. Seeing as none of us have any idea who will be in the City team on Saturday, why do we need to know who the referee is? It would be far better if they were virtually anonymous so I can only think they like seeing their names 'up in lights'.

 

[law74]

Why are match officials named on the Monday before the weekend games.
What benefit can it be to anyone to name them so early?

I can only see benefits in those who might want a corrupt system and have plenty of time to organise a 'fix'.
Plus keeping the same team of three together also leads to greater opportunities for collusion.

Many on here critisise foreign refs, but they didn't do a bad job in the euros, having said that it was odd just how good our refs were there too!

They should be announced before tickets go on sale.
You don't buy a ticket for a concert and not know who the singer is going to be, you don't buy a ticket to watch a film without knowing who is starring in it, so why should football be any different?
(We do all go to watch the referred don't we?)

 

[squirtyflower]

They should be announced before tickets go on sale.
You don't buy a ticket for a concert and not know who the singer is going to be, you don't buy a ticket to watch a film without knowing who is starring in it, so why should football be any different?
(We do all go to watch the referred don't we?)

Bill would agree with you when it comes to away games

 

[MillionMilesAway]

The most baffling thing i find is that, given the last 25 years of clique dominance of football, not a single elite ref supports Utd, City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs or Chelsea. I think Everton and WHU can be added to that, with only the obvious NE types being blocked from certain matches (less now Newcastle are relegated).

Of course, admitting that would mean they couldn't ref the biggest matches, but I'm sure refs are above that type of thing. Absolutely sure, yessirree, no question about it.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

Refs want the big games. Look at Crappenberg's gigs last season. They aren't gonna upset the FArce, their masters at PiGMol, the 'star' players and certain managers. I think referees' performances are similar to sheep shit in a field - all over the fuckin' place with no noticeable pattern evident. Occasionally their performance hits the written rules smack on the head - Madely got the pen right, just two minutes after I'd texted my ERO to suggest that every time we had him last season he shafted us!