So refs are being influenced by the crowd, Tone?

[Ron Burgundy]

And here's me thinking refs who crumbled under fan pressure awarded decisions to the home side!

Nice try Tone, but that's the biggest load of bollocks you've come out with since Carl Hoefkens and his "kids".

If refs are so determined not to buckle under pressure in an intimidating atmosphere, how come so many dodgy decisions are awarded to the home sides at Anfield, Old Trafford and, this season- Burnley?

Stop making pathetic excuses and consider that maybe it's because some refs have a pre-determined idea of how your teams are sent out to 'play' that these decisions are occuring.

[Winge]

Thats a new excuse ... bloody hell TP ....your stooping to almighty low levels now for excuses!!

[bunnyscfc]

er, a crowd that has hardly been inspiring this season, at that.

Basically, 90% of refs are tools of the highest order TP. Your answer lies in that sentence mate.

[eriksson74]

I knew it would be our fault

[slangking]

There is a definite element of certain refs wanting to be seen to be standing up to what has come to be known as an intimidating crowd, Burnley is nowhere near where we are or were and refs are more intimidated by managers at Anfield and Old Trafford.

[tazi]

Personaly speaking whilst TP is right i see that it's also a call for the supporters to intimidate the underhanded basturds as hard as we can.

[Jimmy Cooper]

Dec 30, 2009 2:46:20 GMT Ron Burgundy said:

If refs are so determined not to buckle under pressure in an intimidating atmosphere, how come so many dodgy decisions are awarded to the home sides at Anfield, Old Trafford and, this season- Burnley?.

Liverpoo and Manure (as well as the Arse and Chelski) get the decisions at home because referees know that the managers of all four will have no hesitation in coming out and criticising them after the game. Unfortunately for everyone else, if a ref wants to keep his job as a top-flight official he's got brown nose some serious arse. Burnley are the same as the Baggies last season. Everyone was pleased to see them come up becuase they talk about playing attacking football, whereas we are hoofers extroadinaire and not fit to be on the same pitch as the rest of the league.

The reason refs are 'standing up' to our atmosphere is because last season it was noted as being intimidating by pretty much every man and his dog. This season, (some) referees will have this in the back of their mind, and will think, 'hang on, if I give too much 50-50 stuff to Stoke, someone (opposing manager, pundit) might pick up on it, and i'll be forced down the leagues, meaning less money to buy ref junior and mrs Ref all the nice things they've gotten used to on my current wage packet.

It all boils down to referees wanting to keep officiating at the top level, and having to give in to the people with the biggest influence to stop them doing that. I blame the FA for pussying around with Wenger, Fergusson et al who should have gotten new arseholes torn for putting so much pressure on refs.

[ericmcmanus]

Dec 30, 2009 8:42:31 GMT Winge said:

Thats a new excuse ... bloody hell TP ....your stooping to almighty low levels now for excuses!!

correct.

[bunnyscfc]

build the tunnel up the Boothen or halfway line and let's see how many decisions go against us then.

Infuriates me to see these tossers walking off all pally with the away team with big grins on their faces and oblivious to what we think of them.

A cauldron of hate (not missiles etc, obv) is what these plums deserve, not a nice cosy walk AWAY from the home fans.

[march4]

Refs were criticised by a number of managers; Moyes, O'Neill, Brown and Wenger for being affected by the crowd at the Brit last season.

TP is suggesting that refs have been stung by this criticism and are over adjusting their approach.

[sheikhmomo]

We have had some stinking refereeing this season, it's undeniable, however I think (and in many ways hope) the answer is more simple and that is that the standard of refereeing in this country is just completely shit

[nicholasjalcock]

I presume from TP's comment that we should all start shouting for the opposing team? Now, that would confuse everybody not least the referees!

[MrMagic]

If you create more than two or three chances in a game, the fact that a ref fails to give a penalty becomes less important.

Like I said to DV on the signings thread, TP really ought to be concetrating on the real issues.

[Smudge_SCFC]

Dec 30, 2009 9:49:36 GMT slangking said:

There is a definite element of certain refs wanting to be seen to be standing up to what has come to be known as an intimidating crowd, Burnley is nowhere near where we are or were and refs are more intimidated by managers at Anfield and Old Trafford.

I'm actually in agreement with this.

The referees are too spineless to stand up to the truly big clubs and they certainly don't want to be seen to be shafting a small club like Burnley (who're not particularly noted for their crowds anyway).

Unfortunately, Stoke are in the 'Goldilocks zone', where it's just right for them to be seen to be tough against a home support that is reputed to be volatile and hostile.

I felt it was a factor last season and it has been more of one this campaign.

Unfortunately, I don't think TP is going to get anywhere pursuing this line of complaint and it comes across as 'excuse making' because we're not doing well at the moment.

[melonhead]

Didn't TP quote on numerous occassions this season and last season that he needs every fan to get behind the team. Well we are and we are also voicing our feelings against the ref when in our eyes they get decisions wrong, this is also support TP. Would he like us to be polite cricket supporters? Poor excuse TP

[1tinypulis]

Just to reply to Pulis blaming some of ref`s decisions on the crowd etc. . . .

Hear is my take for what it`s worth:

Why doesn`t TP playin a way that we work the ball into definate goal scoring positions that are a clear cut chance or set play. This actually would over rule a lot of the fuk wit ref`s we seem to get ,as they would not be able to dis-allow certain goals our give meaningless fouls just because they want to .

Instead we are our own worse enemy by just pumping the ball aimlessly foward them risk giving away stupid fouls etc. . . .

[anarchicalan]

I'm almost with momo on this.

We've had some truly dire referees over the past 20 years in the wilderness, and I did expect the standard to be higher in the premiership.

Sadly, with a few exceptions, they're not really as good as I'd hoped.

As someone else pointed out, we're asked to get behind the team (along with every other fan in the country I suspect) and when we do, it's a great atmosphere. Some influential managers have complained, and a few refs may have taken that on board.

So much for equality!

[Veritas]

What a load of rubbish, this latest outburst from Tony is as a result of the penalty not given for Carr pulling Huth's shirt. The complaint of bias against Stoke would have some merit if you chose to ignore the facts that the 'penalty offence' came from a free kick awarded to us for a challenge that wasn't a foul! and the fact of Shawcross wrestling one of their attackers to the ground in our box with no penalty awarded to Birmingham, the ref made a mistake in all three cases two of them in our favour........Shut up moaning and get on with the job of keeping us up.

[lancer]

Dec 30, 2009 11:53:15 GMT sheikhmomo said:

We have had some stinking refereeing this season, it's undeniable, however I think (and in many ways hope) the answer is more simple and that is that the standard of refereeing in this country is just completely shit

Wish I could agree, momo, but if it was the standard of refereeing that was the problem, there would be more consistantly bad or wrong decisions made against both sides. However, not being paranoid, and having watched the game for many years, I have seen too many wrong decision made to be convinced that some refs are not biased.
My opinion is not only based on Stoke games, but many, many televised games, especially when involving some of the lesser lights playing the 'big boys'.

[boweryboy]

Tony you really are a laughing stock with your excuses,you will say anything to try and cover up your lack of ability,thers no need to worry Tony,Peter can't see through you....

[Ron Burgundy]

Perhaps refs would feel like they have an easier day's work if they get to officiate at soulless libraries like Fulham and Wigan rather than Stoke- perhaps they could dress up in whites and do a stint at Lords?

You're damned if you don't vocally back the team and now getting behind them is being used as a convenient excuse as well.

I'm sure Fratton Park or Upton Park are like Sunday School meetings on matchday, especially if the home fans are feeling hard-done by by the ref. Can't wait for Grant or Zola to try that one, Tone.

[hanibal7]

The reason we lose is because we dont creat enough chances in most matches.We had 31% of play against Man Shitty and TP made a comment that if Tuncay had scored the game would/could have changed,give me strenght.What TP meant was if we had scored early we could have defended like mad and come away with a 0-1 result,total billy bullshit

[SamB_SCFC]

I think there's no doubt that ref's are coming down harder on us than most teams beause of our 'dirty' reputation and are penalising us for things that other sides get away with. Huth's pointless slap that got missed and the subsequent media circus hasn't helped us either in that regard - it just re-affirmed our dirty stereotype and pressurised ref's to take an even firmer stance against us. I think Pulis is probably also partially right about ref's wanting to be seen to be 'standing up' to our intimidating atmosphere and we definitely get the shitty end of more than our fair share of 50/50 decisions.

However I just don't see what Pulis thinks he can achieve by this. Like it or not he hasn't got the clout of Fergurson or Wenger and moaning to the media is unlikely to have the same effect as when they do it. More likely the opposite, with ref's wanting to be seen to not be intimidated by managers moaning to the media (it's safe to make that kind of stand against the likes of Stoke you see ). It just looks like sour grapes and that does neither Pulis or the club any favours.

He needs to bite his lip, make his point in private and get on with sorting out the much bigger problems on the pitch which are the true cause of this poor run! The poor decisions have certainly helped to exaggerate our problems but it wasn't the ref's that have been missing so many gilt edged chances and conceding so many sloppy avoidable goals!