Double Standard Refs

[maninasuitcase]

Apologises if this has already been raised (been in a computer free zone for a week).
From my observations of our time in the Prem, it appears that there is a definite case of whats passable as a challenge by Stoke players and whats passable as a challenge by opposition players.

In the vast majority of cases similar type tackles often result in yellow cards for us and nothing for opposition players.

To me it feels like a clear case of lets book Stoke out of the Prem by getting all our players suspended.

We are not a dirty side, no dirtier than some of the tackling by other teams i've seen home and away this season, yet when similar challenges go in we are more likely to get carded than the opposition.

Its time we have a fair crack of the whip, just because our side is full of 6ft + players, does not mean we are gonna kick lumps out of the opposition.

Referees you are clearly like my arse

[BristolMick]

I think that the FA should tell the refs at the start of each season that one of the things they will be assessed on is if they appear "star struck".

They should be told that every game each of their decisions will be analysed..free kick v free kick, booking v booking and if there is any evidence that they have favoured the big clubs or the top players they will be suspended from refereeing for up to 12 months.

BM

[stokielegend]

The refs are told to protect the big players according to dermot gallagher

Cunts

[BristolMick]

They should be protecting ALL players not just the Big ones. Anyway we have a lot of big players and they dont seem to be getting much protection!

BM

[Jamo on the wing]

It is beginning to look more and more like that to be honest.
I'd half suspected it before this season but the double standards have been there for all see in many of our fixtures.
At Blackburn the home team could have had 3 or 4 bookings before we had even made a serious tackle, but guess what happened as soon as we committed a foul?
Booking to Stoke, obviously!

[maninasuitcase]

Well said BM.
Star struck is exactly what they are, how can the game be played on an even field when the likes of Man Utd, Chelski and the like get away with murder, yet when Stoke, Hull, Blackburn etc, make similar tackles the cards are flying.
We know we will never have the mega superstars at Stoke but FFS refs give us parity for 90 minutes, after all its still a man's game.
Imagine the analysis they would have to do for Styles, he'd have a lifetime suspension!!

Man

[smapples]

They even said they did it on MOTD. It will be more to do with the backlash they would get from pushy managers like fergie and the sheer number of fans

[sportsman]

Anybody else starting to feel like this premiership lark isn't all that? You can see why clubs that have been in the prem for a few years are starting to play in front of some empty seats now.
If you stand no chance of the top 4, a place in the uefa cup is a pile of shite now, so what is there to look forward to for 3/4 of the prem other than getting involved in a relegation scrap?

[Deleted]

If a team is relegated on the last day of the season due to a really obviously crap decision and other decisions are passed by such as Ronaldo kicking Wilkinson and Rooney trying to Elbow players, would that team be able to sue the FA for producing incompetant officials who are after all in charge of a game that affects a multi million pound business that PC and others have ploughed millions into.

I think they should. Why is it these officials are fat old unable to keep up with play (linesman at West Ham who only has to run half the length of a pitch ffs) allowed to officiate against finely tuned athletes.

Whatever industry in the world allows such incompetence to over rule the bloody obvious. If I made mistakes at work which cost companies millions I would be sacked instantly.

Furthermore the FA have IMHO brought the game into disrepute by not standing up and allowing the Managers of multi million pound businesses to vent their opinions on officials who have obviously made glaring decisions that have affected games and results.

I am not talking about was he or wasnt he offside and we need 10 replays to decide, but the obvious as at Stoke on boxing day. Chris Foy should be sacked as should the linesman.

How many games have we all left the ground wanting the beat the officials to a pulp

[twigginater]

The big clubs don't get all the decisions. united last night could have had a penalty for handball, and Pogatetz literally choked Ronaldo.

[Jamo on the wing]

Dec 30, 2008 13:09:15 GMT sportsman said:

Anybody else starting to feel like this premiership lark isn't all that? You can see why clubs that have been in the prem for a few years are starting to play in front of some empty seats now.
If you stand no chance of the top 4, a place in the uefa cup is a pile of shite now, so what is there to look forward to for 3/4 of the prem other than getting involved in a relegation scrap?

It's a weird one sportsman, I'll give you that. We've spent so long working towards getting here it feels strange to feel the way we sometimes do. Don't get me wrong the feeling when we score now surpasses everything, but there are many things that I don't like about this league.
It is without doubt souless, we get treated like animals when we travel away, the referees clearly favour the bigger clubs and the media look down at clubs who aren't in the top four or their flavour of the month.
Clearly it's going to be tough to stay up never mind establish ourselves, I have heard people say they would prefer to see us winning games and doing well in the league below, but what's the point in that if we get back up again and people don't enjoy the ride?
From my point of view I think we desperately need to stay up and secure the future of the club, we have to except that losing a number of games on the spin isn't enjoyable but it does make the wins feel so much better. I worry that one solitary year at this level won't be enough to keep many of the fans that have returned to the club this year though as well, so survival is vital.
The Prem isn't all it's cracked up to be, but it is where we need to be.

[maninasuitcase]

Strangled

i felt like that many times mate.
i'm realistic to know we wont win every game, but the officials of late have had me seething.
as you say onside/offside stuff is one thing but ronaldo-esque kick outs and flying elbows are clearly another thing altogether.
players will be too scared to go in for 50-50 challenges the way is going.
the laughable thing is when it becomes a none contact sport how will ronaldo get his free-kicks when he cant roll around like a mardy arsed twat.

[th05]

The standard of the officials has indeed been appalling.

[Deleted]

Maninasuitcase,

I agree there mate, when we played Coventry last year and lost 1-3 and the linesman didnt give a goal from Shawcrosses header which I was convinced was in then my son phoned and said sky sports had said it was definitely a goal, the red mist came down and I started to lose it tbh.

If it had'nt been for my g/f at the time holding me, I would I am sure have got the twat. But who would have been the biggest twat me of course. It was my 46th birthday and he ruined it lol.

But back to the original point bad officiating is the worst thing on a pitch (delbierately injuring someone not included) and unless it is sorted one day the red mist will strike some poor fan who against his better judgement wont have a sensible partner with them to hold them back and talk sense to them.

Lets be honest here we are football fans and all emotions and normal senses go out of the window at the best of times without some muppet adding fuel to it because they are not up to the job

[swampySCFC]

I agree that the standards have been very poor.

Let us not forget that top line refs are paid in excess of £40kpa plus expenses for handling games these days and whilst of course, it is a difficult job (well tough shit, most peoples are) they have very little accountability.

The decisions made against Manure were blatantly poor, particularly from the linesman who was two yards away from Rooney when he tried to elbow Faye but also from a ref who was similar distance from Ronaldo kicking out.

However, I believe the insipid ref at Man City away was as bad-being a total homer who gave Stoke fuck all.

It is time that refs were made to account for their actions so we all know where they get their ideas from.

I think they should be miked up for all to listen to but at the very least appear after a game to explain and expand more upon key issues.

After all we do pay their wages

[powchirper]

Dec 30, 2008 13:16:21 GMT twigginater said:

The big clubs don't get all the decisions. united last night could have had a penalty for handball, and Pogatetz literally choked Ronaldo.

Whats this prick still doing here, i thought admin got rid of the vermin the other night. While you're here you can have the same as the liner got off the pig-boy;

FUCK-OFF.......FUCK-OFF........FUCK-OFF........FUCK-OFF

[swampySCFC]

Dec 30, 2008 13:16:21 GMT twigginater said:

The big clubs don't get all the decisions. united last night could have had a penalty for handball, and Pogatetz literally choked Ronaldo.

Not well enough alas

[banburypotter]

why don't they trial having a ref and two linesman in each half of the pitch,at least the chances of seeing contentious things would increase for both teams.

[maninasuitcase]

Andy
you can guarantee if they had 2 linesmen in one half of the pitch, they would still miss the offside goal that west ham scored on sunday

[Deleted]

Banburypotter

Be easier to have the 4th official watching replays (as in Rugby) and he can relay the message to the Ref, it would take seconds

[tazi]

Dec 30, 2008 14:09:39 GMT banburypotter said:

why don't they trial having a ref and two linesman in each half of the pitch,at least the chances of seeing contentious things would increase for both teams.

Because they all piss in the same pot.

[maninasuitcase]

Spot on Strangled.
They already have ear pieces, it would take seconds to query decisions.
If we are to ever move the game forward it needs a bit of technology to help.
Saying that if Styles was the 4th official you'd get more red cards per game......................

[smapples]

Dec 30, 2008 13:13:44 GMT @strangled said:

If a team is relegated on the last day of the season due to a really obviously crap decision and other decisions are passed by such as Ronaldo kicking Wilkinson and Rooney trying to Elbow players, would that team be able to sue the FA for producing incompetant officials who are after all in charge of a game that affects a multi million pound business that PC and others have ploughed millions into.

I think they should. Why is it these officials are fat old unable to keep up with play (linesman at West Ham who only has to run half the length of a pitch ffs) allowed to officiate against finely tuned athletes.

Whatever industry in the world allows such incompetence to over rule the bloody obvious. If I made mistakes at work which cost companies millions I would be sacked instantly.

Furthermore the FA have IMHO brought the game into disrepute by not standing up and allowing the Managers of multi million pound businesses to vent their opinions on officials who have obviously made glaring decisions that have affected games and results.

I am not talking about was he or wasnt he offside and we need 10 replays to decide, but the obvious as at Stoke on boxing day. Chris Foy should be sacked as should the linesman.

How many games have we all left the ground wanting the beat the officials to a pulp

It would have to be a petition job, video evidence and a court case.

Unfortunately we would stay down but we would get some money.



The rugby style ear piece idea has been a thread on here before, a rather large one, funnily enough after a decision that didnt go our way.

[jcscfc]

Spot on.

A point I have raised over several games but has been heightened over the last two in particular

[maninasuitcase]

Smapples

one decision is one thing, several decisions in one game is another.
how can we tolerate idiot refs who look through rose tinted glasses at superstars who make rash challenges, yet when the incident is 30 foot away for a legitimate challenge the cards start coming out??
the game is for nonces like ronaldo and drogba, who think that rolling around enough will get the opposition player sent off, its a disgrace and its needs eradicating from the game. The likes of ronaldo can roll around and kick out and nowt happens, yet if it were our player they'd have their marching orders.

[sportsman]

There's only one manager in the game who tried to 'stick up' for the smaller clubs and not be 'walked over' by the bigger clubs and that's Neil Warnock with Sheff. United.

And look what Fergie did to him in the last match of the season. Played shit, and let West Ham get a 1-0 win!