Standards of Refereeing

[Kenneth E End]

Seems to have been a lot of talk, especially in the Premier League, about the standard of officiating this season. In the lower leagues, the standard seems to have dropped massively too. I'd certainly say that referees this season have been worse than those who officiate in the Conference. There's probably been a political answer saying that "referees are constantly assessed", but there are too many referees in the FL that seem protected from relegation.

Apologies for the Mourinho-style diatribe, but decisions at key times have had a detrimental effect on the results of Luton Town.

After yesterday, when Cameron McGeehan should've seen red after four minutes (seemed like the referee bottled it) for scything through a Morecambe player, I can't use it as an excuse yesterday, but penalty decisions across the year have been the biggest issue. We've had 7 or 8 absolute stonewall penalties not given since we were given our last back in mid SEPTEMBER. Ever since Graham Westley said that "Luton Town use their crowd advantage to get all the decisions" we've had absolutely nothing. And in addition, some of the players have been booked for diving!

Wish I could attach some videos, but shock horror, FLi have edited out the contentious decisions from their videos.

 

[HertsCobbler]

In the past a number of refs did get demoted to Conference - most worked their way back up though.

Interestingly there are different cameras available as we had an analyst filming at Mansfield which showed more of their blatant and successful attempt at provoking O'Toole.

 

[Stringy]

The constant baiting of referees in all leagues is pathetic. The referee could make any decision and the crowd would be up in arms. The amount of dissent from all players is so embarrassing it's unreal. Did anyone see Noble get sent off for County yesterday? I wish refs would be more prolific with their cards for pointless whinging.

 

[1884 Belmont]

I think it's a great point. The standard this season has been appalling. 2 or 3 referees have appeared to have a control of the game and the rest let the players dictate the flow. A poor referee ruins the match and we have had some stinkers this season.

 

[Kenneth E End]

The constant baiting of referees in all leagues is pathetic. The referee could make any decision and the crowd would be up in arms. The amount of dissent from all players is so embarrassing it's unreal. Did anyone see Noble get sent off for County yesterday? I wish refs would be more prolific with their cards for pointless whinging.

Being a referee is a thankless exercise from the town parks to the international arena, but that doesn't excuse poor standards. I'm a qualified sports official myself - just not in football.

Part of the problem I believe is the lack of professionalism. I saw a feature about Andy D'Urso a couple of years ago. He referees on Tuesdays and Saturdays, but the other days he's travelling and working part-time as an admin assistant. There is no reason, with all the money in the game, there can't be 80 referees earning £40,000pa and 160 assistants earning £25,000pa to a) entice more people into refereeing and therefore b) raising standards. In addition to 24 referees and 48 assistants at Premier League level earning double that salary.

Clearly there are some fans in this country who don't know the laws and show absolutely no lack of bias when it comes to some decisions.

It is never justified that players try and referee the game themselves, like Ellison and co were trying to yesterday for Morecambe.

 

[Murphy]

Don't think it's exclusive to you, we've all been done up by some appalling decisions through the course of the season.

We've also all had the rub of the green at certain points, and whilst it probably does even out over the course of one or two seasons, that doesn't make it right.

And despite saying that, there's absolutely no way I'd be a referee or a linesman. Some of the abuse they get, especially personal abuse, is totally unwarranted and unless you have thick skin and a genuine love of the game there's absolutely no way you'd do it.

 

[StagsForLife]

Agreed Stringy. I think there are a certain few that are knobheads but most of the time with refs is that they lack consistency.

 

[Judge Dredd]

The thing that gets me the most is the constant inattention to time-wasting, it is unreal how much time is "manged" at our home games this season. I would guess on average we have seen about 50-60 minutes of ball-in-play football per match at the Kenny this season, it is truly horrendous and worse than anything we experienced in the Conference. Referees seem completely unwilling or unable to stamp down on it. I can forgive the occasional bad decision - that happens and you expect it, but something easy to confront like time wasting carrying on in the way it does is unforgivable in my eyes.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Luton are just as bad when we get into that sort of situation. That is League 2 and every team will use every advantage possible.

What can the referees do to clamp down on it? I'd be in favour of a system, similar to that in cricket, where the referee will report obvious incidences of time wasting (as well as continuing to caution players as now) and if you get 3 reports its an automatic 1 match suspension for the captain.

 

[Judge Dredd]

Luton are just as bad when we get into that sort of situation. That is League 2 and every team will use every advantage possible.

Sure, whether we do it or not doesn't affect the wrongness of it though.

What can the referees do to clamp down on it? I'd be in favour of a system, similar to that in cricket, where the referee will report obvious incidences of time wasting (as well as continuing to caution players as now) and if you get 3 reports its an automatic 1 match suspension for the captain.

What can referees do to clamp down on it? Easy. Give each player one formal warning and then book them the next time it happens. And/or actually add on the time that is wasted, which never ever happens.

 

[Grecian O'Grecian]

Luton are just as bad when we get into that sort of situation. That is League 2 and every team will use every advantage possible.

We don't. We're all proper chaps.

 

[UTS]

Don't get me started on the referee we had yesterday.. 6 yellows for us and a red, 3 yellows for Oxford and he awarded one of the softest penalties I've seen.

No consistency!

Penalty at 30 secs

 

[Laker]

I think referees are generally better in League 2 than in the Conference but the two traits we've noticed most (and I'm sure Luton fans would agree) is that the amount if play acting and time wasting is almost farcical compared to in the Conference. The former is difficult to deal with by refs but the latter could be dealt with much more firmly.

But it's not just in League 2. I went to Norwich v Wigan the other day. Wigan went 1 up after about 10 mins and time wasted at every opportunity thereafter but I think only one player was booked for it after about 85 minutes. Was a joke.

But I think it's churlish to say Conference refs were better as we had very few decent refs down there across our 9 years in that division.

 

[Boz]

Agree that the Oxford penalty was soft, also looked like a foul by the player who went down in the build-up. The 2nd yellow also seemed a bit harsh.

Mr Johnson, refereed our first game of the season, v York, which was also his first game as a football league ref. He did quite well, calm, think only 1 yellow card. It seems that he's picked up some bad habits since then.

 

[UTS]

Agree that the Oxford penalty was soft, also looked like a foul by the player who went down in the build-up. The 2nd yellow also seemed a bit harsh.

Mr Johnson, refereed our first game of the season, v York, which was also his first game as a football league ref. He did quite well, calm, think only 1 yellow card. It seems that he's picked up some bad habits since then.

What you don't in that video is that Oxfords number 11 went straight through Mayor in the first half, which was a straight red, and it went unpunished. Incredible lack of consistency.

Oxford were a terrible "football" team. Commiting niggly fouls constantly and breaking any momentum we could have had by diving and playing to the ref.. In the end they got their wish.. A penalty and a red card.. Awful team

 

[StagsForLife]

Agree that the Oxford penalty was soft, also looked like a foul by the player who went down in the build-up. The 2nd yellow also seemed a bit harsh.

Mr Johnson, refereed our first game of the season, v York, which was also his first game as a football league ref. He did quite well, calm, think only 1 yellow card. It seems that he's picked up some bad habits since then.

He reffed our game against Luton a couple of weeks ago and I thought he was pretty much spot on all game so no idea what happened yesterday.

 

[Kenneth E End]

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Video from yesterday's game between Wolves and Watford. I applaud you Foriesteri for this magnificent acting performance, worth an Oscar.

 

[WH_Stag]

Against cheltenham the ref was 10000& on their side and its sickening. Actually having the crowd shout out how many yards he took the wall back and him stopping at 7 yards and looking towards the crowd and walking the mansfield wall 11 yards back. And also giving cheltenham free kicks when their player clearly fouled a stags player. This part of football needs cutting out and cheating refs need punishing.

 

[Amber Andy]

To balance things a little, the ref at our game against the Shrews most certainly did add on time for the time wasting employed late in the game by the Shrews keeper, and it came back to bite them with out late equaliser. Rare but sometimes justice is done.

 

[StagsForLife]

Against cheltenham the ref was 10000& on their side and its sickening. Actually having the crowd shout out how many yards he took the wall back and him stopping at 7 yards and looking towards the crowd and walking the mansfield wall 11 yards back. And also giving cheltenham free kicks when their player clearly fouled a stags player. This part of football needs cutting out and cheating refs need punishing.

Seem to remember a similar incident recently at Stevenage I think where the ref was giving them atleast 15 yards for free kicks.

 

[Judge Dredd]

Video from yesterday's game between Wolves and Watford. I applaud you Foriesteri for this magnificent acting performance, worth an Oscar.

That truly is disgraceful. He should be retrospectively banned for that.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Our referee appointments aren't getting any better - Darren Drysdale appointed for Portsmouth v Luton.

He was "substituted" at half time which led to the biggest cheer of the day v Newport a few weeks ago.

 

[djs]

It gets worse Kenny. The ref who sent off the Wolves player who viciously attacked the Watford player on Sat has got our game at Newport next Tues!

 

[Kenneth E End]

John Still going off his long run on referees this season. He's not someone who traditionally criticises.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=289&v=rOH6OTfq-h0

 

[Richard Cranium]

Our referee appointments aren't getting any better - Darren Drysdale appointed for Portsmouth v Luton.

He was "substituted" at half time which led to the biggest cheer of the day v Newport a few weeks ago.

That bloke really is a fucking joke. Add to the list this season Kettle, Deadmen...

 

[Kenneth E End]

Our referee last night was Darren Sheldrake - 10 red cards in 29 games this season.

 

[Grecian O'Grecian]

Funnily enough I thought ours last night was poor.

Ian Williamson.

Stupid fake tan covered tw&t.

 

[AdamStag]

Another one that would make stags fans blood boil was Paul danson, he was a twat.

That we won a game with drysdale in charge was amazing, he gave is nothing against tranmere, absolutely nothing.

I do find you seem to get more refs that have no idea at all

 

[thewwfc]

I would like to see a rule where players are simply not allowed to argue decisions with the ref, and I speak as a fan of a team that acts like some sort of lower league Chelsea when it comes to ref harassment bullshit.

Talk to your captain, get them to go to the ref.

 

[hellogregory]

Absolutely shocking tonight from Mark Haywood.