Bazza has followed up his match report with another look at referees, this time relating to comments made by Tony Pulis.
On the eve of our match at the Brittania Stadium, the story about Stoke City’s run of bad luck, secondary to poor decisions, concerns me because of the influence this topic may have on the officials of tomorrow’s game. Now before anyone jumps on my case, I want to state from the outset that I do not believe for a single moment that tomorrow’s referee, Mark Clattenburg’s integrity is in any doubt. However, referees are human and they read the newspapers, they discuss the issues that concern them amongst themselves and they watch MotD and SKY like the rest of us because it is in their interests to know what the pundits and the public at large think. It is inconceivable therefore that Mr Clattenburg will not know that Stoke have had a raw deal of late. My concern is that despite the best intentions referees can be influenced by events even if they don’t mean to be.
I like Tony Pulis and I admire the way he has gone about turning Stoke City into the established top flight side they always were when I was a kid. He has faced the bad calls with dignity and has got on with it but even he is beginning to bleat a little more loudly at what he perceives to be unfairness. He claims that there have been six howlers in 11 games. In order to explore this matter further it occurred to me that our own beloved team haven’t exactly received picked up Aces and Kings so far this season either. I will elaborate:
14 August: Sunderland Away; Steven Carr had a penalty awarded against him for an infringement that was clearly outside the box; result – Goal, the game ended 2-2.
29 August: Bolton Wanderers Away; we are denied a penalty for violent conduct in the box. The Bolton keeper is sent off and the referee awards a free kick to Bolton claiming no advantage. However, in accordance with the law, the goalkeeper could have played the ball unimpeded and therefore advantage was theoretically over. Result – We are denied a chance to go 2-0 ahead long before we did.
The penalty awarded to Bolton was highly questionable but we’ll ignore that one. However, the free kick that led to Bolton’s equaliser was a farce. Two Bolton players collide in mid air and Barry Ferguson who is standing a yard away is penalised! Result – Goal as Robbie Blake nets a glorious free kick. The game ends in a 2-2 draw.
25 September: Wigan Athletic Home; Cameron Jerome is fouled inside the box just before half time; we are given a free kick outside the box. Result – we don’t score as we probably would have done and the match ends 0-0.
16 October: Arsenal Away; A blatant dive by Chamakh and Mr Atkinson is duped again. Result – penalty and goal for the equaliser in a game we go on to lose 2-1.
31 October: Aston Villa Away; Reo-Coker handles the ball in the box. No penalty given; result – we draw the game 0-0.
Theoretically, we could argue that no less than nine points have gone AWOL as a direct result of these decisions. Video evidence confirms the veracity of these observations but of course we may have squandered some of the opportunities or the dynamics of the matches may have been altered but by my calculations the above incidents represent six bad calls; exactly the same number that Tony Pulis is complaining about for his team.
Perhaps he doth protest too much?
KRO SOTV
Or, perhaps we, along with a few other clubs, don’t protest enough. Some referees really do give the benefit of the doubt to the so-called big teams. I will never forget that infamous TV interview given by David Ellery, just a few days before he took charge of the Blues v Liverpoo League Cup Final, “If there is any doubt, all referees will give the benefit to the Premier League team because he won’t feel he has done his job unless the better team wins”.
The FA ignored all calls for him to be replaced as the match official and the rest, as they say, is history.
Maybe it is time for ALL the little clubs to join forces and make their protest so loud that even the FA has to take action.
Yes Taz, I remember that final vividly. How that tackle by Henchoz at the end of extra time on Andrew Johnson could have been anything but a penalty kick and a sending off and possibly a day in court for the Liverpool defender for assault is beyond me. However, as I recall, Henchoz got away with handball blocks on the line in the FA Cup final against Arsenal and the UEFA Cup Final against Deportivo Alavez. Liverpool won them both! The point I was trying to make here is that the Stoke thing has been hyped up just before our game and it is true Stoke have had a rough deal with decisions but so have we and yet the pundits hardly mention our misfortunes. They say it evens out but it just doesn’t and maybe you are right; teams like us ought to collectively protest more. Thank you for your comments.
Just a quick note on the Pulis protesting and the little matter of the delap throw-ins. How is it that one of his players is constantly allowed to take extra time on every throw in to clean the ball with a towel, pull up his sleeves and then take a run up on top of that. If you are going to moan Mr Pulis about not receiving fair decisions, then think about each referee that allows your player to take so long over throw ins. To have a player that is able to deliver a ball to the six yard box from each throw in is a great asset to the team but lets cut out out all this messing about. What next, a quick shower and a change of kit! Roger Johnson didn’t get any extra time to change his boots!! Surely more of a necessity that grooming your balls and kit before a throw!!
Stop moaning about the ref’s, the decisions all even themselves out over a season and remember the preferential treatment you get from EVERY referee, at EVERY game at EVERY throw in.
I am also surprised that Championship clubs havent complained about his comments on “relegating” referees to the championship if they do not perform well at Premier league games. Refereering should be of the same standard regardless of the division!
Get off your high horse and get on with managing your team. Oh and don’t worry too much about those refs doing badly, you will soon be back in the Championship and if you get your way, you will be having those ref’s at your games again.
Spirited fight back by the team last night but overall very poor. I think we might be in for a long season. 🙁