deardevil wrote:
Claudius wrote:
All I’m saying is both of these are daft decisions. There is often an idea that Premier League referees have a unique incompetence when actually they’re just humans making errors like we all do everyday. Only difference is our bullshit isn’t in view of 100million people who care deeply about the outcome of a game between 22 chaps
Finally, someone with some common sense which doesn't appear to be all that common. Anything that involves humans will be subject to human error. :gape:
Short of having an AI algorithm refereeing the match, there will always be mistakes. Refereeing is a thankless task and I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would want to do it.
Go to any amateur match and you'll see people abusing refs. Go on any fan forum from AC Milan to Timbuktu FC, and you'll see herds of fans thinking the refs are out to get them.
Instead of sitting on the sidelines criticising, the critics should go out there and show us all how it's done.
I am a trained and licensed referee (currently Grade 7 but I was Grade 6 when I relied on the income to pay rent). I've reffed dozens of games and been an assistant on more, from U5s to U19s. I've eaten untold buckets of shit served up by angry parents and rabid fans, including many outright death threats, racist abuse, etc. I could ref a game better than most PL match officials with a fucking blindfold on. It's not about "mistakes", it's about acting in good faith with a genuine effort to enforce the rules of the game while preserving the spirit of the same. PL refs are not doing that, and haven't done so for quite some time. They believe they are there to "manage" the game and take charge of proceedings, rather than to facilitate the game on behalf of the other stakeholders (players, coaches, fans). It's a philosophical problem and they need someone to step in and force them to change - it's not going to come from within because they are driven by ego and bitterness. The multiplying factor is their incompetence, which I personally believe comes as a symptom of their faulty approach, which is all about discipline, respect, and control. It's terribly old-fashioned and completely out of step with the contemporary state of the game.
