Shocking referee

Being influenced by a larger crowd is a sign of a referee unfit to go to a higher level.

All the refs know the rules. They all have to pass the same fitness tests. All refs get the odd decision wrong.

It’s the ones who make the least of those errors, and the ones who aren’t ‘homers’ who are easily influenced by a large crowd, that move up the chain. A lot are made SG2 yet still ref at level 3. The elite refs - SG1, get championship games. Sometimes lower (remember Uriah Rennie against Donny years back?). They always seem to think everyone is there to see them as they’re bigger than the game. Too good to be there. I’d sooner just have a league one ref than one who thinks he’s better than the level. They’re always over officious. Like they’ve a point to prove.

I don’t expect to see anything more than an adequate referee this season. By which I mean one that makes a few errors but is barely noticed. Most weeks they’ll be crap though. We just need to hope we get as many dodgy or questionable calls in our favour as against. The foul on Kitching the other week I wouldn’t go as far to say as dodgy - but it was at the very least questionable and it went our way. The cards against us yesterday compared to them seemed poor but it was just a case of the ref not having any control. He booked five players in thirteen minutes, including four in four minutes after we’d gone two nil up. They were the only bookings apart from Connell’s early doors. They weren’t all needed but he should have reined Wednesday in quicker.

We’ll see that most weeks. Sometimes we won’t whinge as it’ll all go in our favour.

 

The BBC statistics clearly show that the Wendies were consistently fouling more than us yet got fewer yellow cards. Simply confirms what I saw. After a few tasty tackles against us went unpunished, I said to the lad next to me "first time one our does one, he'll be booked" a minute later Luka Connell duly went in the book for little more than a "coming together". A proper "homer".