Will post what I just posted in a Championship forum..

In complete disbelief at Mr Kettle and at Stoke - 3rd in the league? Jesus wept.</p>


Unbelievable. I was furious on Saturday after watching highlights of the game vs Bristol City with the performance of the referee, and that is why this will seem like sour grapes. But for awful refereeing decisions, inconsistencies, and sheer baffling decisions, step forward....

Mr Trevor Kettle.

I'm sure we all go how much of a w*nker this guy is, and we said before the game that the result would be determined by him.

He gave two penalties in the first half - both could possibly be seen as fairly soft, but you could understand why they'd been given, and were taken with aplomb by Howard and Lawrence in that order. But, in the 2nd half, he really stood up to be noticed.

Two footed tackles went completely ignored, the antics of Ricardo Fuller and Ryan Shawcross spitting, swearing and gesturing in the direction of our fans went completely unpunished. We took the lead with a free header from Macken following Devaney's corner, and with 7 minutes left and with Stoke creating nothing. The ball looped up in the air. Shawcross leapt all over Macken, absolutely flattening him as he headed the ball. No freekick. Shawcross's header reached towards Fuller, and Souza jumped over him and knocked him down to head the ball away - EXACTLY the same challenge. Freekick given. Very well worked freekick allowed Lawrence in for the equaliser - nice goal. He then BOOKED Lawrence for giving a ****** gesture to the Barnsley fans - incitement is a red card offence isnt it? Hmm. I can accept the booking.

We then took the lead again, Odejayi nodding down Devaney's cross as Shawcross's misplaced aggression left his own goalkeeper flattened, and Macken turned it in.

He sent Foster off for a 2nd yellow card which was probably fair enough, allowing Stoke a freekick on the edge of the box. Quote to my mate as he lined it up: &quot;He'll give a penalty here, just watch&quot;.

Cross came in, couple of ricochets, cleared away. Out of nowhere, a whistle goes. The Stoke players begin to head back towards halfway, assuming a freekick has been given against them. No? No! He'd given a penalty! To the shock of absolutely everyone except the Barnsley fans, who knew Kettle would do it. Lawrence again took it well, as Shawcross ran to the East Stand to gesture to the Barnsley fans, giving the w*nker sign before inciting a fan to come onto the pitch and fight him, as the match finished 3-3.

Davey has said that Kettle originally told him he'd given it for shirt-pulling, and 5 minutes later came and told him he'd given it for handball. That stinks of a man who'd given a penalty for tugging, watched the tape and realised that it wasn't, and has found an excuse for giving it. It was a staggering decision.

Stoke must be 3rd in the league solely based on the performances of Ricardo Fuller &amp; to a lesser extent Liam Lawrence. Fuller was outstanding (though a ******) and Lawrence also played well. Aside from that, Tony Pulis is the anti-christ of good football. Stoke fans must get neck-ache.

This'll sound like sour grapes but I don't even care. I'd have taken a point pre-game, but not in those circumstances. Whenever I listen to 606 or talksport, fans from around the country ring in complaining about Mr Kettle. How is he still employed?

Well played Reds. Maybe we'll get the run of the green in one game over the next 10 years.</p>