So The Arsenal, one of the great clubs in the world, puts on a pre-season friendly tournament in the capital city, and invites three decent European sides, Benfica, Monaco and Valencia to come and join the party. They throw the doors open to their wider fan-base ensuring a full house of 60,000 on both days of the weekend, many of whom are children visiting the ground for the first time. There is a real carnival atmosphere, and although the Sunday game does not go entirely to script (it is after all a proper match, albeit one played not quite at full pace) a clear cut foul on the home team’s striker in the penalty area ensures that a moment of high drama will see the match end as a draw. Not quite the perfect result, but the young crowd will experience a home goal in front of the North Bank and glow as their heroes parade the trophy that they all but guaranteed in a five goal romp against Benfica on the Saturday. Just about perfect in every way, and the officials (who have been treated with the utmost respect and looked after all weekend so that they too can get up to match speed for the coming season) don’t even have to massage the rules to achieve the result desired by all those who flocked to the Emirates. Just about perfect in every way. It is almost as if a script has been written. God, or at least Arsene Wenger, is in his heaven and all is well with the world.
Except between them the linesman and referee manage to find a way to avoid making the right decision. Instead of the initial penalty awarded by the ref, the linesman’s intervention results in a mere free kick. The match ends in defeat and the spoils go to a Valencia side that few in the crowd have even heard of. The disappointment is tangible and the young fans drift away: some will return, many won’t.
I cannot think of any other major club in the world that would have its hospitality so cynically abused. And if, given all the peripheral reasons for ensuring that justice was done on the Sunday afternoon of an essentially meaningless Emirates Cup, the officials still choose to disadvantage the home side, what chance is there that a level playing field will exist when we travel to Manchester, to Liverpool, to West London to contest not friendlies but proper matches where points and prestige are at stake.
The mind quickly returns to the FA Cup Final, May 17th 2014. The Arsenal, rocked by two early Hull goals, slowly but surely gain a foothold in the match through the excellent Cazorla and go about securing their first trophy for several years. Referee Lee Probert, who once infamously sent Arsene Wenger to the stands for having the temerity to kick a plastic water bottle in frustration at yet another anti-Arsenal decision at Old Trafford, turns down three obvious penalty decisions in a show of breathtaking indifference to the actual rules of the game he has been chosen to oversee. This time his meddling makes no difference and an extra-time winner secures the spoils, but few would deny that Probert made it much harder for the victors to impose their obvious on-field superiority.
Penalties are game-changing moments and as such spotlight the referee’s competence, not just in applying the rules correctly, but also and perhaps more importantly, of having the courage to do so impartially, no matter what the situation, no matter how hostile the home crowd. They are real talking points, and it is no wonder that at times it is obviously easier to wave play on. However, while penalties clearly do affect results, they are not necessarily the most important decisions that referees are called upon to make. An early Yellow Card not given for a professional foul sets in motion a whole series of cynical assaults, all designed to break up the rhythm of the better side – playmakers are targeted for rotational fouling, so lax officiating not only amounts to a cheat’s charter but also threatens the skilled player’s entire career. Any team that plays a passing game does so to maneuver their opposition out of position before making the final and telling assist: little unpunished professional fouls allow the out-maneuvered time and space to regroup. The Arsenal are particularly vulnerable to this tactic, but, and this cannot be stressed too strongly, this tactic cannot work if the referee is doing his job properly. Every time you see the official keep his card in his pocket when a yellow should have been given you will know that he is, either intentionally or unintentionally, favoring the transgressor over the transgressed. Every time you read an opinion that suggests that The Arsenal have been contained or beaten by a manager that does tactics, ask yourself whether the referee has also played a part in those tactics. And if you find that yes, in fact the ref has had an influence, then you might also begin to ask about the validity or the motive of that anti-Arsenal opinion.
Any Arsenal fan will have their own particular examples of games that have been refereed in a particularly anti-Arsenal way, and it will be interesting to see the comments section fill up with moments when the decisions have literally beggared belief. The best Arsenal site for detailing the vagaries of specific referees is Untold Arsenal, and it is always sobering to read their referee reviews before any game. There don’t seem to be many refs who call it evenly, and I leave it to you to think about why that might be the case, and why so few Arsenal blogs draw attention to that situation. But I think they should, and I think that all Arsenal fans have a responsibility to speak loudly and clearly about the way the games are officiated. If there is an anti-Arsenal bias then we should all draw attention to it. Fans interviewed on Arsenal TV should talk about the decisions of the referee, fans on Twitter should point to the man in black, influential bloggers should have the officials firmly in their sights. We all enjoy having our own views about what the manager should have done, and who has played well or not so well, and there is a time and place for those opinions, but I would suggest that in the immediate aftermath of a game the performance of the officials should be clearly and vociferously scrutinized.
And perhaps most importantly of all, those who go regularly to the stadium should be very loud and proud in support of their team – and even louder and more hostile towards the referee if he shows any signs of getting it wrong. The season ticket holders need to be the 12th man, and referees should expect any decision not correctly given Arsenal’s way to lead to a violent storm of ear-splitting hate. We expect marginal decisions to go against us at Old Trafford, the Bernabeu, and the Allianz for that is the way of things, but we must do all in our power to ensure that when we play at home we at the very least get the rub of the green. It would be nice to think that on match days all Arsenal fans would put aside their differences, and unite to make The Emirates a proper fortress that our players adore and opposing teams and referees fear. Make some noise, create merry hell and make the referees mind up for him. Together we can indeed be stronger and when we go to matches we need to remember that supporting The Arsenal means exactly that – and that proper and noisy support can and does lead to key decisions going the home team’s way
Today’s article was given to us by Tim Head @foreverheady
Positively Arsenal 
Its the children I feel sorry for
LikeLike
Been going on for well over a decade. Won’t change any time soon. You could easily make a Anti-Arsenal 10 disc boxset from just the 2002/03 and 2005/06 seasons.
There’s a reason video evidence will never be used in top level football. “Oh but it’ll delay things too much in between all the play acting and time wasting” Ha.
LikeLike
And abandoned kittens. I feel sorry for abandoned kittens.
LikeLike
As one of the people who have been responsible for the Untold Referee Previews, I am great flu for your words of acknowledgement of the work that Walter and his team of reviewers has done over the past few years. The level of incompetence shown in Arsenal matches at times is so extreme that it is difficult to believe that it isn’t part of an orchestrated agenda but of course that can never be conclusively proven.
You mentioned the missed penalty in the Sunday game last weekend, there should have been one in our Saturday game as well when Campbell was clearly pushed off the ball in the area in the opening few minutes. History indicates that that would never happen to United at OT.
I will attempt to do previews again this year but as there were no formal reviews last year, I will have to rely on my own notes and I am not a referee so they will have to be different to last year. The good news is that Walter has indicated that he hopes to restart his reviews so things should be back to normal later in the season. In the meantime if any of your readers have any game notes they would care to share with me I would be most appreciative.
LikeLike
I would like our fans to be a bit more noisy, a bit more positive in their performance. I think we do booing and intimidating quite well to be honest George, opposition players, managers, referees, linesmen, away fans, and of course Arsenal players from time to time.
It is the roaring exuberance, the joyous volume, that is frequently absent, replaced by the tutting and fidgeting and the drumming of frustrated fingers on the empty seat in front, as the expected goalfest does not kick off in the first ten minutes. Eventually it moves on to sighing, eye rolling and yes – faint groaning by half time.
As I have said before, no moral fibre.
On a football/referee point however watching Matthieu Flamini’s out of control excesses on Saturday and Sunday my money is on him to pick up the “Most Cards in the Fewest Number of PL Games Award” for 2014/2015 to go with his trophy last year.
Sort your shit out son.
LikeLike
Great post FH
Mason who helpfully introduced Joel Campbell to the partisan applications of the rules of game that he will experience playing for the Arsenal in the PL was the referee a few years ago in a game against Everton. He was obviously tilting that day.
Everton were awarded a hopelessly offside goal early in the game. The crowd were not amused. One-nil to the referee was the song that lasted most of the half at reasonable volume. They really got on his back, because he was blatant (he’s no Dean!) and it really made a difference. 2-1 to the Arsenal at full time.
A quick search brings up this review of the game as the first hit:
“If there is a more atrocious refereeing display this season, I want you to tell me so. For this was game where Arsenal not only have to up against a spirited Everton side but also had to contend with the bias calls from referee, Lee Mason. It was like there are 2 separate set of laws when it comes to interpreting what we and Everton did. Despite all that, we kept pace with Manchester United* by winning another league game.”
*AFC competed till the Sunderland game that season, when Arshavin was denied not one but two pens. After which he seemed to out on a leeeetle bit of extra weight (who could blame him) and make comments like: “it was not possible for Arsenal to win the league this season” in his Kryptic KGB styles. Of course, this challenge happened before the Great Rebuild began. But this never stopped the Groaners putting up their billboard at that time. They helped kill the support behind the competing team as well, which doesn’t help when you have officials who have been recorded having very biased performances against your team.
So,in short, I agree Anicoll even if he doesn’t agree with all of the above (he doesn’t have to!). Except on Flamini. I’m guessing his role this season will be to come on with twenty to go and to make fouls like that! At least, that is what I am hoping for. Heh.
LikeLike
Top post, George. You are spot on and I hope there is some action taken by the supporters on match days.
But in regards to blogs…why is it that so few apart from Untold Arsenal and Positively Arsenal even talk about referee bias. Blogs and bloggers either pretend it doesn’t exist or go to the ‘it all evens out’ bullshit. Untold Arsenal has already proven the hypothesis that we can all see. Its done. Old news. Yet some still deny that the emperor has no clothes. But I wonder why? Surely its not a case for stupidity. And if its not stupidity what is it?
All these years I thought certain blogs and bloggers and trolls were paid for by Usmanov…but I wonder…maybe Gazprom is the sponsor. Either way, they are such a tiny portion, if everyone just paid attention to what was really going on, these fucken liars would be shut up and shut up shop. But the problem is the majority of people follow the mainstream media, so the ability to educate and enlighten is limited to each individual person’s ability to see through the bullshit.
I say don’t fall for the lie. Arsenal is the best team in England by a long, long margin – even without additions. Take away referee bias and Arsenal and Arsene would win by 20 points this season. Would have won several in the seasons just past, before the rebuild. Objectively, the team and squad is a beast already. Fuck the rest. The referees are the only thing that can stop Arsenal. They were the only thing that ever could. Bastards.
But as George says, if the home crowd gets behind the team – and if bloggers start speaking out more, it can only be a good thing.
LikeLike
i agree with you but im sorry to say we are going to have refrees making binger mistakes then larst year asthay are just poor as for linesman you sore what happend on sunday thay are poor to and how do we no if thay are being payed to throw a match or not we cannot rule it out we just dont no and i am talking about football refs and lineman across the board f.a wont do anything about it . make the rules easeyer
LikeLike
Superb article.
I just spent 30 mins writing a reply – and I’ve now lost it, but I see Fins and Sav have covered some of what I wanted to post, so thanks to you both.
Check Shotta’s ref/game review on a match played far away, recently:
LikeLike
Hurrah. I’ve been looking for this for years.
You know the guy who heads the refs? Well he reffed our 50th. Here’s the complete match. Watch and listen to the commentary. Note how it has changed over the years. PG, tie Gaz to a chair and force him to watch it, then ask him about the “rub of the green”.
Enjoy, with sick bucket to hand:
https://archive.org/details/UnitedXArsenal
LikeLike
Today’s blog was penned by @foreverheady. Sorry I didn’t credit him initially.
LikeLike
The reason I find it difficult to join in the referee slaughter is that when I watch games live, or in fact on the box, the first time I see an incident I doubt I get the call right more than 50% of the time. Like Chris Waddle I often leap to my feet shouting PELANTEEEE” when in fact it is nothing like a penalty, not even remotely penal.
As for off sides, handballs, whether a foul is a psychotic premediated assault or a particularly clumsy bit of stupidity again would say I am about 50/50 correct.
When I have had the chance to review the incident obviously my expertise increases many times. I show these whistling fools up to be – well – fools – Ha!
Now often I might be further away at a live game than the ref or the lino so that might explain why they get far more calls right at the Ems than me, plus they are supposed to be trained and fit and concentrating, not fretting about their strained bladder and wondering about a half time beer like me.
But even with the benefit my comfy chair, an overhead and uninterrupted camera angle and wide screen HD screen I get call after call wrong – first time.
LikeLike
Terrific article ForeverHeady, agree with all your points.
There are three things that concern me most:
1. Northern bias – vast majority of refs are from the north and relentlessly favour northern sides; we see this is so often the case in games involving Spurs and Chelsea as well as our own.
2. The current fashion for refs to ‘manage’ games rather than simply apply the rules is one of the most infuriating aspects of the modern game and players know they will never be booked or sent off in the opening minutes. Rotational fouling ensures cheats stay in the game and you can see the reluctance with which refs eventually start to book players usually after the second half. Plenty of exceptions to this, I know, but this is the general contemporary pattern.
3. Anicoll may get most of the calls wrong at home but unlike where he’s watching, on the pitch there are no fewer than FOUR men in black contriving to get decision after decision badly wrong. Two linesmen, a fourth official and a referee all patently failing in their jobs, frequently at the most basic of levels, over and over again.
None of this will change until video reviews are evolved over time into the game. The first ‘play’ to be handled by video technology should be offside decisions as this will instantly deliver 3 officials watching the wider play instead of the current one. Having a ref in each half of the pitch would also reap huge benefits to the game. Recruiting ex-players as refs would help create a ‘street-wise’ refereeing culture so the persistent hoodwinking by ‘clever’ players of naive refs could be eliminated. Finally, post match reviews so that persistent cheating – be it diving or rotational fouling – could be identified and eliminated by heavy sanction.
That season after season passes with nothing being done to improve matters is the most disappointing aspect of football today especially as at the highest levels of the English at least, there has never been more funds or better technology available to tackle all of this. The FA and the Premier League must show leadership in this, save the game by establishing best practise in all these areas, so that over time, overseas leagues can follow suit.
Wishful thinking?
Seems that way.
LikeLike
http://untold-arsenal.com/archives/37085#comment-802540
LikeLike
Anicoll, Looks to me that its you who is incompetent.
LikeLike
“Recruiting ex-players as refs would help create a ‘street-wise’ refereeing culture so the persistent hoodwinking by ‘clever’ players of naive refs could be eliminated.”
If that is right then why do the allegedly expert ex pros Andy Townsend, Lawro, Clarkie ‘ Clark’ Carlisle, and Uncle Tom Cobley etc who commentate on the games from their vantage point consistently get their calls wrong not just first time, but even having the opportunity to review the incident on the replay.
Or are you seriously telling me you want the likes of Hansen and Shearer sticking their oar in ?
Street wise ? Thick as shite more like – Bloody hell !
LikeLike
It is me who is incompetent George – same as probably other experts who judges every refereeing performance from the comfort of their couch and with the aid of multiple technology.
What amazes me is how often the officials get the calls right given, for example, that as a linesman you may have to look at two different locations at the same time, the passer of the ball and the line of the final defender and attacker. I know they are right cos the replays prove it.
I’ve tried it in the garden
Hellishly difficult
LikeLike
I’d rather save my outrage for referees who mess up calls during the season.
Chief shit stirrer, Jowls Usmanov, is excited about the club all of a sudden. If I were Stan Kronke I’d kick him in the nuts.
LikeLike
There’s a difference between ex-players supposedly suitable for a media career and those – probably from lower leagues – who might make decent refs.
It’s long been known the offside rule is fiendishly hard for human eyes to judge; ideal for handing over to video.
Or just carry on as we’ve always done and enjoy the game being turned into a lottery.
LikeLike
@Finsbury…On the Everton game, I was in block 14 that night, and the situation was unusual.
While it was blatantly obvious to all of us there that they’d screwed up and Saha was offside, the ‘goal’ went up on the big screens so everyone saw it. As anyone who goes regularly knows, they never replay any dodgy decisions (PL rule maybe?). From that point it was just about the most hostile crowd there I can remember.
Normally with something like that, you have to wait until you get home to get a second look, with the wonderful individuals at MOTD usually airbrushing it out of existence anyway.
Solving the problem? Short of technology, Rugby have it best (and they use video as well). Go to a big game, spend a few quid on the way in on a cheap disposable radio and you are plugged into the ref’s radio/mic feed. It doesn’t remove all the errors, but when the ref has to explain his decision with everyone listening……
LikeLike
That Everton game was particularly embarrassing for the refs as the decision was so bad and the instant replay so revealing.
And would have been easier to correct than to labour on.
LikeLike
Well – not quite a lottery, AA. Can you think of any good reason why the wise men who rule football should be so averse to simple technology?
The one that immediately occurs to me is that it limits the scope of referees (and hence those who control the referees) to influence results.
But of course this is mere paranoia – conspiracy theory – and clearly not to be countenanced.
LikeLike
Spot on article – shame that a lot of people who need to read it, won’t.
I admire your attempts to be even handed Anicol15 and to a certain extent I agree with you that human error is a factor. But when it keeps happening disproportionately to certain teams rather than others, the point comes where you have to question whether corruption or just plain bias is being hidden behind the excuse of incompetence. How do you explain a professional referee like Probert failing to award at least 1 of the 3 penalties we should have had in the FA cup final?
If the PL or FA really cared about fairness in the game and trying to make the referees job a bit easier they would provide them with the tools to help them do the best job they can. The other sports that have embraced technology are none the worse for it. The longer football holds out, the more obvious the crookedness appears.
I am making a prediction today that the favoured team for 14/15 will be Liverpool. A Liverpool supporting friend advised me today that 10 of their first 13 games will be televised and apparently they were on TV 28 times last season. Let’s see if I’m wrong come the end of the season.
If Arsenal win anything, once again we will have to overcome the men in black as well as the 11 in the opposition team.
LikeLike
As usual, well said Passenal.
LikeLike
Another spot on post, I’ve many times remarked on football being tainted by the usual corruption that goes with any big money business. Also if most people in the country are % wise manure fans subconsciously the refs must have a similar bias. It is amazing that we don’t get homers as we are regarded as a big club. Untold have cumulated loads of evidence over the seasons about the bias by refs against ARSENAL personally I don’t think its coincidence just as the ignorance of tactical fowling by the F.A.
LikeLike
What baffles me about Lee Probert is that as a referee, even one of the top group of EPL referees who get only one FA Cup final, that he decided to sacrifice his entire career and professional reputation just to fuck up Arsenal against Hull.
I mean it is not as though he comes from Hull. And yet he went out there and did his very best to ensure that Arsenal lost. And how cunning he was to deny the blatant fouls in the box against Santi.
Santi having a somewhat dubious reputation
As a result of the overarching mass conspiracy against our mighty club.
LikeLike
Brilliant article. I think it’s telling that in both matches we were denied stone wall penalties in meaningless friendlies. And at home too. It doesn’t matter even if we’re playing a side from north Korea, they’d still favour them over us instead of being neutral. I fear for our players this coming season, starting with the charity shield on Sunday.
LikeLike
No one could have put it better.I always feel there is a conspiracy led by riley to unfairly target Arsenal all our fans know this but its dissapointing that some of our “fans” are afraid to say this .
LikeLike
I agree wholeheartedly FH that the Ems could do a better job intimidating the referee. Studies have shown that the biggest factor in home advantage is the refereeing. Not the supposed lift the team gets in its performance by its cheering fans. No, it is the referees being subtly influenced by the atmosphere around them. I highlighted this frequently in comments in the past, but almost no one was interested in the role fans might play in this respect. Instead it is always the ire about not supporting our players enough etc… or the conspiratorial bias against Arsenal, which I don’t dispute but don’t see how fans can directly address that in their routine activity as supporters. And I agree with Anicoll that it would be much more pleasurable to have that raucous cheering and singing atmosphere ( which itself might influence the refs) but the key issue is what works best to influence the refs in favor of the home team? And for some reason this seldom gets any thoughtful discussion here among supporters where it mig do some good when we get into the ground.
LikeLike
Andrew, Santi was victim of a leg sweep that Mr. Miyagi would have been proud of. It was as blatant as a foul could be. The shove from behind was bad enough ,but fuck me.
LikeLike
@Passernal — I agree that Liverpool will probably be the narrative that the TV companies will want to sell this year, but for perspective Liverpool didn’t get many more games than anyone else last season: Us, City, Chelsea and United got 25. Even that bunch in Middlesex got 24.
Liverpool’s total got boosted, when SKY showed 10 of their last 11 games, as they bought into the delusion that they might actually win something. They actually Showed their first 5 games in a row last season then eased off until the title run (and stumble 🙂 ).
Looking at it cynically, the TV companies are playing the odds. If Liverpool maintain their form, they get the neutral punters lots of games early on, and can still cherry-pick 15 or so of the last 25 games.
If it all goes horribly wrong, they get to document Liverpool’s meltdown in HD, then can point at all the games they have already shown when they ignore them later on.
LikeLike
By the way the thing that really worries me about the refs is not things like the penalty shouts, but how many dangerous tackles are being ignored when it is us. Things like:
Dean’s double whammy in the Chelsea game. First waving play on after Mikel’s studs up challenge on Arteta (then denying the penalty 20 seconds later). Later deciding that Ivanovic trying to take Özil’s jaw off with his studs was only worth a throw-in.
Atkinson seeing Toure’s legbreaker on Giroud was actually a foul was a step up I guess.
Top of the pile for me were: Probert in the first WBA game, waving play on after having a perfect view of Jack being taken down by a scissor tackle from behind in the box.
Best of all is Swarbrick: Watching Agbonglahor elbow Rosicky in the face. Wave play on. Not stop the game even when it goes to the Villa keeper, even though there is a guy on the ground with a head injury. After the restart, go past him to have a look, and still play on. Only after 30 seconds he finally stops play to let the guy with a broken nose get treatment.
I guess I’m over sensitive about this sort of thing, but: Ramsey, Diaby, Eduardo all give me good reason, and the way things are going its only a matter of time before the next.
LikeLike
Excellent post today, Foreverheady. Many good comments, too. I share Limestonegunner’s interest in this topic, and you have done a great job of making the case for more active, vocal participation, not only for our boys, but, more importantly, to put pressure on the referee. As LSG points out, that is what makes a difference. One of the few examples I can recall of the Emirates crowd successfully mobilising in this way was against Leeds United (I believe) whose goalkeeper was, you guessed it, time-wasting. The crowd got more and more vocal, and eventually the referee was bullied into booking the ‘keeper. What a treat it was to listen to Neil Warnock after the match, complaining that the crowd was responsible for the booking! More of this, please!
On the question of what can Arsenal do as a team (as opposed to what the supporters can do), I would say that they have to rise above the bias. There will be referees who allow rotational fouling and who won’t crack down on clever, niggling fouls that interrupt play. The only thing the team can do is to play well enough – as in the FA Cup final – that we win anyway. Easier said than done, of course. If we rely on others to come to our aid, I fear we will be waiting for that bus for a long, long time.
LikeLike
Apparently the linesman was just ‘in training’ for a spot as the main man. He’s never gonna make it to the top if he can’t show that he can fuck/fix up the most simple decision against the Arsenal otherwise.
LikeLike
In the late afternoon/early evening slot one of the presenters on Talk Sport (don’t know which one) said something along the lines of ” of course Man U having a good season is important for the Premiership”. and the fact that this little gem went completely unchallenged rang more than a few alarm bells.
LikeLike
Limestone – have always been with you on your points about home crowd v referees. Obviously only covers half our total games but still valid; I for one spend half of most games screeching at the referees from my front row seat next to the goal and they DO hear it but needs whole stadium doing it EVERY time decisions/non decisions go awry.
What I would also like to see much more of is the players getting in the faces of the refs and backing each other up, as well. They should be going nuts about all the shady antics which would spark the crowd into life (home and away) but too often just get on with the game. Meanwhile guys like Rosicky are lying flat out with a broken nose, Jack’s been taken down from behind for the umpteenth time and we are meekly carrying on as if nothing has happened. Giroud often rightly makes a fuss but how often does anyone back him up?
Not an ideal spectacle, I know, but where the dark arts of the opposition are concerned …
LikeLike
A Andrew: one of my hopes is that the various supporters groups and their spokespersons could take this on rather than worrying about ticket prices etc. Not that ticket prices are not worth worrying about, but I can see concerted action to make noise at a match might have a more immediate effect.
LikeLike
“The only thing the team can do is to play well enough – as in the FA Cup final – that we win anyway. Easier said than done, of course. If we rely on others to come to our aid, I fear we will be waiting for that bus for a long, long time.”
Write this tall and clear; on every player’s contract, in the small print on the back of every season ticket and member card, on every on the dressing room wall, on the concourse, on the back of every seat.
LikeLike
Video tech now.
LikeLike
Excellent post FH and tremendous comments. I wonder how many bloggers and supporters groups will be willing to shine the spotlight on the referees this season now we are past the sterile, divisive debate about Wenger-In or Out. As someone said before at least Untold Arsenal and their offshoot Untold Refereeing have been vanguards. And on cue, today they did something today about the Dutch experimenting with video referees. Worth a read at http://untold-arsenal.com/archives/37092
LikeLike
Excellent points AA. I hope to join you at the Ems a fair few times this season in the project of influencing the ref as I’ll be in London and able to attend more games. Last time a couple years ago at the 2-0 Victory over Villa I sat in the Clock End and the atmosphere really was pretty poor. Tourists like me mostly and no chants. I hope to experience an exciting European night when the atmosphere is perhaps more electric.
LikeLike
Rufusstan
August 5, 2014 at 8:06 pm
Thanks, I had forgotten the peculiar circumstances that had led to the crowds vocal ire (a replay on a giant screen in front of sixty thousand people!).
There are old studies proving the impact of Home support on an official, this understanding is one reason we have home and away goals in some cup competitions. Though as AW says in the modern era this is less obvious then previously and perhaps that rule should be changed.
–
Don’t be kidding yourselves, Probert only got the final gig because of his previous with the offensive water bottle! It would be funny if it wasn’t true.
He was ‘avin’ a larf. Fortunately for us the Arsenal had the last laugh.
Well, thanks to Untold we have learnt that the Dutch FA are proposing to introduce video refs and are and have been running trials.
Progress. It can be slow,
LikeLike
Great post. Agree with what you say. And thanks for mentioning our work on referees. Work that we will continue this season. They will not get rid of us that easily.
LikeLike
Fins @ 11:31am: “Progress. It can be slow.”
True but progress is inevitable. It is dependent on factors inside and outside of us. Do you remember how the “realists” dismissed the value of advocating Financial Fair Play? I wonder if Chelsea, City, PSG are as dismissive today as the UEFA sanctions bite.
It is the same with refereeing which in my opinion will be a much harder nut to crack. There are too many powerful parties with vested interest in the current state of affairs. The big boys in FIFA, UEFA, the PL and elsewhere will always want that power to tilt the playing field for or against certain teams. One critical element will be the broadcasters who are becoming more powerful because of the importance of tv rights to the finances of all the big professional leagues. How much longer will their audiences be satisfied with crappy decisons when their audiences now have High Def broadcasts and slow-mo replays that clearly demonstrate the actual events on the field of play while referees steadfastly abstain from such commonly available technology?
LikeLike
Shotta
Not much longer! In a world where people can watch live HD streams on mobile devices the FUFA wallah’s have exposed themselves to the merciless elements.
LikeLike
I think when Blatter departs/dies/is jailed you will have replays in use about five minutes later
I see his Argentine chum died last week
The end is coming
LikeLike
Good post FH
I knew George couldn’t have penned such a well written article!
I know we have been targetted by dodgy ref decisions and it really does make my red haze come to the surface. Occasionally we do get the benefit of bad decisions but the balance is definately not in our favour. The sooner technology is used the better. But the FA will avoid that for as long as possible because it will highlight the poor refereeing in England and put them in a bad light.
LikeLike
Where did you hear referees were against video replays Shotts ?
I thought they were in favour of video replays
LikeLike
Anicoll@12:28pm: I hope I didn’t imply the refs were against video replay Andrew. We both know that King Sepp and his refereeing minions are the ones opposed.
LikeLike
My impression is that most referees would welcome the assistance of a fourth official with a replay Shotts – after all who wants to be Andre Marriner at the Bridge !
LikeLike