Re: Don's Match Thread
 

Imagine how the crap would have really hit the fan,had it been one of the premiership so-called big boys.

Re: Don's Match Thread
 

Was just saying the same thing Cashy - it would've been talked about for weeks & some action would probably have been taken against the ref

Re: Don's Match Thread
 

The only explanation I can come up with is the ref run over his "added on time" and realised The fallout that would ensue if the away team were to score in that period.
Totally bottled it -simple.

Re: Don's Match Thread
 

prem refs usually seem to get demoted to football league games for a couple of weeks for their mistakes. will be swept under the carpet I am sure. for those out there who know statistics who was the last ref. to be kicked off the football league list for poor performances.

Re: Don's Match Thread
 

could be the reason f19 but is it not protocol to allow an attack to finish before you blow

Re: Don's Match Thread
 

You might be right, F19. The second half ended in even more disarray as the so-called 4th official didn't even put up his little electronic board and no announcement was made of any added minutes.
The numb-heads who run football could easily solve this entire problem by adopting what they do in rugby.
Take time keeping out of the hands of the on-field ref, stop the watch every time the ball is not in play, blow a hooter after 45 minutes of play, end the game when the ball next goes 'dead' after that hooter.
But they never will because the sweet **FA blazers arrogantly know it all and refuse to learn anything from any other sport.

Re: Don's Match Thread
 

Agree with with Exile. Football's inability to learn from other sport (or from previous mistakes) has always baffled me. But having said that, there is absolutely nothing Stanley can do about it. Technically the ref is correct, or at least entitled to do it. Football is the only sport where nobody save the ref knows when the game finishes. I, too, remember the stick Clive Thomas got, but it was in another era, before time was added on. And his mistake was really allowing the corner to be taken. He had somehow got it into his head that he should blow for time when the ball was in play, but he had told players close to him, including the goalkeeper, that he would blow for time as soon as the ball was in play. Stupid I know, but there was no way he could have allowed that goal. It was poor refereeing, but hardly of mr. Kettle's standard.

Compare that to what happened to Iceland in the Euro qualifiers. Time was up, but the Czechs still scored from a corner 20 seconds past. When the coach enquired, the ref explained that the corner had to be taken and some 15-20 seconds allowed for the team taking it to try to score. The coach, with 40 years in the game and five World cups behind him, had of course never heard of this.

OK. So what is the message then, you might ask. None, really, except that refs can do as they bloody well please. It is all down to their judgment, or in Mr Kettle's case, lack of it.

Re: Don's Match Thread
 

Football is not that exact or strict, you don't get a minimum of 30 secs, 10 secs , 45 secs added on at the end of the half, it is either 1 min or more or nothing.

The ref being fussy about half a second is a farce, and learning from past mistakes most refs (or all apart from this one) blow before a danger situation or after it.

After the world cup example there was only David Platt for villa in 1990 with an overhead kick being disallowed that I can remember being like this, and even then it was not as tight as this one. It is very basic so makes you wonder why he did it? I suppose the reason doesn't matter, the outcome should be it is his last match.

Re: Don's Match Thread
 

I agree chewbacca, but the outcome will be sod all no doubt at all.

Re: Don's Match Thread
 

Paradoxically, Cashy, I think your point may be just why nothing will change soon as regards poor judgement from refs.
It does happen with the 'big boys' but football is now so indebted to the media, mainly television, who love such controversy as it produces hours and hours of broadcast hot air. Sometimes the games are so boring that refereeing decisions are the only thing all those pundits can 'debate'. Happening right now - the main topic on 5Live is currently the sending off of Mata, and an hour ago it was the Liverpool 'penalty'.
We all know it's not easy being a ref but the lack of technology or other support to help improve matters is of no interest to the media,whose primary purpose seems to be to create tomorrow's headlines.

Re: Don's Match Thread
 

Yes, but what a lot of commentators on other message boards after this idiotic error are missing is that it happened at half time, not at the final whistle, when any time wasting can be taken into account.Even if you are right the berk could have deducted a few seconds at full time if he was that bothered. Nothing but incompetence can explain this shambolic situation. According to the Rochdale MB Mr. Kettle has "history" when it comes to cock ups, which to be fair, most refs do, although not on this scale!:(

Re: Don's Match Thread
 

Considering the amount of money, fans, infrastructure, it's standing in british culture etc etc etc.... It is incredulous that officiating in football is as poor and as controversial as it is. Every other sport has moved on with technology (in many cases it enhances the experience such as tennis) and professionalism. Football referees need to take a long hard look at themselves, accept that they aren't performing well enough for a sport in 2016 and change. Some people think controversy are part of the 'romance' of watching football - I don't, it puts me off the sport, I would rather watch a highly skilled, uncontroversial game.

My first step would be connecting them all up to a microphone. If your decisions are correct and you are confident they are doing a professional job, they should have nothing to fear.

Re: Don's Match Thread
 

Be careful what you wish for. Up here the refs were pushed too far and went on strike so the SFA had to go round europe to get refs who would come over. They got 11 in the end but fortunately the weather was so bad most games were off that weekend and they came back thefollowing weekend.

However bad you think they are a poor ref is better than no ref because no ref means no game. If football did bring in more technology it won't be at our level it will be in the top two divisions. There's a reason we get these refs and it's because we are in the bottom division.

God knows how we ever managed when it was highlights of 3 games per week and all we could do was argue in the pub :D .

Re: Don's Match Thread
 

I've had a go at refereeing, albeit, at nowhere near football league level and it's very difficult - every single decision is questioned by someone either playing or watching to various level of vociferousness, anger, gamesmanship etc.

I also know a few lads who have worked hard at their refereeing, take it very seriously and practice at football league level. These people are dedicated to being the best they can be and, as they've progressed up the levels, they've also gained experience about the game - how it's played and the expectations players and club officials at the different levels have. They understand the game.

Mr Kettle's decision yesterday was simply incredible. How a man who has progressed up the refereeing levels, has taken charge of hundreds of games, allegedly understands the game, can blow the whistle for half time after a striker has took a shot from about 10 yards from goal is simply incredible. The play was building, so either blow the whistle as Pierro's pass is in the air or wait until after the play has gone dead after Kee's shot.

As an earlier poster said, technically, Mr Kettle did nothing wrong, however, he showed an amazing lack of judgement and understanding of the game. I'll be very disappointed with the Football League if he's asked to take charge of a game this week.

Re: Don's Match Thread
 

Do we even know if he was watching the game or was he looking at his watch and pointing to the tunnel. I can't see him on the TV pictures so I don't know.

As stated technically correct but either stupidity or a sign of an officious nitpicking jobsworth.