Ref’s need to take responsibility
7January 18, 2013 by Made In Brum
I am not one to constantly criticise referee’s, as they have a difficult job. But sometimes, a bit of common sense wouldn’t go amiss. This week alone we have seen two howlers decide the outcome of games.
At Villa Park last Saturday, Southampton striker Jay Rodriguez dived (or as ref’s call it, simulated) to earn his side a penalty in the relegation six pointer against our neighbours Aston Villa. Ricky Lambert stepped up and scored, the game ended 1-0. Although I think Villa have to partly look at themselves and their inability to score, that decision changed the end result and mabe the course of the season for both sides.
After the game, pundits and players alike came out to discuss the incident. The referee got away with it virtually scot free.
At St. Andrews on Tuesday night in the FA Cup replay, with the scores tied at 1-1, Paul Robinson is adjudged to have handled the ball, the referee Andy Woolmer awarded a penalty. His linesman, who is seven or eight yards away, informed him that Robinson was outside the area. But the referee, 20 yards away, decided he thought it was inside the area. El-Hadji Diouf scored the spot kick, Leeds won 2-1 and the decision cost Blues, who are in financial trouble, a money-spinning televised fourth round tie a home to Spurs.
Since the tie, the referee hasn’t spoke about the decision. When we contacted the referee’s association, they told us that Andy Woolmer ‘refused to comment’. Why? These decisions cost teams titles, relegations, the cost managers jobs, the least he can do is apologise for the incorrect decision.
Lee Clark has sent a video of the incident to the football league and is awaiting a reply, however, Blues are out of the cup, its too late. Referee’s have to come out after a bad decision and speak to the media, give us the answers head on. In any other job, in any other walk of life, doing your job wrong, or badly, is punishable. Why isn’t this the case for referee’s?
And all this cobblers about ‘they even themselves out’ is garbage. Try working out how many times a decision has gone against, say, Manchester United, and then work out how many decisions a team like Wigan or Norwich have had against them. If the same incident’s had happened against a ‘big club’ in the Premier League, you would never hear the end of it.
By Rob Wildey
Made In Brum 
And meanwhile, a ref who makes a private comment to a player (and one which most fans would agree with and support him for) is dropped from the next weekend’s matches.
They should definitely be required to answer questions after the game.
Watch a film called the referees mate, will change your perspective on match officials, it shows a behind closed door perspective of referees that football fans don’t see. A few years ago i’d be having a moan about the ref all the time, but since then I’ve started refereeing open age football, and i’d never have imagined it would be as hard as it is. I’m only 17 and I’ve made so many mistakes which have potentially cost teams games, but no one is going to get every single decision right and under the pressure and spotlight that football league/premier league refs are under, it has got to be one of the hardest jobs. At the end of the day its football for you really. KRO
Hi Joe
I’m not underestimating the difficulty of a referee’s job, but sometimes common sense has to come into play.
Robinson was clearly outside the box, I could tell from where I was sitting. But add to that the fact the referee asked his linesman (he was obviously unsure) then went against his word and gave a pen. If he’s so certain its a pen, why ask his linesman in the first place?
Anyway, keep the comments coming. Feedback on the site is welcome.
The simple answer is video technology! Most referees will agree that some desicions they make are incorrect, but in the heat of the moment when you are under pressure for a split second desicion I would say its impossible to get every desicion right!
Give refs an option of referring to a tv official who by the time a ref has asked for the desicion would of probably already have an answer waiting!
Some fans would argue this may ruin the “talking points” in football but bad decisions are ruining clubs!
No matter how hard the job, they have taken it on and are therefore responsible for their actions. No it isn’t one of the hardest jobs, go and ask a squadie in the QE or a nurse in any A&E or a fireman pulling a baby from a burning house or wrecked motor, a police officer in a riot. The list is endless mate. Yes of course refs are human and they will make mistakes, but at least allow them to explain their thoughts regarding the incidents.
Think they mean one of the hardest jobs in football…
Thats exactly what I thought before i took it up, that it would be a walk in the park but its far from it. Like i said im only 17, and ive recieved all sorts of abuse from players/managers/parents. The thing with explaining thoughts after the game is that most of the time it is just admitting mistakes, most refs will look back after the match and think to themselves i’ve done that wrong and this is how I could do better next time, and its just going to cause more controversy, i do understand what your trying to say but in my opinion it wouldnt work