Thetownend.com

Hi folks,
Was wondering how the referee performed in your last home game against Mansfield?
He was absolutely shocking in our game against Orient earlier in the season, infact most United fans voted him to to be the most inept official seen at Brunton Park for some considerable time. If you stuck a plank of wood in the middle of the centre circle and told it to referee the game it would have done a better job than a certain Mr Parsons did that day.
Anyway, would be grateful if you could assess his performance for us, we're all hoping he has improved, but I wont be holding my breath.   

Hello! We've had some absolute shockers and he wasn't one of them as far as I recall. I vaguely remember him getting some bits wrong here and then but the only shitshow that day was our defense I'm afraid to say...
Someone else may have a more detailed memory but certainly no one was baying for the ref's blood at any point.

Most of the inept performances are from our side, let alone the ref.

I thought he actually showed a readiness to play advantage quite well.  Game got held up by a Mansfield player continually needing the trainer in the first half.  But really nothing noteworthy. 

We were powder puff and Mansfield came to play, so an easy game to referee.

Mansfield should have won by more, so perhaps their fans might be less appreciative?

Our own standout idiot this year was a certain Andy Woolmer, who had a shocker for the ages in our early-season draw with Orient.

Worst I've ever seen.

Charles Brakespear and Darren Drysdale are names that always scare me...

Woolmer wasn't even close to the worst refereeing performance I ever saw. That accolade goes to Paul "Danson in the Dark" at a Tuesday night game vs Luton. Danson already had a reputation for being card-happy, but he'd been knocked out the previous Saturday at Crystal Palace, which may have contributed to the most incomprehensible display I've ever seen. Miglioranzi was sent off for juggling the ball while waiting to take a free-kick. Sol Davis was also sent off for them, Mike Newell went for making it clear the ref wasn't fit for the job, then Danson had a penalty retaken for reasons no one understood after Rhys Evans had saved the first attempt.

I'd say he was in a league of his own, but I only wish he was.

https://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/7304567.unbelievable/

Rob Styles vs Bristol Rovers was a fun one as well, I think there were four red cards from memory...

https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/sport/1858000.clash-of-styles-with-premier-refs/

Dennis Wise wasn't a big fan of Andy D'Urso if I recall.

Agree with RF that Paul Danson does stand out.
Not going to pin it all on possible concussion as there was already a reputation for eccentricity I think.

One of the bad ones was a certain Neil Midgley whe we played Wolves in the second leg of the League Cup at Molineaux. Disallowed a perfectly good goal which would have put us 3-1 up, let Emlyn Hughes run the game for him and then let Bradshaw the goalkeeper inflict grevious bodily harm on Alan Mayes without sending him off. Hated him for years.

My old man still goes on about that night.

You'll be pleased to know we have Mr Drysdale on Tuesday!

Oh FFS...

I remember him away at Orient last year. Total prick. One of only 3 games I've ever left early.

We can chalk it down as a loss already then.

we'll never win now...

oh wait

I would like to retract my statement. The League Two Pierluigi Collina. Flawless performance tonight.

Drysdale was actually good.  Even waited to try and play advantage.

must have had an off day

Very good. Best ref performance that stands out to me this season I’ve seen. Let the game flow well.

Exactly. Extremely good performance tonight. Reminded us what we've been missing most of the season.

DNA and I both agreed that Drysdale had a good game tonight.

Very good ref & doesn't take any shit.

Please excuse my ignorance, I've been meaning to ask, but who or what is a DNA?

Davidov Nicholas Anderson

…it’s his son, as in formed from his own Deoxyribonucleic acid

I've always thought Drysdale refs our games well, has moments of baffling decision making but overall has always seeme pretty decent.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9275999/Referee-Darren-Drysdale-toast-following-inexcusable-headbutt-Ipswichs-Alan-Judge.html

This is the Drysdale I've always seen before. Maybe allows too much to go and then the red mist descends onto the pitch and he gets involved.

Last night he let almost everything go but perhaps it was two well disciplined sides that stopped it turning into murderball. Rare that we are disciplined but I thought we were yesterday.

The only questionable decision I can remember last night was when a Swindon clearance from our own box - which would have almost certainly gone to a Bradford defender - hit Drysdale on the back and deflected perfectly into Jonny Williams' path to start a counter attack and rather than stop the game for a drop ball (which would have gone back to us) he decided to play on. Had we gone on to score from that, I think it would have been very unfair to Bradford. Yes we get the ball back in both scenarios, but from the drop ball, it allows Bradford time to get back into shape.

Could anyone work out why Hughes was going mental with the ref when he stopped the game for the Bradford player to get treatment for I think a bloody nose over by our dugout late in the second half...?

No idea whatsoever. Proper odd.

I did wonder whether a stray elbow may have caused the bloody nose and Hughes was moaning about it, but there were no 'elbow' mimes or obvious queries about red cards so it probably wasn't that. Perhaps he didn't think the referees watch was stopped quickly enough or something (no idea how he could know that mind)

Last time I remember Hughes being unhappy at the CG was when he played for Man Utd.  :)

The Shrivy slap.