Swindon V Walsall Official Matchday Thread

[Bob's Orange]

Just seen the goals on sky sports news. Lucas's 'punch' was frankly embarrasing! His previous saves in the scramble were excellent.

[Batch]

Just seen the goals on sky sports news. Lucas's 'punch' was frankly embarrasing! His previous saves in the scramble were excellent.

Did Perricard mean it?

Either way, nice to hear the vocal backing he got today.

[Bob's Orange]

Did Perricard mean it?

Either way, nice to hear the vocal backing he got today.

it looked like he did, well diverted finish it looked to me.

[Batch]

I stand corrected then.

[Fred Elliot]

You don't go to games either. Is there any point in you following the club?

you twat

[chalkies_shorts]

I was queing right behind the tosser with the drum and was well chuffed when the steward told him it weren't coming in althugoh someone did call me a miserable bastard to which I readily agreed.
The game itself should have been wrapped up within the first thirty - we were quite simply superb. Fiar play to Walsall thuogh they played the ball on the ground and played some good stuff at times -without a cutting edge. 
Can't believe there were 4580 there but only 853 Town fans. More like 3500 with about 1200 of us.
There were no bad performances and we looked like a team again. Happy days.

[stfcinbmth]

I know quite a few refs and a couple are now football league linesmen so working their way up, but they sum up what I believe is wrong with refereeing in this country. Basically at no stage in their life have they ever played a competitive football match be it sunday league, at school or anything. The ones I know from school were rubbish at sport and never even tried to play football, they just took up refereeing as they get a bit of a power trip from it and was something to do. This in turn means there is a general lack of fitness amongst match officials especially when it comes linesman.
Most referees seem to have a knowledge of the rules but not a knowledge of the actual game which is why you get such daft decisions week in week out. Somehow they need to get people who have some experience playing football to become officials, but the problem is using myself as an example when I'm not watching Swindon I play on Saturdays and every Sunday I play Sunday league footy so even if I wanted to I wouldn't have time to take it up and thats the same for the majority of people who play.
It's a fairly complex problem and fuck knows how you solve it but it needs to be fixed as it's getting to the stage at the moment where referee decisions are becoming a lottery.

Quite a few good points in there, but obviously when you have retired from playing you will have the time. I tend to think and I try not to think too often, that the mistakes will happen due to the human element, no one is perfect.
Also if the refs never made a mistake, and perhaps video evidence was introduced it would kill a certain part of the enjoyment of the game, ie not give us so many talking points afterwards to winge about. Refs are human, but as far as decisions go you win a few and you lose a few and I'm pretty sure by the law of averages they do even themselves out over a season. Crap argument I know but it's the best I can come up with, we will get a few decisions that we don't deserve

[Div]

I know quite a few refs and a couple are now football league linesmen so working their way up, but they sum up what I believe is wrong with refereeing in this country. Basically at no stage in their life have they ever played a competitive football match be it sunday league, at school or anything. The ones I know from school were rubbish at sport and never even tried to play football, they just took up refereeing as they get a bit of a power trip from it and was something to do. This in turn means there is a general lack of fitness amongst match officials especially when it comes linesman.
Most referees seem to have a knowledge of the rules but not a knowledge of the actual game which is why you get such daft decisions week in week out. Somehow they need to get people who have some experience playing football to become officials, but the problem is using myself as an example when I'm not watching Swindon I play on Saturdays and every Sunday I play Sunday league footy so even if I wanted to I wouldn't have time to take it up and thats the same for the majority of people who play.
It's a fairly complex problem and fuck knows how you solve it but it needs to be fixed as it's getting to the stage at the moment where referee decisions are becoming a lottery.

So you want referees who have played semi-pro football. Probably stop playing late 20's. Obviously, going into refereeing for the first time then, and stepping through the ranks within 5 years. Straight onto the Football League because they have the experience of playing at a 'high' level. But he'd be about 35, fat, slow and what we have now? Really, have a think about it before you say anything. Who was the last referee who got dumped in the deep end, and how's that been for football - ghost goals, dubious red cards, hot-headed tackles flying on constantly, pretty sure he gave us a goal last season too when it should've been offside - we loved him for that. Atwell, by the way.

You can't say things like 'they know the rules, but have no grasp of the game' because 1) they aren't rules, they're laws, and 2) it's like telling a copper 'oh let me off that speeding ticket, i was only 3mph over' - you can't bend the laws. A referee has one thing on his side, and that is his opinion. Several things are mandatory (many referees don't agree with them, but each has to apply them for some sort of consistency) other than those small things, it's his opinion. He has one angle, and he can't move to the perfect position within a moment a pass has been made - what he sees, he gives. He can't help it when a player runs across his view, and may only see the ankle's being taken and not the ball. The referee can't see through players, so the blind side is very hard to judge. A referee's fitness should not be questioned. Fergie did it last season with Wiley...turned out Wiley ran more than most of his players. As for linesman, if these guys could run as quick as the defenders/attackers, you'd be asking 'why didn't they take up football/athletics etc etc'. People should really keep their mouths shut about the refereeing standards until they've done a few (or maybe just one) Sunday morning pub game - how the refs are treated superbly, eh...

As for todays 3, Guy other end of the pitch to us, no complaints. The lino near us, one problem - Cuthberts Booking. How the fuck could he give that free kick when he should've been watching the players around the ball, for the ball to go out/foul. The ref, did an ok job. Tried to play advantage for them at the end of the first half, didn't lead anywhere so brought it back - it's what he's trained to do. I wouldn't be suprised if some referees thought Dougies sarcy clap was insulting, resulting in a red. Maybe wasn't in the best position for some of the corners, so couldn't see shirt pulls, but it's a crowded penalty area, 'seeing through players' springs to mind. Should've booked one of theirs for that hard tackle on VP, but he didn't make a big deal out of anything, and the end of the first half was a few minor things happening in a short space of time. I was smiling because i knew he hadn't done anything wrong, but i was still giving him shit.

Do it yourself, get back to me. You'll do a better job than me, i've never played on a saturday...

Do it

[DV]

Two seasons ago against Hereford - and in defensive of Atwell he had a good game and clearly looked towards his linesman who didnt flag. It was the linesman that fucked up, not Atwell in this instance.

Cox was clearly offside.

[jonny72]

How did the midfield line up? Flat or diamond? Prutton was on the left? What about the others?

[Arriba]

the best refs i've had in games i've played in have all been ex players.
some ex pro's but all to a decentish standard.
doesn't make it 100% a need,but i reckon it helps.
i see alot of young-inexperienced refs trying to make their way by doing kids matches.some of them have clearly no idea of the game and only the laws(often that is questionable too)and they ruin the matches.
i've seen one idiot who kept stopping the game unless the player named himself everytime he wanted the ball.
i think a fair few refs are too shit to play(to even a local league standard) but love the game so ref instead.

[Div]

Two seasons ago against Hereford - and in defensive of Atwell he had a good game and clearly looked towards his linesman who didnt flag. It was the linesman that fucked up, not Atwell in this instance.

Cox was clearly offside.

Wasn't there, all i heard was a shocking decision was made. Was put across to me that Attwell (given his past) made a booboo. Just makes stronger the case for a referee having a good game, but one bad decision by his lino could leave him hung and dry - even the assessors go by this which is what is wrong. A good referee coming through could have a fantastic season, but some old fart assessor sees his assistant making a mistake will mark the whole team down, resulting in the better referees being scuppered for something they've not done. That side of refereeing needs sorting out.

Referees themselves, the ones trying to go far, give everything during a game. You ask them, it's a lottery to what assessor you get given because they can make or break promotion. But the management they get is shit. The help & support they are given by some county FAs is shit. The referees going through use up a lot of their time for nothing but hope of reaching professional games - the level below Conference, i think, would mean a referee being away from home for 8-12 hours, doing 150 miles round trip, at the end of a working week, for £30-£40, you'd say they are stupid.

the best refs i've had in games i've played in have all been ex players.
some ex pro's but all to a decentish standard.
doesn't make it 100% a need,but i reckon it helps.
i see alot of young-inexperienced refs trying to make their way by doing kids matches.some of them have clearly no idea of the game and only the laws(often that is questionable too)and the ruin the matches.
i've seen one idiot who kept stopping the game unless the player named himself everytime he wanted the ball.

Well, your last point is probably common-law in a referee chat - because some idiot decided to mention 'you must call your name' each player wants a free-kick when a name isn't called, and when said young inexperience gives a free-kick, they want it the following week too. That's also one of the mandatory booking though, if someone shouts something which the referee could deem 'offputting' to an opponent and he gives a free kick, he has to caution too - often the young(er) ones don't so cause problems.

Personally, i've never played about U12's. Was kicked out of 2 or 3 teams for being a cunt, and decided to referee for the money (it was good when you were 14 - got you £75 a weekend). But i've been told  recently i've got a future in football, there's hope yet! i just won't be allowed to referee Swindon, Oxford, Bristol or Reading...Sorry.

[Don Rogers Shop]

the best refs i've had in games i've played in have all been ex players.
some ex pro's but all to a decentish standard.
doesn't make it 100% a need,but i reckon it helps.
i see alot of young-inexperienced refs trying to make their way by doing kids matches.some of them have clearly no idea of the game and only the laws(often that is questionable too)and they ruin the matches.
i've seen one idiot who kept stopping the game unless the player named himself everytime he wanted the ball.
i think a fair few refs are too shit to play(to even a local league standard) but love the game so ref instead.

Thought it started off as a diamond with prutton on the left and Caddis and McGovern switching over.

Best i have seen the midfield this season.Bit shit when we are under the cosh as it leaves the fullbacks exposed but to give him his due Wilson changed that when it became a issue

[Don Rogers Shop]

That was meant for jonny

[glos_robin]

the best refs i've had in games i've played in have all been ex players.
some ex pro's but all to a decentish standard.
doesn't make it 100% a need,but i reckon it helps.
i see alot of young-inexperienced refs trying to make their way by doing kids matches.some of them have clearly no idea of the game and only the laws(often that is questionable too)and they ruin the matches.
i've seen one idiot who kept stopping the game unless the player named himself everytime he wanted the ball.
i think a fair few refs are too shit to play(to even a local league standard) but love the game so ref instead.

Exactly my experience also, as I've said it's complex problem to solve but something does need to be done.