Howard Webb

[armchairclubber]

Not sure i'd like us to be in a league where so much matters on a ref's decision. Think we're in a great league, affordable, competitive, a lot to play for, genuine supporters and at a level where can cope with the odd bad decision. Having said that it also feels unfortunate to partially accept the Premier is the Holy Grail of British Footy.

And having said that think far too little slack is given to ref's and linesman for quick decisions they have to make, could debate some with a panel of 5 for 15 mins with many replays and not find a conclusive answer, (haven't seen this one, no interest in game & v. little interest in prem) though does particularly annoy when a fashionable / established club appears to get extra leeway. As the guy would say that built a team that played the best local football I've ever had the pleasure to watch "tha's fooball"

 

[Guerrero]

Alan Pook is Scottish?

 

[Sussex on Leith]

Agree with the original point by the OP - no idea how Webb is rated the best. Refuses to give big decisions, even when they happen right in front of him - something that was at least partly responsible for the last WC final descending into chaos. Mike Read probably the best of a not-great bunch for me. Not that I envy the job, but would still expect the overall standard to be higher at the very top of the English/world games.

One of the things I miss about life in the lower leagues is the annual visit to Hartlepool, complete with "hilarious" comment piece in the programme from Jeff Winter, aka the "Leering Orange Monster (copyright nufc.com. One of the worst examples of those refs who think the crowd have come to see them, not the players (see also Poll, and that bloke who got in bother for doing the fist-pump after he played advantage and it led to a goal).

One further observation - don't know if it's my imagination, but I always reckon refs are at their best in their last season or so, when they're not so worried about doing things to please the assessor in the stands and just call things as they see it. Paul Durkin went from card-happy nutjob to the best in the business towards the end of his career, and Elleray was much better in his later years as well.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

That's true, but its the poor decisions that happen right in front of the ref and are blatantly obvious at any speed. Howard Webb had 2 of those and gave nothing. He is either useless, scared to give decisions against the home team or cheating (or worse, but I wont mention that word on here)

Fair point.

Imagine if favouring the home team was rife. How might that table look?

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/oct/29/nigeria-toughest-league-win-away