[Albion] Officials vs Villa

[One Teddy Maybank]

Are you talking about the game 3 seasons ago? How many have we played since then? 100 or more? And you’re still going on about this one.

I totally agree that we’ve had some poor refereeing decisions but my point is there is no conspiracy against Brighton as some seem to think. And for people who say the big clubs get all the decisions, I was having a pint on Saturday night in my local after the game and got speaking to a couple of reasonable guys with the one exception that one supported Chelsea and the other Arsenal. The Chelsea guy was moaning about the Mitoma ‘handball’ for the goal in the cup. The Arsenal fan was still complaining about the Rice sending off in September plus Pedro ‘conning the ref’ for the penalty equaliser at the Amex. Obviously I stoutly defended the decisions as most people here would but I also know for certain that had those decisions been made for the opposition we’d still be loudly complaining now about how the ‘Sky 6’ get all the decisions.

Because it was so obscene, that it sticks in the mind and clearly I’m not the only person. The number of games since doesn’t come into it.

5, yes 5, contested decisions. That felt more than coincidence, and of course you then become acutely aware of the same individual from then on, and sure enough Attwell, despite our positive record has made some peculiar decisions in games against us.

I cannot think of another match official, that I feel that way about, and completely agree that in the main ‘it evens itself out’, and every team feels hard done by.

 

[El Turi]

We all know that Spurs game was an absolute disgrace. Even since that match, he sent off Baleba when he didn’t even touch the Bournemouth player and failed to send off Holgate against us for one of the worst tackles you’ll ever see (until VAR intervened).

 

[Deadly Danson]

We all know that Spurs game was an absolute disgrace. Even since that match, he sent off Baleba when he didn’t even touch the Bournemouth player and failed to send off Holgate against us for one of the worst tackles you’ll ever see (until VAR intervened).

I'd forgotten that one - it is extraordinary how many 50/50 decisions he calls against us. Even in the Leicester game earlier in the season he was abysmal, luckily without affecting the game - we managed that on our own.

 

[El Turi]

I still remember the penalty he gave Palace against us in lockdown. The softest penalty you’ll ever see.

 

[Ooh it’s a corner]

I still remember the penalty he gave Palace against us in lockdown. The softest penalty you’ll ever see.

You’ve clearly underestimated the power that Tariq exerts even when he barely breathes on the Palace eejit - it’s frightening!

 

[Professor Plum]

Because it was so obscene, that it sticks in the mind and clearly I’m not the only person. The number of games since doesn’t come into it.

5, yes 5, contested decisions. That felt more than coincidence, and of course you then become acutely aware of the same individual from then on, and sure enough Attwell, despite our positive record has made some peculiar decisions in games against us.

I cannot think of another match official, that I feel that way about, and completely agree that in the main ‘it evens itself out’, and every team feels hard done by.

It wasn’t 'obscene' it was just very poor refereeing. You feel his perceived poor treatment of Brighton was 'more than coincidence' which sounds like you think he deliberately is trying to do us down.

And yet, as @Eeyore posted earlier:
"Albion's league record under Attwell in the last five years:
P- 14 W- 8 D- 5 L- 1"

As you pretty much admit yourself, it's classic confirmation bias. You’re so wound up by this match from 3 seasons ago that you interpret everything he does through that prism, grasping anything that supports your prejudice and filtering out 50:50 decisions made in our favour.

Confirmation bias - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

It wasn’t 'obscene' it was just very poor refereeing. You feel his perceived poor treatment of Brighton was 'more than coincidence' which sounds like you think he deliberately is trying to do us down.

And yet, as @Eeyore posted earlier:
"Albion's league record under Attwell in the last five years:
P- 14 W- 8 D- 5 L- 1"

As you pretty much admit yourself, it's classic confirmation bias. You’re so wound up by this match from 3 seasons ago that you interpret everything he does through that prism, grasping anything that supports your prejudice and filtering out 50:50 decisions made in our favour.

Confirmation bias - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Thank you for the link but I’m fully aware of confirmation bias.

Sorry, but It really was obscene, and you’re right, as a consequence I am more aware than I would have been (so maybe it is)…. but I don’t feel that way about any other official or referees in general, (we all have nightmares and a few of ours did Saturday). So, despite the previous sentence, overall I do feel he has a dislike towards us, strong enough for him to have a confirmation bias.

Given the examples also cited by others, neutral pundits and apologies from Webb, there is certainly no ‘grasping’ going on, Attwell regularly gives a controversial decisions against Brighton, by definition that is not a 50/50.

I also pointed out the stat earlier in the thread, so it’s not about Brighton being “cheated”, we’re winning in spite of an official.

Let’s hope we win tonight and Attwell has a fair game.

 

[GJN1]

What official the PL gives you is like choosing between a punch in the face or a kick in the balls.

A successful Villa is more lucrative for the PL than a successful Brighton. They will get every decision

Expecting significant amounts of time-wasting to be unpunished too.

 

[South Stand Bonfire]

All referees are (allegedly) against Brighton so why does it matter?

You had to be at the Spurs away game (not just have seen Attwell’s edited “lowlites “ on TV) to appreciate how poor he reffed on that day……

 

[Han Solo]

It doesn’t if you‘re not a massive Albion fan

Believing that the Premier League referees are conspiring to make all calls go against Brighton isn't about how much of a fan you are, but how stupid you are.
Zero difference from Arsenal fans etc claiming the same "the refs are against us!" thing.

 

[Machiavelli]

You’re missing the point. I can 100% guarantee that there are fans of every club who can draw up a list of unfair or simply wrong refereeing decisions. For my sins, I listen to quite a lot of fan podcasts from other clubs and can tell you that they ALL moan about how decisions are always against them and favour the other club. That other club they moan about is often Brighton as I tend to listen to opposition podcasts after the match to get their view on the same game I watched. It’s incredible how committed fans of any club will swear blind that the officials have it in for their lot.

I see wrong decisions in every game I watch. There are also endless 50:50 calls that are going to piss off one set of fans while leaving the other lot always saying ‘the ref made the right decision there’. It’s genuinely laughable.

Most fans are quite literally incapable of being objective though they swear blind they are and they really do think they are, I’m sure.

Agree with this, and I have been known to tell two hosts this on a Brighton podcast.
That said, Attwell and Salisbury against Spurs was utterly indefensible, as @Happy Exile helpfully explains. I'll also add that PMGOL had the temerity to admit that one error had been made (Mitoma penalty not awarded IIRC) when there were SIX decisions that pretty clearly went against us. That just rubbed salt into gaping wounds.

 

[Flounce]

Believing that the Premier League referees are conspiring to make all calls go against Brighton isn't about how much of a fan you are, but how stupid you are.
Zero difference from Arsenal fans etc claiming the same "the refs are against us!" thing.

Stupid it is then although I have NEVER said that all calls go against us, just that some refs have a, perceived to me, bias against us. You know, human nature and all that, or are you suggesting all refs are totally unbiased in all games they ref? If so I suggest that you get in the stupid queue too

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Stupid it is then although I have NEVER said that all calls go against us, just that some refs have a, perceived to me, bias against us. You know, human nature and all that, or are you suggesting all refs are totally unbiased in all games they ref? If so I suggest that you get in the stupid queue too

Exactly.

 

[South Stand Bonfire]

Just the absolute disbelief in the ground. We knew it was bad even though half the bad decisions were so far away or blocked so we couldn't see fully but we could still see enough. Even Spurs fans on the way to the station after couldn't believe their luck. Not that they were especially gracious necessarily, but they were aware they'd got away with several fortunate decisions. It was like EVERYONE but the ref and assistants could see it, and then of course we got the meaningless apology after.

Two other memories of that game and it's surreal weirdness:

- a Spurs player throwing a 2nd ball onto the pitch to stop a quick corner being taken. Didn't even try to pretend it was a mistake, but of course not even a comment from the ref so the only negative consequence was on us

- a Brighton fan putting his 3/4 full pint glass down on the floor between the busy urinals, doing his business, then picking it up and carrying on drinking from it without a 2nd thought.

The second ball thrown in was comical. So blatant, right in front of the away fans. The other stand out “non” decision which was not picked up on TV was the two footed lunge on one of our players. Orange card possibly, but not even a (second?) booking for Romero (?).