Officials are ruining our game

Im really considering calling it a day on British football. Loads of people I know have lost hundreds today because of inept refereeing and corruption. We all know its happening. It happened in Italy so its happening here. The difference here is its thrown in your face all the time and the way the system is tiered there is nothing that can be done about it until loads get behind a campaign against the FA. Most of whom won't do so because they're not bothered or don't believe there is corruption.

It's getting really close to the final straw for me.

I don't want video refs, mistakes are part of the game for me, by players, managers & refs.  If Sterling had buried the chance he had, these wouldn't be garnering half as much attention.  The linesman made one really bad call today and people are all over him, yet it was no worse of a mistake than Sterling's poor effort on goal. 

Diving, fouling, refs, none of these will be the end of the game for me, but the over sanitisation of the product, people reacting like it's the end of the world because of human error and video technology, that will be the end of the beautiful game.

I'm sick of these decisions killing us. I felt sick today and then it was just rubbing salt into the wounds watching the mancs. There is no way that linesman could have believed Suarez was offside. It's just not possible, he had the best angle and the ball clearly is headed back, there is just no way that cretin believed it was offside. All he did was crumble in the face of protests (or had an ulterior motive) and it's cost us points.

The level of officiating in this country is a disgrace, you may say it's human error Rodders and even players make mistakes, but the difference is that the players are at the top of their game and occasionally make a mistake, but you know at some stage these players could produce a moment of magic. Officials seem to make mistake after mistake and very rarely does a weekend go by without some form of controversy.

If any of us made that many mistakes in our jobs we would face serious consequences, but these clowns don't even have to explain themselves.

I haven't seen any of the decisions today but agree with the general sentiment of the thread that officials today are very poor, or at least they appear to be, in comparison to years gone by. Not sure if it really is the case and it's just everything is examined in minute detail nowadays but  the amount of wrong/poor decisions these days is ridiculous and does spoil enjoyment of the game.

haha we're all looking at it the wrong way.

the refs are not making mistakes - it does not matter how the public see it. it does not matter if you and millions of people like you think the same thing, there is a plan, it is all pre-determined, played out for our entertainment.. they are not making mistakes they are executing plans.

sorry to be so morose but everyone is talking about it. and it isn't "is our game corrupt?" any more, it has turned into "F**k.. our game is corrupt"

Mmmmm

Interesting discussion

I have to say i dont think that officials are corrupt... Or any more inept than they ever have been, to be fair to them they are under pressure to referee within the letter of the law or they get punished, they cant  let the game flow anymore... Or the guy in the stand marks them down, Refs have always made mistakes in the 30 years ive watched the games, but the tv coverage nowadays and round the clock news channels you can see any mistake they make show a thousand times over, rather than not know.. Only see it once and just have your own thoughts..

I tell you what they are only human and id like to think that they give it as they see it, they may get it wrong but thats football, in its rawest form as its always been.. I wouldnt want the job for all the tea in china

Mistakes happen, Refs make mistakes, lino's make mistakes... But hey, Managers make mistakes, Strikers miss chances, defenders F**k up, keepers make mistakes..

Its part of the game and being human

The only way something will change/happen is by the managers, players and clubs taking some form of action.

I think we're a long way away from that. But I have to say, there's been quite a few decisions going against us (mainly Suarez) and I am honestly beginning to think there is no smoke without fire. I hate to be cynical, but there it is.

Im really considering calling it a day on British football. Loads of people I know have lost hundreds today because of inept refereeing and corruption. We all know its happening. It happened in Italy so its happening here. The difference here is its thrown in your face all the time and the way the system is tiered there is nothing that can be done about it until loads get behind a campaign against the FA. Most of whom won't do so because they're not bothered or don't believe there is corruption.

It's getting really close to the final straw for me.

I hear you, and if it wasn't for Liverpool, I'd be gone. Definitely would have lost buckets of interest by now.

It sucks massively, and the FA need to wise up before it's too late, because one thing is for sure, it can't go on unheeded.

The only way something will change/happen is by the managers, players and clubs taking some form of action.

I think we're a long way away from that. But I have to say, there's been quite a few decisions going against us (mainly Suarez) and I am honestly beginning to think there is no smoke without fire. I hate to be cynical, but there it is.

My trail of thought now aswell. There is no way that linesman today could possibly have thought Suarez was offside, he had the best view possible for it and from where he was standing it would have been obvious Suarez was a yard or two onside, the ball is headed back in the direction of Suarez aswell, making it even more clear.

The fact he didn't immediately flag either (as you would do if you were certain) just goes to show that he knew he wasn't offside and he's flagged because he was right in front of their fans and the Everton players have thrown their arms in the to claim it and all he's done is make a decision that would stop him getting the most abuse.

It's disgusting and I hope when he looks in the mirror tonight he sees a coward staring back. Disgrace.

I am here trying to relax and catch up on TV shows but I keep getting flashbacks of Suarez's goal making the net bulge and I keep feeling the feelings I felt when I thought we had won the derby at Shitson Park at the death after they had completed a 'legendary comeback' except it's wrapped with a vomit inducing feeling because I know it doesn't count. I keep thinking we would have been 3 points off fourth and Everton would be a point worse off. I keep thinking we'd have finally won two back to back games in the league since December 2011. I keep thinking WE SHOULD HAVE WON THAT F***ing GAME!! I could have enjoyed that shambles of a match at Stamford Bridge and I could be enjoying myself now. I can't think what Brendan Rodgers, the players or fans that traveled to that shithole stadium might have felt.

Micheal Oliver was the linesmen right? You did that mate, that was you. If that disgraceful decision hadn't happened I'd just be glad we got off with a draw. I'd be proud of the fact that 6 of our players had never played a derby before or that to change the game we brought on 3 21 year olds in Coates, Shelvey and Henderson. I wouldn't be full of this ill will and regret that I can do nothing about!

Damn right officials are ruining the game, DAMN F***ing RIGHT!

I have been disillusioned about football since watching the Olympics - the sportsmanship in the Olympics was awe inspiring with each competitor showing massive respect to both their fellow competitors and the officials as well as to the game itself. The dedication to excel was beyond belief as was their desire and all on the same money most prem footballers get in 7 days these guys get in a year or even 3 years

As an example - the GB ladies hockey captain gets a full blown stick in her face and fractures her cheekbone into many pieces - there was no rolling about screaming in pain - she walked off and into hospital. She was back training 48 hours after surgery and playing matches 7 days after the accident. A footballer gets clipped and he acts like he has been shot.

Officials make mistakes but they also get zero respect from managers or players and the pressure is massive - football itself is creating problems as each day goes by.

It's only because of Liverpool that I still take an interest in it - but the general feeling towards football at the moment isn't massively positive and even more so when clubs start to increase prices once again to gain even more money - football is all about gaining money - the Olympics was all about the sport.

The only way something will change/happen is by the managers, players and clubs taking some form of action.

I think we're a long way away from that. But I have to say, there's been quite a few decisions going against us (mainly Suarez) and I am honestly beginning to think there is no smoke without fire. I hate to be cynical, but there it is.

I agree except I have zero doubt that there is "fire". In other countries where corruption has been exposed, it has been by means of referees being bribed but I don't believe that is what's happening here so it's a little harder to prove. The FA, made up, in party by high ranking Man Utd executives are allowing themselves to be influenced by that club (it's biggest cash cow) when it comes to assigning refs to games. This in turn puts immense pressure on officials to make decisions that benefit United, through fear of being demoted to lesser games or less glamorous fixtures for the foreseeable future.
Managers ARE starting to make noises but are then punished by the untouchable FA so it is difficult to see how a mass protest would kick off.
For once, we could do with the help of the media to pursue this and do some digging but we know that won't be done by any media channel under the Murdock umbrella so again, we're left hoping that somebody like Panorama is already on the case, as they were for some of the other shady dealings.
It's a feint hope but I'm clinging to it because this blatant corruption and favouritism towards certain teams and managers (friends or former colleagues of Ferguson) is destroying the game at the highest level.

Sorry if anyone else has posted this but for me the only thing thats ruining our game is diving.  Agreed refs could well be corrupt but both our game and the chelsea game as far as simulation goes were a complete embarassment to me.

The problem is there can be no criticism or scrutiny of them. If a manager complains they are punished by the FA. Refs are bulletproof they don't have to justify themselves or their decisions to anyone other than slur Alex. Perhaps if they were made available for interview after the games like the managers and players are and they knew that they would have to justify their decisions they would think long and hard about how they went about it. None of them have the dignity or bottle to admit they are wrong after the game and accept that they made an incorrect decision in the heat of the moment. I am surprised that some of the clubs haven't kicked up a stink about it as the financial implications of some of these decisions must be very significant.

It's opined by some that officials are no worse (or better) than they used to be and that it's the constant televisual analysis with slow motion and freeze frame that's highlighting the mistakes nowadays; mistakes that have always been made.

But they haven't always been made, at least not to the extent they are nowadays (assuming they are mistakes of course).   Rarely did I return from Anfield, or elsewhere around the country, in the 70s or 80s bemoaning the performance of the referee, blaming them for a defeat or a draw when we should have won.  There were always contentious decisions, true, but they seemed to even themselves out if there were any.

There was no need for slow mo or analysis today to know that Luis's winner was on side, or that Sterling's foul for which he was booked was him trying to avoid the collision or that Dan was fouled before he handled (and was, again, booked) or that Mop Head is a thug and that he stamped on Allen.  The same is true of the incidents in the Stoke game where Luis was assaulted, and again at Norwich where he was mugged in the box.  Everyone who was at those games is aware of all that and none of them had slow mo etc.  So why weren't the officials aware?  Or were they aware and were under instructions to deliver a different outcome?

Officials are indeed worse than they were (and that's taking Pat Partridge into account!) but are they corrupt or inept?  Are they biased or just useless?  Is there an agenda against LFC or are we paranoid?   Is there an agenda in favour of Salford United or are............no don't bother answering the last one, there are still some certainties in life.
   

The real issue with a video ref system of course is that it would make it very difficult for the FA to ensure United win the games they need to in order to finish even close to top spot.

I don't want video refs, mistakes are part of the game for me, by players, managers & refs.  If Sterling had buried the chance he had, these wouldn't be garnering half as much attention.  The linesman made one really bad call today and people are all over him, yet it was no worse of a mistake than Sterling's poor effort on goal. 

Diving, fouling, refs, none of these will be the end of the game for me, but the over sanitisation of the product, people reacting like it's the end of the world because of human error and video technology, that will be the end of the beautiful game.

I think people can accept human error but when its weighted then its a different thing altogether and people seem to believe it is weighted and they have every reason to do so given the stories emerging about referee's and the FA's actions.

I don't think anyone would moan if United got their fair share of luck. i.e. rolling a dice and getting a 6 every now and then but it seems like the dice United are using has a weight in it that was carefully inserted by the FA to manipulate the referee's. If the referee's don't roll enough 6's for United then they never get to hold the dice again. Quite simple really.

Human error is one thing, but when there is a clear pattern emerging of refereeing errors helping and hindering certain sides, for the credibility of the sport something needs to be done.

In an ideal world refs would just go about their jobs quietly and efficiently, however this is not an ideal world and mistakes at times do not seem as honest as some would have us believe.

Human error is one thing, but when there is a clear pattern emerging of refereeing errors helping and hindering certain sides, for the credibility of the sport something needs to be done.

In an ideal world refs would just go about their jobs quietly and efficiently, however this is not an ideal world and mistakes at times do not seem as honest as some would have us believe.

I also don't think they are as sinister as some make out either.

I also don't think they are as sinister as some make out either.

I'm not sure, United for one always seem to pick up 3 or 4 wins a season with some very dodgy refereeing decisions. The pressure these refs get put under by United have to have some impact on their decision making. Video referees work in rugby which is a far quicker game than football, and it makes sure that the correct decisions are made for the ones that matter most.

The Refs in both games today were sh*te.. And it becomes more and more obvious they like to play god with the league standings,
They have a meeting about racism what happens the next week they find Suarez and Terry to be racists. This week it's all about diving so they send Torres of for diving when it's a foul. All we can do is keep improving and finishing games before they have chance to dictate the outcome.

United were gonna lose today and I'm pretty sure with 11 men we would of smashed them so for whatever reason the refs get involved..


What's the average age of a referee? What age do they begin refereeing?

Maybe they are just fond of united because of them being the most successful club over the last 20 years.

The problem is there can be no criticism or scrutiny of them. If a manager complains they are punished by the FA. Refs are bulletproof they don't have to justify themselves or their decisions to anyone

The fact that if a Ref see's an incident and includes it in his report means the FA can't act on it is ridiculous. The FA are supposed to be the governing body and should be able to act on whatever decisions they see fit and not just one's the refs miss.