Best referee?

Who do you think it is?

If you say Webb, you need to find a manure forum.

Personally like Alan Wiley.

 Anf ref that has the guts to make his own decisions and not be swayed by the liked of Ferguson will do me nicely.

The chap who had throat cancer.

..He was..and if I recall right, back in the time of his retirement from Serie A, there were talks for him to come refeering in the Premier League, shame this never happen, he would have put the standards right up there..

For now, there are all as bad as each other really..I can't name any good one.

Who do you think it is?

If you say Webb, you need to find a manure forum.

Yea, but he's the best when it comes to trying to f**king kill us. 

Allan Wiley for me.

Alan Wiley was the one who officiated our 4-1 win against the Mancs in 2008/2009. He got all the decisions spot on in that game, IMO. The two penalties, the sending off of Vidic.

Never liked Howard Webb, Mike Riley and Steve Bennett. Funny they all were so into the Mancs.

As samylfc already posted Pierluigi Collina. Shame he's retired, as he always is the first ref that springs to my mind when it comes to good refs.

Mark Halsey, always thought he was a great ref and he was sorely missed. Always gives the game a chance to flow, and he spoke to the players respectfully like a human being. Always got a smile on his face, as do the players.

Collina was the most overhyped referee in the history of referees.  Distinctly average.

Steven Gerrard mentioned how he likes Mark Clattenberg but I'm not sure about that guy.

Steven Gerrard mentioned how he likes Mark Clattenberg but I'm not sure about that guy.

Wonder why? Remember this one :

Perhaps Clattenburg's fiercest criticism in top-flight refereeing followed his officiating of the Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool on 20 October 2007. The first notable incident involving Clattenburg was the award of a penalty kick for an apparent professional foul by Everton's Tony Hibbert on Liverpool's Steven Gerrard. Clattenburg initially appeared to take out his yellow card to book Hibbert but after an interaction, albeit brief, with Gerrard, Clattenburg changed his mind and issued Hibbert a red card.

 

Never liked Howard Webb, Mike Riley and Steve Bennett. Funny they all were so into the Mancs.

Anyone who thinks Webb is biased towards the Mancs should have seen that skinny c**t, Riley. The most blatantly biased ref I've ever seen. Hated him!

Collina was the most overhyped referee in the history of referees.  Distinctly average.

Wish I could remember the opposition but we had a CL game against one of the big European teams and we had Collina as ref. I was delighted because I thought he'd be fair at least. I was wrong, he fell for all of their tricks and gave us nothing all game.

Juiz Margarida

Phil Dowd for me. Takes no sh*t from players, and if they do have a go at him, he has a go at them back .

Nooo, not Phil Dowd. He loves to be the centre of attention.
I've seen him about town, he lives near me.

Wish I could remember the opposition but we had a CL game against one of the big European teams and we had Collina as ref. I was delighted because I thought he'd be fair at least. I was wrong, he fell for all of their tricks and gave us nothing all game.

Modus operandi for Collina.  The best ref in the world at the moment IMO is Marco Rodriguez (the one that looks like Dracula) - he takes no sh*t, when he tells players to F**k off and stop crowding around him, he taps his pocket twice and if you've not fu**ed off, he'll start brandishing cards, when players dive he reaches for his pocket.  Strict as F**k but let's the game flow just enough.  

In the EPL, there's no such thing as the best referee as they're all horrible.  Easily the worst standard of refereeing in any of the big five leagues but if you held a gun to my head and asked me to pick one it's probably Andre Marriner (F**k me, that's saying something isn't it?).

edit: I can understand why Marco Rodriguez might not be everyone's favourite ref, but I love the way he does his business.

double edit: Martin Atkinson is probably worth a shout but he still fails at the task of remaining impartial in Liverpool games since that League Cup game against Arsenal a few years back.  If LFC aren't involved, probably worth a shout.

Wonder why? Remember this one :

Perhaps Clattenburg's fiercest criticism in top-flight refereeing followed his officiating of the Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool on 20 October 2007. The first notable incident involving Clattenburg was the award of a penalty kick for an apparent professional foul by Everton's Tony Hibbert on Liverpool's Steven Gerrard. Clattenburg initially appeared to take out his yellow card to book Hibbert but after an interaction, albeit brief, with Gerrard, Clattenburg changed his mind and issued Hibbert a red card.

 

Hahaha, yeah. Well, in his autobiography, Stevie did mention how he can talk to Mark easily. That's how we got the penalty kick!

Yeah, Mike Riley was super biased. I think he gave the Mancs more penalty kicks at OT than at any place.

I actually forgot about Phil Dowd. He was ref at Anfield when we won 3-1, right? Liked how he just stood there with his arms folded, observing what the players were going to do before making a decision.

Alan Wiley all day for me. We should sign him.

Nooo, not Phil Dowd. He loves to be the centre of attention.
I've seen him about town, he lives near me.

I can imagine him being a bit like that, but I like him, the closest to a rugby ref we have in this country, IE he will not tolerate persistent questioning of his decisions.

I actually forgot about Phil Dowd. He was ref at Anfield when we won 3-1, right? Liked how he just stood there with his arms folded, observing what the players were going to do before making a decision.

Yeah thats him. Rafa Benitez wasn't a huge admirer though, when asked about his performance in the game against SPurs a few years back, he rubbed his glasses to suggest he is blind 

Easy, step forward clive thomas...........ask any evertonian

Think the standard of referees at present is appalling so will say none of the feckers.

Think the standard of referees at present is appalling so will say none of the feckers.

Agreed. Referees have a hard time and particularly now we have so many camera around to scrutinize everything they do. They have to make a split second decision and then get berated for it by some cock in the studio who's just watched a slow motion replay from 6 different angles. That said, I think the standard lately in the EPL has been pretty poor and a lot of BIG decisions have been made incorrectly. I'm not particularly impressed with any individual referee.

Best refs are the ones you don't notice.  Far too many refs are aware of the cameras gaze and play up to it, that being said, we don't have any outstanding refs at the moment, but we do judge them far too harshly.

Liked how he just stood there with his arms folded, observing what the players were going to do before making a decision.

I did like how Phil Dowd handled that and his strict not taking any sh*t from players policy.  Has to be said, Dowd is a massive homer though else I'd probably rate him as one of the best in the EPL.

Best refs are the ones you don't notice.  Far too many refs are aware of the cameras gaze and play up to it, that being said, we don't have any outstanding refs at the moment, but we do judge them far too harshly.

Is 110% correct.

Yeah thats him. Rafa Benitez wasn't a huge admirer though, when asked about his performance in the game against SPurs a few years back, he rubbed his glasses to suggest he is blind 

To be fair, I think that Dowd was a bit heavy then, he's lost weight and really improved as a ref due to keeping up with the game. He's done well this season, I think.

In the Premier League I would say Marriner.

Any referee you can't really remember seeing after a match.

Most referees are jumped up little upstarts who could never kick a ball properly hence they became the bully in the middle.

Bit like coppers - bullied at school and this is the only way they can be the bully themselves.

Howard Webb is the biggest example of a c**t on the football field since the referee that sent me off many years ago for fouling his F***ing son on the other team after he had hacked me down and was waved play on....got me sine die until appealed little w**ker.

I agree that most referees are indeed jumped up little upstarts desperate to have a bit of easy control over people. There are genuinely incredible, brilliant referees out there (or were out there) like Pierluigi Collina who are few and far between which is a desperate shame.

Any referee you can't really remember seeing after a match.

Exactly.

Alex ferguson, he seems to get all the decisions correct 

Phil Dowd for me, everytime there's an argument between players he just stands there with his arms folded waiting to see what happens.

Also like Martin Atkinson seeing as he seems to wind Ferguson up a lot

Phil Dowd for me, everytime there's an argument between players he just stands there with his arms folded waiting to see what happens.

Yeah great way to stop fights that , imagine if the police were like that.

Yeah great wayt to stop fights that , imagine if the police were like that.

Wish there was more scraps on the pitch to be honest!

Wish there was more scraps on the pitch to be honest!

I do love a good sporting fight, really gets you up. Was on such a high after it nearly kicked off against United in the 3-1

I do love a good sporting fight, really gets you up. Was on such a high after it nearly kicked off against United in the 3-1

Is right!! I hate half of this sanitised Premier League sh*te.

More handbags

Is right!! I hate half of this sanitised Premier League sh*te.

More handbags

Yeah but as a reffere that's not the way to deal with it.

Lubos Michel (Slovakia)

Why? Click my face... 

I do love a good scrap on the pitch. Best part is when the commentator says, "No one wants to this..." Yes we F***ing do!!

I live in Chesterfield so as the worst ref you wouldn't expect me to go any further than David Ellery.
Phil Dowd would be the nearest I could get to a good one

they  should make genetically engineered clones of pierluigi collina. The guy was the best ref ever by a country even put whiskey nose fergie to shame on the touchline once it was amazing!