MOTD

[Brend'Watkins]

I think it's just as fanciful to imagine there isn't favouritism, cronyism, blazerism and just good old pig laziness as it is to imagine there are elaborate anti-Villa conspiracies.

Yes, this.

He may be a whingeing twat with a Gail Tyldesley chin but, much like a stopped clock, Gary O'Neill was right when he said of course there's no conspiracy against Wulvz (except for from the international fashion manufacturers looking to protect their brand value, but I digress), but there sure as shit is unconcious bias.

If that goal on Sunday was in Manchester and was scored by Wulvz, I firmly believe they'd have ruled it out.

Yes, this unquestionably exists. And if anyone wants to organise an anti-Wulfs conspiracy please do send me a pm.

Of course it exists I've known since that twat reffing our game at Chelsea some years ago...the one who booked the same player twice and didn't show him a red in a world cup finals match, his name escapes me. All smiles he was to Chelsea players awarding them a free kick, like a snarling rabid dog to ours when they questioned the position of the ball in relation to the offence.

[Sexual Ealing]

Graham Poll? He's a fucking weird kid.

[LeeB]

I think it's just as fanciful to imagine there isn't favouritism, cronyism, blazerism and just good old pig laziness as it is to imagine there are elaborate anti-Villa conspiracies.

Yes, this.

He may be a whingeing twat with a Gail Tyldesley chin but, much like a stopped clock, Gary O'Neill was right when he said of course there's no conspiracy against Wulvz (except for from the international fashion manufacturers looking to protect their brand value, but I digress), but there sure as shit is unconcious bias.

If that goal on Sunday was in Manchester and was scored by Wulvz, I firmly believe they'd have ruled it out.

Yes, this unquestionably exists. And if anyone wants to organise an anti-Wulfs conspiracy please do send me a pm.

Of course it exists I've known since that twat reffing our game at Chelsea some years ago...the one who booked the same player twice and didn't show him a red in a world cup finals match, his name escapes me. All smiles he was to Chelsea players awarding them a free kick, like a snarling rabid dog to ours when they questioned the position of the ball in relation to the offence.

Mark Halsey whispering sweet nothings into Thierry Henry's ear was another one.

Years later when lestening to him on Talksport he openly stated that he went into games with pre-conceived opinions about players and said with great certainty "for example, I know Cesc Fabregas doesn't dive". I think it was Stewart Robson on the same show and he was incredulous at that statement.

[Monty]

This one might offend some I guess, but as some cops are bullies so are some refs, and just as a bully cop will get the same thrill from sticking the finger in the face of the poor kid off the estate as from laughing and joking and doffing his cap with the judge he lets off speeding with a caution, so does a certain type of referee when dealing with the famous and the less famous. Something in a bully loves hierarchies, loves their place in them.

[LeeB]

This one might offend some I guess, but as some cops are bullies so are some refs, and just as a bully cop will get the same thrill from sticking the finger in the face of the poor kid off the estate as from laughing and joking and doffing his cap with the judge he lets off speeding with a caution, so does a certain type of referee when dealing with the famous and the less famous. Something in a bully loves hierarchies, loves their place in them.

There must be something in this, but I also think a lot of it is down to the selection process, and yes we can all find reasons to think the ref is a wanker at any given time involving our dearly beloved and entirely innocent heroes, but how many of these people appear to be genuine bellends too? It seems a high percentage. I can't really think of any that I've heard from outside of the game that's made me think 'oh, actually he seems a decent bloke'.


And just to clarify I'm talking about the professional refs only.

[lovejoy]

Vassell got 22 caps for England and he was rubbish. I bet other forums are full of irate fans moaning how he got in ahead of their cult hero player.

[Percy McCarthy]

Volunteer Sunday morning boys football linesmen, on the other hand, are invariably great blokes.

[Drummond]

Maybe we should have a camouflaged kit.

I couldn't see us doing that.

If there's meant to be a joke in there I've missed it.

Welli couldn't ever imagine we'd wear camouflage.. And if we did I wouldn't be able to see us....

[Brazilian Villain]

Volunteer Sunday morning boys football linesmen, on the other hand, are invariably great blokes.

Especially when they're doing their job and all the 'soccer moms' there aren't distracting them by trying to get their number.

[Percy McCarthy]

Volunteer Sunday morning boys football linesmen, on the other hand, are invariably great blokes.

Especially when they're doing their job and all the 'soccer moms' there aren't distracting them by trying to get their number.

They’ve all got mine.

(It’s a group thing).

They have a moms only WhatsApp group as well. Apparently, the names of the manager, assistant manager and linesman* were mud when training was cancelled because we and half the team went to the Bayern game.

*me

[basavfc]

This one might offend some I guess, but as some cops are bullies so are some refs, and just as a bully cop will get the same thrill from sticking the finger in the face of the poor kid off the estate as from laughing and joking and doffing his cap with the judge he lets off speeding with a caution, so does a certain type of referee when dealing with the famous and the less famous. Something in a bully loves hierarchies, loves their place in them.

Well said and true

[KevinGage]

This one might offend some I guess, but as some cops are bullies so are some refs, and just as a bully cop will get the same thrill from sticking the finger in the face of the poor kid off the estate as from laughing and joking and doffing his cap with the judge he lets off speeding with a caution, so does a certain type of referee when dealing with the famous and the less famous. Something in a bully loves hierarchies, loves their place in them.

There's a bit of this.

There's also older obvious cases of Halsey, Poll, Clattenburg and co wanting to be mates with some of the big name players.

[cdbearsfan]

The worst period was the early 80s, Coppell instead of Morley etc.

And how many of our 1982 European Champions played in the 1982 World Cup? Even the Scottish players.

Alan Evans only one I think. Scotland had unwritten rule to not have more than half players outside their league

 No they didn't.

[paul_e]

This one might offend some I guess, but as some cops are bullies so are some refs, and just as a bully cop will get the same thrill from sticking the finger in the face of the poor kid off the estate as from laughing and joking and doffing his cap with the judge he lets off speeding with a caution, so does a certain type of referee when dealing with the famous and the less famous. Something in a bully loves hierarchies, loves their place in them.

There's a bit of this.

There's also older obvious cases of Halsey, Poll, Clattenburg and co wanting to be mates with some of the big name players.

That's exactly the same thing though, pricks to the ' lesser' players and mates with the greats.

[rob_bridge]

The worst period was the early 80s, Coppell instead of Morley etc.

And how many of our 1982 European Champions played in the 1982 World Cup? Even the Scottish players.

Alan Evans only one I think. Scotland had unwritten rule to not have more than half players outside their league

 No they didn't.

Evans played v NZ then was replaced by Miller. That was it.

No other Scots were picked. No Cowans, No Morley, No Shaw in England squad. Players England were crying out for in that 2nd phase. Waited for injured Brooking and Keegan instead along with Graham Rix. Madness