Premiership prattle

[Zodiac]

The refereeing in the Premiership was abysmal today. Mark Halsey put in a woeful performance in the Arsenal game (who appear to be the refs new favourite team) ruling out a Fulham penalty after first having awarding it and then disallowing a perfectly good Fulham game. There was then a perfectly clear penalty that Drogba won (and then incidentally picked up a booking for this supposed "dive"). Two clear-cut Newcastle penalty claims were also inexplicably turned down in their game against Blackburn. And to put the icing on the cake Tim Cahill received a second yellow card and sending-off in the City-Everton game after his (over)exuberant goal celebration. Ok, so it's in the rules but a bit of common sense wouldn't go amiss ref. So today's been a pretty good advert for the introduction of video technology if ever I saw one...

[Admin]

Gonna tape this and watch it myself, heard about cahill...letter of teh law is just daft now, I saw someone get booked for their boot coming off in the dutch v czechs game

[frag]

The Frag Verdict...

Zodiac said:

The refereeing in the Premiershite was abysmal today. Mark Halsey put in a woeful performance in the Arsenal game (who appear to be the refs new favourite team)

All very true Honestly, I thought Cole (Ash) was gonna get sent off. But...

ruling out a Fulham penalty after first having awarding it and then disallowing a perfectly good Fulham game.

The penalty decision was correct; The goal disallowed should have stood... but then again, Arsenal should have had a penalty when Henry was fouled by Volz.

There was then a perfectly clear penalty that Drogba won (and then incidentally picked up a booking for this supposed "dive").

I don't think it was a penalty, but I also don't think Drogba should have been booked. The reaction from the little kid in the front of the crowd was one of the best moments of a dull game, mind ;D (this reaction was clearly visible on Sky Sports - fast forwarded past the match on MOTD) Another amusing moment was when Babayaro was being hounded by a Villa player, fell with the ball between his knees. Then two other Villa players came to help out, Babayaro got up, but then immediately went over again, and Villa cleared. Ref's verdict: play on. ;D

Two clear-cut Newcastle penalty claims were also inexplicably turned down in their game against Blackburn.

I don't remember much of that game - didn't stick around on SkySports highlights long enough.

And to put the icing on the cake Tim Cahill received a second yellow card and sending-off in the City-Everton game after his (over)exuberant goal celebration. Ok, so it's in the rules but a bit of common sense wouldn't go amiss ref.

That rule is REALLY stupid... Currently my least favourite rule. Offensive gestures? yep, yellow card. Ravanelli-style celebration? nope, no yellow card. Unless offensive gestures revealed when shirt lifted up. In that case, yellow card.

So today's been a pretty good advert for the introduction of video technology if ever I saw one...

WELL SAID. I have been in support of video technology for a long time.

[frag]

Have you noticed something...?

Arsenal's league record, 13th Sept. 2004
P W D L F A Pts
5 5 0 0 19 5 15

Newcastle's league record, 13th Sept. 1994
P W D L F A Pts
5 5 0 0 19 5 15
21-Aug-94 Leicester C 3 - 1
24-Aug-94 Coventry C 4 - 0
27-Aug-94 Southampton 5 - 1
31-Aug-94 West Ham U 3 - 1
10-Sep-94 Chelsea 4 - 2

Strange!

[Zodiac]

Pft! Even O'Leary said it was a penalty...and you certainly don't hear O'Leary say that too often

As for the video debate I honestly can't see what some people have against the idea. The fact that it might disrupt the freeflowing nature of the game is the only argument against...and even that is rubbish. If it was used sensibly i.e. for key penalty box decisions then a little bit of time is a small price to pay for some potentially match-wrecking decisions. It's only time that players would normally spend protesting about the decision anyway. If we have the technology at our disposal then it's ridiculous not to make use of it.

Those stats are rather spooky you might like to bear in mind that Newcastle only finished sixth that season, i hope that's not a bad omen for you actually, on second thoughts I do

[frag]

Zodiac said:

Those stats are rather spooky you might like to bear in mind that Newcastle only finished sixth that season, i hope that's not a bad omen for you actually, on second thoughts I do

Oh, we'll do better than sixth I'm sure Just watch and see if we beat Bolton 3-2 on Saturday