Paul Jewell

[west_ham]

No matter how this particular situation has benefited us I think we should all be honest about it and stand by what is right and just in the game. This refereeing may have gained us three points but other bad refereeing has cost us four points this season and I think it's about time these silly, and somewhat deliberate, decisions need to be stamped out of the game.

I completely agree with what Jewell is saying and think it's about time someone had the balls to pipe up and say it how it is.

He has been charged with improper conduct for the way he reacted to the incident(s). Fair enough if this is not allowed. But what about the incidents themselves?

I think Wigan should have had a penalty. It was only a light arm across the shoulder but it was there and Heskey was through on goal. Also Arsenal's first goal was unquestionably offside. Add to this the alleged swearing that Phil Dowd came out with and Jewell has a big case here.

These incidents plus our game at Newcastle, home to Fulham and Charlton's game at home to Fulham all mean that the FA have some serious issues to deal with. Especially when we consider that all these 'decisions' have happened against teams in or around the relegation zone.

[Footstomper]

No matter how this particular situation has benefited us I think we should all be honest about it and stand by what is right and just in the game. This refereeing may have gained us three points but other bad refereeing has cost us four points this season and I think it's about time these silly, and somewhat deliberate, decisions need to be stamped out of the game.

I completely agree with what Jewell is saying and think it's about time someone had the balls to pipe up and say it how it is.

He has been charged with improper conduct for the way he reacted to the incident(s). Fair enough if this is not allowed. But what about the incidents themselves?

I think Wigan should have had a penalty. It was only a light arm across the shoulder but it was there and Heskey was through on goal. Also Arsenal's first goal was unquestionably offside. Add to this the alleged swearing that Phil Dowd came out with and Jewell has a big case here.

These incidents plus our game at Newcastle, home to Fulham and Charlton's game at home to Fulham all mean that the FA have some serious issues to deal with. Especially when we consider that all these 'decisions' have happened against teams in or around the relegation zone.

Is this just incompetence or is there a whiff of corruption?

[west_ham]

I believe it's complete corruption. A team which is not on form can, and probably will be, sent down by bad refereeing and I think the footballing bodies know this.

Any team that makes the FA or PL look bad or don't contribute to the route one methods, that this league is resorting to more and more, are probable targets.

Notts Forrest, Sheff Wed and West Ham have all been well known over the years for playing attractive football but all of them are struggling now. The game is becoming more physical and containing and therefore more boring, so there is no room for the likes of us to come along and ruin things with dynamic passing and showboating (not that we see much of that nowadays).

I believe refereeing is partly to blame for this. The more physical players are the more disciplinarian the ref must be. Certain players who play for certain teams have built their careers around trying to trick the referee into believing it was a foul or it wasn't. Some of them are good at it but most need to be cracked down on by the ref's but they aren't. The ref's just seem to carry on falling for the same old tricks and favouring the same old players, week in week out. Do they not watch the replays when they go home?

Any good referee would watch them and keep up to date with the modern day game and adapt their refereeing style accordingly, within the boundaries of the rules. When they don't it may look like incomptetence but I believe there is too much money involved for this to be allowed to happen.

Not many people agree with me on this but I am convinced that referees are nudged in a certain direction before a ball is even kicked.

[Footstomper]

I believe it's complete corruption. A team which is not on form can, and probably will be, sent down by bad refereeing and I think the footballing bodies know this.

Any team that makes the FA or PL look bad or don't contribute to the route one methods, that this league is resorting to more and more, are probable targets.

Notts Forrest, Sheff Wed and West Ham have all been well known over the years for playing attractive football but all of them are struggling now. The game is becoming more physical and containing and therefore more boring, so there is no room for the likes of us to come along and ruin things with dynamic passing and showboating (not that we see much of that nowadays).

I believe refereeing is partly to blame for this. The more physical players are the more disciplinarian the ref must be. Certain players who play for certain teams have built their careers around trying to trick the referee into believing it was a foul or it wasn't. Some of them are good at it but most need to be cracked down on by the ref's but they aren't. The ref's just seem to carry on falling for the same old tricks and favouring the same old players, week in week out. Do they not watch the replays when they go home?

Any good referee would watch them and keep up to date with the modern day game and adapt their refereeing style accordingly, within the boundaries of the rules. When they don't it may look like incomptetence but I believe there is too much money involved for this to be allowed to happen.

Not many people agree with me on this but I am convinced that referees are nudged in a certain direction before a ball is even kicked.

What was it Alf Garnett said about Liverpool slipping the ref a bottle of whisky before kick off?

[He's In Fashion]

I think the 2 points that should have been 6 against both Newcastle and Fulham are still to be corrected by karma...

Justice, she may be blind... but nobody said the old broad was fair...