Finally get a decent referee....

Finally get a decent referee....

Is it just me or did anyone else think that today's ref was.....unusually pro-Phoenix....in his decisions?

I reackon the ref was Biast towards us on a couple of occasions - not complaining as you say.

Gave away a swag of soft cards. Sending off was dodgy - a tug on the shirt ain't worth a send off but, hell, it gave us the game so I'm not bitching. Apart from that most of the fouls he gave were genuine. We'll cop a lot worse before the end of the season.

i gave him a clap when he walked off..our 12th man
Cosimo2007-09-30 21:49:26

I think the YF team got him! Im sure he had yellow socks on.

Peter Green had a very good game. Maybe a couple of fouls from behind were given that shouldn't have been but under the context of player safety, I think he did well in protecting the ball players from dangerous sliding tackles. Hes got a history of doing well under pressure. He did the Melbourne V Central Coast game last November that finished 3-3 and there were 3 sent before half time.
I would say however contrary to your statement that all cards were deserved (save for Daniels which I didn't see) Follow me through this and then tell me if it was soft

48th min: Mandatory yellow for encroachment.

50th min: Brings down Daniel, which to be fair some referees would have issued the 2nd yellow and I am still in two minds as to what I would have done.

53rd min: Has a fist full of Daniels shirt (not just a tug), again a mandatory yellow

All this happened in the space of 5 minutes. Even if you don't agree with his 2nd yellow (which would make you incorrect on point of law) 3 fouls in 5 minutes quantifies Persistent Infringement and you could issue his 2nd yellow that way. It was the right call and one that took guts to give. Some others may have softed out which other posters have complained about this year.

Also regarding being pro-Phoenix, he simply called the fouls as they happened. If Perth fouls more than we do, then he has to call them. That doesn't make him pro-Phoenix. That just means the Perth players were undisciplined and probably relates to why they were 2-1 down in the foul count and bottom of the table. He punished all the bad tackles today so he was consistent across the board. Can't ask for better than that.

I have to be a little bit controversial in that I possibly don't think I would have awarded Aloisi his goal. I saw the replay from behind the goal and then side on in slow mo and it kinda looks like he obstructed the keeper before the ball got there. Have to see it again to be 100% certain but that was just an initial gut reaction. If anyone has any footage on to post on You Tube.....
DrQuack322007-09-30 22:52:14

There were only two sent off in that game, Vargas was sent off fairly, the muscat decision was very controversial, exremely soft yellow for a forearm pushing into the back of a CCM player in the middle of the pitch... it was soft for a free kick, absolutely bizarre in terms of giving a second yellow.

That said, Green is generally one of the better ref's around, the only ref i'd have ahead of him is shield.
loki2007-09-30 23:20:02

Dr Quack32,

When I watched it, it almost looked like Lochhead was doing it on purpose

10,127 or something ?

Be in the game thread.

Thanks for all the replies.

Sorry Loki you are correct. It was 2 reds and a yelllow and 5 goals by the half. One of the best games I have seen in the A-League. Muscat was gagging for that 2nd yellow in the first half of that game though. Him and Jamie McMaster were going tooth and nail.

Tell us how you really feel avid

I'd love to...but I'm not sure about NZ libel laws!!

I was a little surprised he gave Christie a yellow at the end. Other than that he did a good job.

It looked to me like Lochhead wasn't expecting Daniel to still be there, i.e. the collision happened because Daniel was being impeded by Djulbic having a handful of his shirt.

LOL. you think the ref was decent and bias towards a team. in my books a bias ref is a bad ref :)

just before half time Daniel got a break away and Leo chopped him down - blatant card - yet not even a free kick. Thats my only gripe

Thought that the ref did well considering the conditions.   Far better than Mr Breeze? who denied Adelaide a goal last night by being too fast on the whistle.   Imagine if that had happened in Wellington.    Have trouble getting to grips with the experts who grizzle like hell about the referee when we don't win, then suggest the ref. has been got at when we do.

Christie didn't receive a card

i totally agree... that was a horrendous challenge

Having reveiwed this with my flattie who is also a ref, I think I would now have let the goal stand

So what you're saying then is that if you had been the ref, you would have disallowed the goal. And then on viewing the replay the next day, would have apologised to the Phoenix for what you now consider to have been an error...

Ha ha ha ha something like that.

Dam you didnt ref a couple of the warriors games this season by any chance.They seemed to get the sorry statement on mondays from from the officials.

I don't think he was overly biased...maybe a word has been said to the referees about controlling any anti-NZ bias that might show up as last week's blatant example? I reckon he did a decent job, some calls were wrong but many of those were forgiveable mistakes (ie awarding Perth the ball that came off a Glory player in a tussle, and vice versa) but I jeered at those call's anyway 

I used to be an NZRFU referee so I know that referees are humans who make mistakes, who have to avoid bias, and work very, VERY hard to be good at what they do. So every single game I appreciate the position a referee is in. But I'm not a referee any more, I'm a passionate football fan who bleeds black and yellow, and will scream "THE REFEREE'S A w**ker" as loud as anyone else
robbwatson2007-10-01 17:13:33

I thought the ref done the job he was supposed to. He has set the bench mark for the other Ref's, all other ref's should take heed and put in some similar performances. well done