Some refs are simply not good enough
Daphne Griffith, NCISA For those of us who were not able to be at Ashton Gate last Saturday and who had to follow the game against Bristol City on the radio, there can have been no doubt that with a few minutes to go, Norwich on top and a 1-1 scoreline we were likely come away with at least 1 point.
Daphne Griffith, NCISA
For those of us who were not able to be at Ashton Gate last Saturday and who had to follow the game against Bristol City on the radio, there can have been no doubt that with a few minutes to go, Norwich on top and a 1-1 scoreline we were likely come away with at least 1 point. The final few minutes, the award of the free kick and the goal must have been excruciating for the travelling fans - I can tell you it was hell in my kitchen!
The furious reaction to the referee's decision from our manager seems generally to have been seen as natural and justified and Glenn Roeder has not been penalised - or even criticised - for his outspokenness after the game.
A few days later I watched the Champions League game between Arsenal and Liverpool on television. When the referee's decision didn't award a penalty when Kuyt brought down Hleb, I was surprised at the lack of player (and manager) protests against the decision.
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Players on the whole behave in a remarkably controlled and professional way. When exceptions occur, they are well publicised. The climate in recent weeks has been to censor players who react poorly to the referee, but I am often surprised at players' magnanimity in the face of blatantly poor decisions.
Referees are, of course, only human - and all of us make mistakes - but some referees are simply not good enough. The Colchester and Norwich players behaved admirably in the face of some bizarre and inconsistent decisions in our last home game - and I have seen similar restraint at home games throughout this season.
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A poor decision can mean a loss of points which can permanently punish a club. A poor performance by a referee means demotion to a lower league - pity the lower league clubs! And Any D'Urso's fate after his “performance” last week? Colchester v Ipswich this weekend. I await the result with interest.
Here's hoping for a vastly better result against Burnley than last season.
Come on you yellows!
