Jim Duggan's TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR site

Refs - Daniel Wynne gives us his take on the current controversy – 23/8/01.

The new Premiership season is four days old and fourteen games have been played thus far (as at Wednesday morning when this is written)

Lots of column space and air time has been given to the subject of referees over the past couple of years. Many people thought that making the referees become professional would be the answer. In my mind that is a nonsense as it is the same people in charge of the games making the same mistakes.

At the start of this piece I want to make it perfectly clear that I am of the opinion that they all have a very hard job and it is a role they undertake with genuine honesty. I am not saying for one minute that they are dishonest and I am sure that they give the decisions as they see them. That, is where the problems lie.

In the fourteen Premiership games played so far, we have seen games changed by decisions that are simply ludicrous. On Saturday., Middlesborough were 1-0 down at home going into the last five minutes of the game. Arsenal were down to ten men when Ashley Cole was judged to have been brought down by Ugo Ehiog. The replay showed that the contact was minimal to say the least and whatever marginal contact took place was outside the penalty area. The referee however saw it differently. He awarded a penalty, sent off poor Ugo and 4 mins later the game was over with Arsenal having won 4-0.

On the same day, Ipswich conceded a penalty that was not a penalty. It cost them the game as Sunderland won 1-0.

Monday night’s events at Goodison Park were simply beyond belief. Doherty did not concede a foul let alone deserve to have a penalty awarded against him and see Elleray wave a red card at him. That penalty changed the face of the game.

Elleray also missed a nasty tackle by Treacle and Everton had a perfectly good goal ruled out. (not that I am complaining!!)

Last night at Highbury, Jeff Winter was booking people for fun and sent two Leeds players off.

The game is played by twenty two athletes in prime physical condition usually between the ages of 18 – 35. The men in black are not as young or fit but they need to be in perfect positions to spot every single incident.

The refs only have a split second to make a decision whereas we have had the benefit of the many cameras the TV companies use and have seen the incidents from many angles and at different speeds.

It is only natural that mistakes will be made but the pressures of the modern game, with so much being at stake, therefore dictates a higher level of consistency and accuracy from the referees is needed…………….now..

Consistency is a different point to accuracy but accuracy levels need to be addressed.

It is not possible to achieve perfection so the referees body need to hold their hands up and admit they need help. Nobody would criticise them for doing that, in fact most supporters would praise them. It is time to move on and take the game forward for the benefit of all involved.

Personally, I don’t think interruptions for every incident is the answer, but with so much technology available in the grounds, there must be a quick and simple solution. As I said, I don’t want to see the game stopped at the drop of the act, and I don’t have all the answers, but a happy compromise must be easily achieved before the game is spoiled and the entertainment is reduced to a farce