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Mick

Life President
Joined
Oct 28, 2003
Messages
10,935
We are well ahead of Bury in head-to-head League wins (18-11) and they have won on none of their last eight visits to Roots Hall.

The man in charge of Saturday's match needs little introduction; he is Gavin Ward from Oxted in Surrey, whose many Southend games over the years can best be described as variable with a little more bad than good.

This will be the second season running that he has had the privilege of refereeing Southend v Bury, last season's fixture bringing the curtain down, disappointingly, on that season.

He's already done a Southend game this season (two, if you count the Brighton pre-season friendly), taking charge at Charlton last month. It was a curate's egg of a game from him with a spell late in the second half when he seemed barely in control. Four yellows in that match, Kightly and McGlashan.

We had him twice last season, once very early, once very late. That 1-0 win against Bury was in vain and I felt it was a bit of a "homer" performance from him. Two yellows for us (Amos and Robinson) and 4 for them. The early season match was back in August for the 1-1 home draw with Bristol Rovers when he showed yellows to McLaughlin, Cox and King (no, I don't remember him doing anything to warrant a booking or indeed anything at all) and two of theirs.

Prior to that we were spared him for a year and a half with his previous Southend match being the home goalless stalemate with Dagenham at the end of 2014. A red card for Bolger and 3 yellows to the visitors and he didn't excel. This was preceded by the defeat against Walsall in the League Cup, same season, when he wasn't really very good either, failing to dismiss an opposing player for a blatant DOGSO and displaying a lot of inconsistency and randomness in his 6 cautions (Prosser, Atkinson & Coker for our three).

Before that his four most recent Southend matches were definitely some of his better ones, taking charge of the entertaining home 0-0 with Port Vale early 2012/13 with 1 caution to us (Tomlin) and 2 to them. Later that same season he refereed a home win against Oxford. This time three cautions (Clohessy, Timlin and Corr) for us and one for them. Then more recently when we crashed out of the JPT in 2013/14 at home to Dagenham (3 yellows for us, 2 and a red for them) followed by later the same year, the 3-2 home defeat by Exeter in the match featuring Jason Williams' turn of speed and sleight of hand. Just one yellow for Freddie.

Before those, his last match, or should I say half a match, was the ill-fated fixture at Aldershot on Boxing Day 2011/12, when, in the eyes of some, he became a good referee because his bad decisions favoured us for once.

The previous one was the home game against Shrewsbury (3-0), also 2011/12, which was his first return to Roots Hall for a League game since he mishandled the match against Gillingham over six years ago. He had returned since for a JPT match, against the same opposition 2010/11, and that went much better; generally JPT games are lower key.

The Shrewsbury game was undoubtedly another one of his better ones with a couple of penalties going our way and just three yellows shaded by the Shrews.

This is his eleventh season as a League referee. He has refereed 15 of our home matches. His first three games went pretty much okay. They were the JPT defeat on pens by Dagenham, the 2-1 win against Hartlepool (who had Sam Collins sent off in that match) and,in 2008/9, the 2-1 home win against Swindon.

The fourth one was also 2008/9 against Bristol Rovers when he declined to send off the opposing goalkeeper for a handball outside the area. Notwithstanding that decision, it wasn't the best of performances from Mr Ward.

The fifth home match was the one referred to earlier, the Gillingham home game 2009/10 with an astonishingly inept display producing 9 yellow cards.

Since then he also took charge of our away win at Leyton Orient in the same year, booking Scannell and acouple of theirs.

He was an absolutely first class linesman/assistant referee. Lined in numerous Premiership matches and some full internationals. He had been looking to replicate that success in the middle and therefore will probably be disappointed that he has been deservedly overtaken in the pecking order by several younger officials (even if they don't look younger). His card count is a little on the high side with 150 yellows and 6 reds from 41 matches last season. The majority of his appointments were League Two last season as they are again this, a good indication he's going no further up the refereeing ladder. Some referees actually improve when they get to that stage no longer feeling the need to get noticed!

This season has brought 48 yellows and 1 red from 14 matches.

Assistants are Graham Kane, a citizen (repeated for those who missed it previously) from Ditchling, near Brighton. and Matthew Lee from Chichester. Fourth Official is Lee Venamore, an insurance manager from Maidstone.
 
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It's a great picture, makes him look like he's ballet dancing! Let's hope he's in better control than he was towards the end of the Charlton game.
 
The fourth one was also six seasons ago against Bristol Rovers when he declined to send off the opposing goalkeeper for a handball outside the area. Notwithstanding that decision, it wasn't the best of performances from Mr Ward.

I remember that. I couldn't believe what I was watching. I think we lost that game as well and missed 2 penalties. Bloody hell, we were poor back then.
 
I remember that. I couldn't believe what I was watching. I think we lost that game as well and missed 2 penalties. Bloody hell, we were poor back then.

That was the game, IIRC, where two of our players had an argument over taking the penalty, with one snatching the ball, sticking it down on the spot in a rage and promptly blazing it wide!

As you say, bad days and worth remembering, as 'buffalo' alludes to, when looking at where we are now.
 
The fourth one was also six seasons ago against Bristol Rovers when he declined to send off the opposing goalkeeper for a handball outside the area. Notwithstanding that decision, it wasn't the best of performances from Mr Ward.

I can remember the incident well but, checking back on Soccerbase, I think that the match was on 31 Jan 2009 with a yellow card for their keeper Steve Phillips. The only goal was scored by Dougie Freedman who was partnered by a certain T Robinson up front. Ricky Lambert was playing for them.
 
I can remember the incident well but, checking back on Soccerbase, I think that the match was on 31 Jan 2009 with a yellow card for their keeper Steve Phillips. The only goal was scored by Dougie Freedman who was partnered by a certain T Robinson up front. Ricky Lambert was playing for them.

Actually I think the game I'm remembering was earlier than that as Drewe Broughton missed the second penalty. Wignall had been sacked and it was just before Xmas... was that 2003? Bloody hell, time flies. Clearly a different game to the one Mr Ward did and having looked that one up, I can remember Matt Harrold coming off the bench and equalising for them with moreorless his first touch. Don't remember the handball tough.
 
Yep, 2003 sounds about right, thinking about it and definitely Broughton missed a penalty.

I think that was the one there were arguing over.
 
Actually I think the game I'm remembering was earlier than that as Drewe Broughton missed the second penalty. Wignall had been sacked and it was just before Xmas... was that 2003? Bloody hell, time flies. Clearly a different game to the one Mr Ward did and having looked that one up, I can remember Matt Harrold coming off the bench and equalising for them with moreorless his first touch. Don't remember the handball tough.

A different game 26 Nov 2011 - didn't Matt Harold smash it in from about 30 yards if I recall. Luke Daniels was in goal for us and Neil Harris got our goal.
 
I can remember the incident well but, checking back on Soccerbase, I think that the match was on 31 Jan 2009 with a yellow card for their keeper Steve Phillips. The only goal was scored by Dougie Freedman who was partnered by a certain T Robinson up front. Ricky Lambert was playing for them.

Indeed thanks. I've changed it to the actual seasons; easier for copying and pasting from one year to the next!
 
I have lost hope

All refs at this level are deeply flawed which is why they are not higher up...

they are obviously prepared to do the commitment thing and box ticking but
Just no blooming good
 
Not too much comment on him since the game.....

I thought he was ok though he had one his fussiest EVER games! And one of the biggest strides ever to mark the wall position!
 
Not too much comment on him since the game.....

I thought he was ok though he had one his fussiest EVER games! And one of the biggest strides ever to mark the wall position!

Least he wasn't booking everyone left right and centre like he normally does. A very easy game to ref it's gotta be said with very few contentious issues to deal with.

As you've said though, his idea of 10 yards were massive. At least twice he measured out walls that were 12 yards away and that's being kind!
 
No yellows for either team. I wonder what % of league games that happens in. Maybe Mick can tell us?
 
I thought he let the game flow really well actually. He also made a decent allowance for the conditions. Nice to see no bookings. However, he did have to have 2 or 3 "Look, I am here!" moments.
 
I thought he did OK actually too. At least he was consistant with his wall pacing, and did the same for both sides. Only minor thing was a couple of moments with throw in positioning and having a little hissy fit a couple of times.

Other than that, thought he got pretty mcuh nearly all decisions correct, which is all you can ask for.
 
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