Ref Watch Walsall (H) League Cup 1

[Mick]

Tomorrow's referee needs little introduction; he is the youthful looking Gavin Ward from Oxted in Surrey who will be doing his first competitive match of the season.

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 the season before last with 1 caution to us (Tomlin) and 2 to them. Later that same season he refereed a rare 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 last year at home to Dagenham (3 yellows for us, 2 and a red for them) followed by later last 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 nearly five 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 eighth season as a League referee. He has refereed 11 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, six seasons ago, the 2-1 home win against Swindon.

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.

The fifth home match was the one referred to earlier, the Gillingham home game five seasons ago with an astonishingly inept display producing 9 yellow cards.

Since then he also took charge of our away win at Leyton Orient five years ago.

He was an absolutely first class linesman/assistant referee. Lined in numerous Premiership matches and some full internationals. He is 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). He had been trying to card his way back into recognition; I don't think it worked and hopefully he is rethinking his strategy with a decidedly average yellow card count of late.

Assistants are Ashley Slaughter from Brighton and Adrian Sannerude from Lowestoft. The latter can pick up 4th official Nicholas Cooper at Ipswich on his way down the A12.

 

[Supa Shrimpa]

Great work, Mick. Always an interesting read

 

[Silencer]

Yep, great read as ever :thumbsup:

 

[Fish]

Always an interesting read, though still a shame we focus on card counts in specific games as a measure of whether a referee's good or bad. Sometimes footballers are just ***** and no amount of yellow cards that day will change that.

 

[Mick]

Always an interesting read, though still a shame we focus on card counts in specific games as a measure of whether a referee's good or bad. Sometimes footballers are just ***** and no amount of yellow cards that day will change that.

No we don't. We focus on the number of cards purely on an indicative basis.
Games have been well refereed with a load of cards and poorly refereed with none.

However over a long period trends develop and referees who consistently show more cards than others, for me, do the game a disservice. Yellow cards have been devalued as there are too many of them and if, say, a quarter of the players on the pitch cant play their normal game because they've already been cautioned for a slightly mistimed tackle, this detracts from the whole spectacle.

 

[Fish]

No we don't. We focus on the number of cards purely on an indicative basis.
Games have been well refereed with a load of cards and poorly refereed with none.

However over a long period trends develop and referees who consistently show more cards than others, for me, do the game a disservice. Yellow cards have been devalued as there are too many of them and if, say, a quarter of the players on the pitch cant play their normal game because they've already been cautioned for a slightly mistimed tackle, this detracts from the whole spectacle.

The language you use suggests fewer cards = better performance, more cards = bad performance:
"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" and "the Gillingham home game five seasons ago with an astonishingly inept display producing 9 yellow cards".

We'll have to agree to disagree on the yellow cards front. If "a quarter of players can't play their normal game because they've been cautioned for a slightly mis-timed tackle", then the benefit is that the other three quarters of the players CAN get on with their normal game safe in the knowledge that are far less likely to get scythed down by an incompetent tackler. I would rather see good skill than repeat fouls all game every day of the week, wouldn't you?

I agree that yellow cards are devalued, but not because of there being too many of them (footballers are allowed to get away with murder and that's what spoils the game for me), it's that the yellow card itself is no sanction precisely because it has little material effect on the game. Before a yelloow card, someone is allowed to spoil the game and yet continue to play a full part in it. Someone on a yellow card may even still be able to kick the ball away, pull a shirt or step across someone as they go past safe in the knowledge that if it's the first time after their yellow, the ref is still likely to think twice about a second yellow because that means a red.

If a yellow card meant more (i.e. time off the pitch) we'd see fewer of them and tackling would, I guarantee it, improve.

Offences that particularly irritate me because refs seem scared to deal with it are kicking the ball away, time wasting and deliberate break-downs in play. How many times do we see players say "it's my first one ref" then pat the ref on the back when they only get a talking to rather than the yellow they deserve? They're taking the p1ss!! The very fact they're counting it proves they know what they're doing, and they are professionals so ignorance is no defence anyway.

 

[Mick]

If a yellow card meant more (i.e. time off the pitch) we'd see fewer of them and tackling would, I guarantee it, improve.

I strongly disagree; it would see an increase in the already unsatisfactory level of cheating and simulation designed to reduce the numbers of opponents. For me this cheating, simulation and generally exaggerating "injuries" is a much bigger blot on the game than over robust tackling - most of which is not half as bad as it's made out to look by pathetic play acting.

 

[Mick]

Offences that particularly irritate me because refs seem scared to deal with it are kicking the ball away, time wasting and deliberate break-downs in play. How many times do we see players say "it's my first one ref" then pat the ref on the back when they only get a talking to rather than the yellow they deserve? They're taking the p1ss!! The very fact they're counting it proves they know what they're doing, and they are professionals so ignorance is no defence anyway.

Kicking the ball away IS invariably picked up by referees. It's an easy one; the ref has seen it, the crowd has seen it and the assessor has seen it. Nearly always a yellow !!

As for "counting", even a professional footballer can count up to one without making a conscious effort !!!

 

[londonblue]

Kicking the ball away IS invariably picked up by referees. It's an easy one; the ref has seen it, the crowd has seen it and the assessor has seen it. Nearly always a yellow !!

As for "counting", even a professional footballer can count up to one without making a conscious effort !!!

Are you sure?