Ref Watch .... Wycombe at Wembley

[Mick]

Well, this is the 54th and final Refwatch of the extended season.

Ten years ago, we were in the League Two Playoff Final. The referee in charge on that occasion, Martin Atkinson, was refereeing a European Champions League semi-final a couple of weeks ago and in a week’s time he will be refereeing the Europa League Final.

Will we, in 10 years , be looking at Saturday’s referee enjoying similar success? I personally doubt it, but you never know.

The man in charge at Wembley will be Simon Hooper from Swindon refereeing Southend for the fifth time in his 7th season as a League referee. On Swindon’s books as a junior he was released at the age of 16 and turned his attentions towards refereeing. He also represented Wiltshire at tennis and athletics in his younger days.

His most recent Southend match was the unfortunate match at Mansfield last season when we lost 2-1 and had Clifford sent off along with yellows for Bentley, White and Barnard. Phil Brown went very public with his criticism of the referee on this occasion.

Before that it was the early season home draw with Northampton in 2011/12 - yellows for Mohsni, Grant and Phillips and 2 yellows and a red for them. His previous visit to Roots Hall was the match against Brighton (0-1) which I believe sealed our relegation in 2009/10. Only a yellow apiece, ours went to Moussa.

The other match was a win at Hereford, as always, in 2008/9 with all four yellows going to the home team.

He was also 4th Official at the away leg of our Orient JPT triumph en route to our last visit to Wembley.

His card count is decidedly average with 124 yellows and 4 reds from a high 38 matches. Eleven of his last 14 matches have been Championship appointments and mostly key matches which is an indication of the esteem in which he is held. His last match was Bury’s promotion clincher at Tranmere.

Graham Scott, who in my opinion refereed the Stevenage home match very well, has been given a token day out at Wembley after all as 4th Official (he would have done the League One Final had Swindon not been in it.)

Assisting are Billy Smallwood from Northwich who, as a Premiership linesman, has been seen regularly on TV making horrendous mistakes and Jonathan Hunt (no, not that one!) from Liverpool.

We also get a “reserve lino” for this one and doing the job for the second time in a week at Wembley is Martin Coy from Durham. Those of us who were sat behind him at Morecambe a couple of weeks back might be wondering if he was deserving of one such appointment, let alone two.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Thanks for that Mick, let's hope PB didn't upset him too badly. Isn't that rather unusual for our ref from the semi-final to be given a role in the final as well?

 

[Old Blue Eyes]

I would like to thank you so much for all the information you have provided this season.
Being Down Under it has been a fantastic read week after week.

Enjoy your summer break and lets hope for a fantastic victory on Saturday.

GO THE BLUES:thanks:

 

[greyerfox]

Thanks for this thread. Always a superb read throughout the season. Enjoy Saturday and a very well deserved summer break.

 

[Harry Bullocks]

Hear, hear :thumbsup: Top job Mick

 

[Mick]

Thanks for that Mick, let's hope PB didn't upset him too badly. Isn't that rather unusual for our ref from the semi-final to be given a role in the final as well?

Very unusual - it's only because he missed out on his final!

 

[Fish]

So the guy who refereed the match that condemned both Southend and Wycombe to the playoffs gets to referee the final.

Now that's karma!

 

[Mick]

So the guy who refereed the match that condemned both Southend and Wycombe to the playoffs gets to referee the final.

Now that's karma!

Surely only Wycombe were condemned to the playoffs by his match?

 

[jaffa1]

Great stuff again Mick. I feel the referee will be crucial on Saturday, given their tricks, acting and verbal pressure. While I was glad to see that he had played the game to a certain level (therefore wise to said dastardly deeds) the Mansfield fall out unsettles me.

 

[Fiftyone]

Interested to hear the views of Mick and the other referees who post on this forum on the performance of today's officials.:unsure:

 

[ColinMorrisWalksOnWater]

The ref was applling, how clear a view do you want not to give a pen? :stunned::stunned::stunned::stunned:

Nearly cost the club a fortune in not getting promoted. He should be sent back to park football for a year and told to open his eyes ****!

 

[secondalibi]

One of the worst refs I have seen in a very long time.

 

[Hammer]

He was s$%¥e , a clear penalty missed , a disallowed goal, wot was that all about? and all that late time wasting.....
came back to haunt them though didn't it with our late equaliser

 

[Mark Stevart]

That ref couldnt run my bath yet own a play off final non league he should get demoted to next season

 

[Magnum PI]

Started well I thought.... But then he made bad decision after bad decision. Everyone watching at home on TV was texting saying how we were getting tucked up. Credit to players though for turning it round, what an incredible evening!

 

[buffalowolf]

That referee was one of the worst i have witnessed , even the commentators on Sky Channel couldnt believe he didnt award that penalty, he couldnt run a **** up at a brewery let alone a 7 year old game ,Mr Hooper if you reading this ,YOU WAS ***** , and YOU SHOULD HAVE GONE TO SPECSAVERS !

 

[Jay_SUFC]

The non-penalty decision was just unforgivable - if this guy can't make the big calls in important games then the highest standard he should be refereeing is park football.

Awful performance, awful referee, please take up another career as you are certainly not up for this job.

 

[Fish]

I watched it on TV and thought with one exception he managed the game superbly. He refereed with empathy for the occasion but didn't duck out of the cards he needed to give. He also didn't allow Wycombes time wasting to work to their advantage - we used the added time to score out equaliser.

Corr's goal was rightly chalked off for a shove by Bolger. But not giving the pen for the shove on Corr was inexplicable. His positioning couldn't have been better, he was looking right at it and had already proved he wasn't going to suck big decisions.

 

[Jay_SUFC]

I watched it on TV and thought with one exception he managed the game superbly. He refereed with empathy for the occasion but didn't duck out of the cards he needed to give. He also didn't allow Wycombes time wasting to work to their advantage - we used the added time to score out equaliser.

Corr's goal was rightly chalked off for a shove by Bolger. But not giving the pen for the shove on Corr was inexplicable. His positioning couldn't have been better, he was looking right at it and had already proved he wasn't going to suck big decisions.

But not giving that penalty was a massive, unforgivable error; so he managed the easy parts of the game well, I'm not praising him for that, as even I could have done that.

These guys get paid to make the tough calls, which he messed up, therefore he shouldn't be refereeing at a professional level IMO.

 

[A Century United]

I watched it on TV and thought with one exception he managed the game superbly. He refereed with empathy for the occasion but didn't duck out of the cards he needed to give. He also didn't allow Wycombes time wasting to work to their advantage - we used the added time to score out equaliser.

Corr's goal was rightly chalked off for a shove by Bolger. But not giving the pen for the shove on Corr was inexplicable. His positioning couldn't have been better, he was looking right at it and had already proved he wasn't going to suck big decisions.

Can't agree. While most of his officiating was unexceptional he was very inconsistent in what he deemed to be a foul, was very keen to give fouls to WW for falling over when they felt a defender behind them (diving in other words) but towards the end he then tightened up his standards on that by not giving Southend fouls for the same or worse.