West Ham - v - Leeds United ***Matchday Thread***

[spaldy]

They needed 11 minutes to ensure that the London based team had a chance to come back. Pawson failed on getting his extra spiff this match. While he did no call/VAR an obvious penalty that put one of key players out for the game he was unable to avoid a VAR check on Aaronson. He also carded a Leeds defender in the first half for a lesser foul than the no call penalty incident. He then added 11 minutes in lieu of 7 minutes that should have been added.

He had a very solid match by the Prem standards that Webb demands but not good enough to end up with a key assignment like the FA semis. Those will be an example of "master class refs" like Dermot and Howard and their wannabe prot?g?es aspire to and that all Football fans pay good money to see them perform their officiating magic.

[spaldy]

Not to belabor a point... but I am old and crotchet.

So the only takeaway King Hackett, the self appointed expert of refereeing for the FA as well as FIFA's only takeaway from the woeful officiating job that pawnley did was that Ampadu should have been red carded for his tackle on Traore. No mention of the season ending tackle in the box on Stach and no mention of the fact that a blatant penalty had to go to VAR just to get corrected. Hackett and his ilk are corrupt asshats that testify to the fact that just because you do something a long time doesn't mean you are good at it. The number of "apologies" that Leeds get from the FA for pisspoor mistakes is way past the point of random mistakes.

I do want to commend Traore. The guys an old school player. He doesn't go down every time he's touched and that tackle by Ampadu would have had most of the pansies that infest the prem rolling around like they had just been shot....only to miraculously recover the minute the ball is back in play. The guy got right up and played on. I thought he had a great game and him and Bowen gave out defense fits. Really can't believe that this team is close to being relegated. Potter did an incredibly bad job with them.

One other comment on the game. I don't understand how that guy that scored the second goal is on the "bomb squad" of chelsea? He seemed really solid on defense, had pace and skill and read the game well. Looked a lot better than that Chelseas current center backs. Then again, I think Rodon is way better than any CB that Tottenham have and Ampadu is way better than some of the current Chelsea players!

[Rev72]

🤣🤣🤣@ Rev the original doom and gloom merchant 🤣🤣🤣

Thought I was being quite positive 👀

[Orgoner]

Not to belabor a point... but I am old and crotchet.

So the only takeaway King Hackett, the self appointed expert of refereeing for the FA as well as FIFA's only takeaway from the woeful officiating job that pawnley did was that Ampadu should have been red carded for his tackle on Traore. No mention of the season ending tackle in the box on Stach and no mention of the fact that a blatant penalty had to go to VAR just to get corrected. Hackett and his ilk are corrupt asshats that testify to the fact that just because you do something a long time doesn't mean you are good at it. The number of "apologies" that Leeds get from the FA for pisspoor mistakes is way past the point of random mistakes.

I do want to commend Traore. The guys an old school player. He doesn't go down every time he's touched and that tackle by Ampadu would have had most of the pansies that infest the prem rolling around like they had just been shot....only to miraculously recover the minute the ball is back in play. The guy got right up and played on. I thought he had a great game and him and Bowen gave out defense fits. Really can't believe that this team is close to being relegated. Potter did an incredibly bad job with them.

One other comment on the game. I don't understand how that guy that scored the second goal is on the "bomb squad" of chelsea? He seemed really solid on defense, had pace and skill and read the game well. Looked a lot better than that Chelseas current center backs. Then again, I think Rodon is way better than any CB that Tottenham have and Ampadu is way better than some of the current Chelsea players!

As someone who still gets paid to referee, there's not much in there to disagree with.

[norfolk white]

And we actually won in London.

[spaldy]

Orgs,

Believe it or not.... in my younger years I reffed quite a few games. Was in the deep south in the early 80's and there weren't a lot of officials to choose from. Football (soccer) was a niche sport at that time in the US and especially in the south. Ended up reffing an SEC game (Ole Miss/Alabama). I'd love to say it was a packed stadium with huge tailgates but really didn't have many more fans that big HS games have at them these days.

My attitude toward the Prem officials is because they are so truly bad. They have way oversized impacts on matches which is just incredible when you consider the money that is going through the prem and even the FA. I deeply believe it's corruption.

If you are still center reffing then you understand it's really not that hard. Take control of the game early and consistently apply your control. Everyone is different in their approach but in the end it's consistency the belief that you are there to let the teams decide the outcome. You are not the center or attention nor the arbitrator of a selected outcome.

These clowns etiher missed that basic premise (unlikely) or they are paid to influence the outcome (much more likely). Some have lost the plot somewhere along the line. They are just incompetent and VAR has really made them poor.

PS- I was actually approached by the USSF to work my way up the ladder after that year (1983) of doing some college games. A wife and family intervened. Too bad... think of the money I passed up officiating for the FA! Could have had a full swiss bank acount like Hackett, Dermot and Webb.

[Orgoner]

I think bad officiating is almost more annoying to watch as a referee than as a fan.

I particularly dislike onfield referees who duck out of making any decision and who seem totally reliant on whatever VAR decides for them.

I understand the reluctance to immediately flag tight offside calls but, well, we both share the same opinions about pretty much everything else!

Too bad for the US game that you didn't carry on. I was too busy either watching or trying to play myself to overly commit at a time and age where I could possibly have moved up the ladder.

That said, I usually want to kill people after the few hours I do referee now, so perhaps it's just as well I'm more of the recreational variety!

[spaldy]

It is amazing the way parents and players interact with refs these days. I go to watch some of my friends kids games and the rabid nonsense being spewed at them is crazy at times. The most glaring examples are often spectators that you can tell never even played the game and certainly never officiated at any capacity.

You and I are similar on the offsides. obvious ones I quickly called but the tighter ones I counted on my assistants. Probably not correct but if it was razor thin and the assistant didn't call it I let the play stand. I was fortunate at most games to have pretty good assistants (back them- linesmen). I reminded them before each game that that they had 2 jobs to do. Out of touch and offsides. Many didn't like doing the center. At that time not much, if any money difference. I think that may have changed.

I thought about getting back into it after I retire. The bummer is that if you do high school games they send you all over the state. Indiana is a pretty good sized state. can't make any money if you are driving a 100 miles each way. It's sad since there are probably 30 HS's within 15 miles of my house.

[Billyni]

I used to think that right/wrong decisions evened themselves out over the season and that we were paranoid about ref. decisions against us.
I strongly now believe there is a concerted effort to ‘do’ Leeds every first chance they get, for whatever reason. I know every team can cry a bit, but not almost every fkin game. Some of the decisions recently are honestly bordering on corrupt, certainly ineptitude. Decisions are then rescinded in 3/4 weeks, but sure what good is that,when the damage has been done. It’s akin to playing every game with a man less.
Someone, and I don’t know who, really would need to investigate ref/var decision making. For the good of the game as a whole.

[cherrypie7]

1. Like many of you I too thought that tackle on Stach was a foul and a penalty should have been given
2. I thought Leeds were lucky there was VAR for first disallowed goal. Was difficult to see without VAR.
3. Aaronson is exceedingly good in the penalty shootout format. I think its because that format was used a lot in the States when he was growing up. Not sure.