Respecting the Referees

Lets be honest, its a thankless task that none of us would do but the game wouldn't happen without them.

Do they deserve respect? in my opinion like anywhere else in life it has to be earned.

Yesterday's controversies are the latest in a long line of decisions to affect Latics as well as other clubs.

Here's a fewe this season

1/ Everton are awarded a penalty against Stoke, the referee then changes his mind and awards a free kick outside the area. David Moyes is sent to the stand for remonstrating with the fourth official.

2/ Rob Styles awards a penalty for Man Utd agaisnt Bolton when there was no contact. He later had the guts to apologies to Bolton but the result stands.

3/ A goal is given in the Watford/Reading game when the ball hasn't gone in the net. Despite offers from Reading who benefitted to replay the game the FA rule the result stands.

4/ Valencia rushes out of the wall at Liverpool AFTER the ball has been played. Alan Wylie books him and he later recieves a second yellow and is sent off. Latics go from a 2- 1 lead to lose 3-2. As far as I'm aware no apology has been forthcoming.

5/ Bolton score an equiliser against Liverpool yesterday, Mr Styles disallows the goal for a foul on the keepr when it appears the keeper asctually fouled Nolan.

6/ Boyce recieves a second yellow card yesterday for a challenge in which he clearly won the ball. Boyce committed two fouls according to the referee and was booked for both neither of which were in goal scoring opportunities or were violent.

All the above could have been avoided if the 4th offical had the use of video technology. If they had and they do have a camara near the dug out then the referees would be able to view it before they made their decision.

If it takes a couple of minutes, so what? at least the decision would be correct.

So how do the officials feel about this?

Alan Green on the excellent BBC Radio 5 606 phone in last night quoted a conversation with Dermot Gallagher who said that the referees would welcome it.

Another help would be from the players themselves. Ameobi could have got up yesterday and said to the referee that it wasn't a foul. Paulo Di Canio not my favourite player by a country mile actually did this once.

Players should stop trying to con the referee and some of our players are not innocent in this respect.

Currently yellow cards are not reviewed,so even if the decision is incorrect players such as Boyce and Valencia are forced to serve a one match ban. This is clearly unfair and serves to exacerbate the injustice.
In conclusion give the referees the tools to do the job and the respect will come a lot more easily.