Portland Bill

I watched Bridgwater Town v Bradford Town yesterday, in the Western league cup final. The cheating and diving was rife even at that level. Players feigning injury’s, screaming when literally just touched. The game is in a sad state of affairs when this is going on at this low level. The officials are being given an impossible task trying to judge who is feigning, or who is actually injured.

Crazy. In years to come we are going to have a serious problem getting match officials. Why would a person spend 15-20 years running the line to ultimately get promoted to the Premier league, to then basically not be trusted to do his job. Grassroots football already has a massive problem with officials quitting the game. These would have been your future top level officials. I watch a massive amount of grassroots football, I can say that young officials are a dying breed, why put yourself through the real tough amateur leagues, when there is no prize at the end.

Someone who clearly would like to comeback to the club, isn’t going to spill the beans on who it was. It may have been very awkward if he was pushed on the subject, just my opinion!.

Great listen lads, really enjoyed it. He really comes across as a good bloke, thanks for doing it, 10/10

I was actually 2 minutes away from finishing my works break, so didn’t have to time to read all your post. Tbh I probably didn’t need to, it was very predictable. You have a problem with football officials, it would be far easier if you just said that. Like I’ve said previously, you have absolutely no idea how hard a job they do, and It seems sure that you have never even attempted to do it yourself. When you have, I may bother to read what you say, and take it seriously!. As for the tech side of var, I’m simply not interested, the only thing that interests me is getting rid of it, it’s farcical.

Mate, I can’t be arsed to even read all of your post, no disrespect intended . The simple answer I will give you is. Referees administer the laws of the game, end of. There are no grey areas in the laws, var has just created a monster. This monster wasn’t needed, there was nothing wrong with our game, players and officials make mistakes, accept it, it’s a game of football which I for one,want to enjoy. Tv companies started freeze framing offside decisions to try to prove linesman wrong, they very rarely did, but now every offside is scrutinised down to a toe nail. We don’t need VAR, we need Football back.

Rather than me reply with point after point, it’s much easier for me to say…. that I think you have a problem in with referees, and officials in general. I get the feeling you spend 90 minutes berating every decision made by them. If you can’t see that football is a completely different kind of game than the likes of Rugby and cricket, and technology in these games is a lot easier to use, then so be it.

First watched City in 1967. Seriously started following City in 1975/6.

Where is it working better? VAR is a complete farce, football matches are between 22 players who make constant mistakes, and 3 officials who make the odd mistake. This, because they are human beings. Get the game back to the way it’s always been, and stop pandering to tv audiences and tv companies. Yes, we all know mistakes get made, but that is part of the game we all use to love, nowadays it’s turned into a farce. As for my “blabbering”, have you ever refereed a football match in your life, if you haven’t then volunteer and try it, because you would be absolutely shocked to find out how hard it is.

Why can’t we have players telling us how, and why, they missed a penalty, how they missed an open goal, why they tried to cheat, and dived for a penalty? Ive yet to see or hear an interview after a game where a player involved in cheating actually explains why. They won’t, they go and hide in their dressing room and send someone else out to be interviewed.

Would you allow your work assessments to be viewed by everyone? Your in cloud cuckoo land if you think players won’t stop cheating. Here’s a thought, why don’t you take the referees course and try and become one yourself. Referees are desperately needed, due to people abusing them and thinking they could do better!

No, they need the players to stop cheating and conning the officials. We need managers to tell their own players to stop cheating. If players stop cheating, you don’t get these problems in the first place. It feels that a lot of people are quite willing to watch players cheat, so they can take their own frustration out on the officials. I’m amazed we don’t have people queuing up to be referees, as we have so many experts on this, and other forums!.

We do hear of referees getting demoted occasionally. Referees also disappear down the leagues at the end of seasons. Referees are marked and assessed at ‘every game’ in all the leagues as far down as the National league. These marks and assessments are obviously kept in house. But let’s be realistic here, the only people who go on the pitch to cheat, intimidate, and con people, are the players.

Laws in football. Ask any football referee. if the laws of the game state that it was a goal, that’s what the two referees follow.

Referees ref by the laws of the game. Nothing else matters, if the laws state the goal should stand that’s it. Whether the law is what people like us a completely different issue. The problem lies with the law makers, not the law enforcement.