Portland Bill

The marks the referee gets are culminated ( if that’s the right word?) over a season. If he gets constantly low marks then he will more than likely get demoted. As he is an ex pro footballer I don’t know if he got fast tracked through the leagues, as this is what football fans have been telling us they want, ie, ex players. I think the reaction he has got from City fans may just prove the point that it doesn’t matter at all if you have played the game at a good level, because refereeing is 100% the opposite from playing the game, and don’t I know it!!. Most referees who get to the top level will have been doing it for 30 years, ex pro footballers will never get to do the hard early years. That’s where the top officials learn.

The only reason he stopped the game for the alleged injury, ‘was’ because the ball was out of play. Unfortunately that’s become the norm, and us as City fans would have been incensed if it was one of our players and the ref hadn’t stopped the game. Yes, it was gamesmanship, but every team does it!.

It will depend on the assessor, the assessor may well agree with the decisions the referee made. The sending off was correct, QPR’s penalty was correct, all the yellow cards were correct. Scott going down in the penalty area is a contentious one, but with one view the referee was probably correct. Lots of fouls could have gone either way, but he gave what he saw. He will get slaughtered for not booking Charlie Austin, because that is a major mistake, which is not acceptable. But saying this, I wouldn’t like to second guess an assessor, because they are a law to themselves!!.

Personally, and probably because I wasn’t amongst the crowd, I didn’t think he was as bad as some are trying to make out. I understand why people think he was though. I think the crowd were baying for blood, partly because they thought we should have had a penalty ( I don’t think it was even close) and because of Charlie Austen’s antics. So every decision that went against us, especially in the second half was treated as contentious and the crowd thought was wrong. If I had been at the game I may well have been a lot angrier than I was watching it on tv!. There were a lot of niggly fouls, some could have gone either way, but the ref gave them as he saw them ( he was a lot closer than any of us). The sending off was 100%, Andy King was a complete fool for doing what he did, when there was absolutely no need. As I’ve got older ( hopefully wiser!) I don’t get irate with the officials, as I know it’s the hardest job by a million miles in football, and they give what they see in a split second. Some decisions go for you, some not, it’s always been the same. Did I think the ref had a good game, probably not. But we only have ourselves to blame for losing the game Imo.

Referees and the other three officials are under intense scrutiny. They are assessed every game, de- briefs are held a couple of days after every game. Every decision they make is 100% scrutinised by the assessor. TBH you can’t imagine how much pressure they are under, there are no grey areas for referees nowadays, if it’s an offence by the laws of the game it’s an offence, common sense is NOT allowed anymore. The assessors report that each official receives, including the fourth official, is so in depth you can’t imagine. The game is broken down into minutes. Anyone who thinks the officials are “protected” really hasn’t a clue ( sorry )?. I am speaking as someone who sees these assessments every week, and privy to what goes on in the de briefs.

It was accidental handball, which isn’t an offence ( if this is the same handball offence I’m thinking of!) If it was in the penalty area it’s a penalty, but it wasn’t in the penalty area. This is where the law makers have fallen down, not the referees. Personally the worst decision of the night was not to book QPR’s penalty taker, what he did by winding up the crowd is according to the laws of the game 100% a bookable offence. Most of the other decisions that got peoples backs up are simply calls from the referee, they are ‘his’ opinion, whereas obviously the majority of the crowd felt they were wrong decisions. The decisions are all down to the referee’s opinion, and until people on here are willing to go and take the course and become a referee themselves, ( because clearly everyone can do better!) you are going to have to accept it’s his call, and not yours!. There is a lack of referees in this country, especially ( obviously) at lower levels, if people feel really strongly that our referees aren’t up to it, then become one yourself, go for it ?

I watched Paulton play Slimbridge recently, some of the football Paulton played was sublime, great to see that sort of football played in that league nowadays.

?A proper old school centre half, and genuinely good bloke.

I still see Alan watching his grandson most weeks ?

It most certainly is, some top quality out there as well. This goal was by Elliot Benyon ( came through our youth ranks 15 years ago) for Oxford City. Absolute quality.

While we are here talking about non league football. People may be interested in a brilliant YouTube series, about Dorking Wanderers, who have had something like 13 promotions in the last 15-20 years, it’s called “Dorking uncovered”. A very good watch

Yes, good footballers, I played with all three at one time or another, still see a couple of them on a regular basis.

No mate, the new owner changed the name to United, much to the dismay and anger of a lot of the town’s football supporters. He also owns Yeovil United the ladies football team, and bizarrely decided he wanted to to merge the names?. Hence Bridgwater United. I’ve yet to find anyone who still doesn’t call the club “Town”.

Unfortunately Celophane ( and the massive amount of jobs) is long gone…… the smell is a distant memory ?

The co owner is a dreamer ( some think a complete fraud ) who is living in cloud cuckoo land. He has turned the club into a ltd company, so we know where any dept is going!!. All these fancy videos on social media of new stands, new changing rooms and a new stadium for the ladies team, but in reality during the year he has been there he has put some new chippings down in the car park, yes that’s it. He’s changed the club name, changed the kit to the same as Bournemouth’s, which coincidentally was where he was a few years ago!. He has a coaching team who are basically useless, no clue, no game plan, and the side are only near the top of the league due to the Western League being very poor except for half a dozen teams. If he really thinks they can compete at the next level and climb the leagues, he is in dreamland. The most confusing thing of all, is why did he come to Bridgwater and buy the club, he has no links to the area, it really is very strange all round.

I watched Trowbridge Town a few times in the late 60’s. Only because my dad was a referee. I will never forget the name Archie Thornburn the Trowbridge striker, as a 7-8 year old kid at the time I just thought he was class!

I watched them yesterday, you wouldn’t have been impressed!!. Shepton Mallet did a ‘job’ on them and they had no answers, except completely losing their discipline. Bridgwater aren’t going anywhere until they change their management and coaching team.

And both of them left our playing side in a total utter mess. Like father like son, both football, gamblers.

He was player manager when we reached the play offs and lost to Walsall. Just in case your getting the two mixed up ?

Perhaps it’s just me, but do you see any signs that we are good enough to push for the play offs!

I didn’t realise we were doing so well this season, last time I looked at the table we were not too far away from the relegation places!

Which other countries rules were we governed by?

Watching PSG v Monaco tonight, Jonathan Pearce the commentator! Guess what, he has just spent a minute waxing lyrical about Paul Cheesley, about us winning at Arsenal, and how we we’re 92nd in the football league a few years later!! He just can’t stop himself ?

You do realise Leicester cheated ffp when they last got promotion to the premier league. They are no saints!.

Was it “media trivia” when the same media attacked Corbyn constantly for five years?.