Portland Bill

Best have a word with every manager in the country then, because his instructions will be to do exactly what you stated. They can!.

No rule change needed, a team can take the free kick as quick as they like. It’s the opposition players standing on the ball, a yellow card to be handed out, or an injured player that stops 90% of free kicks being taken quickly. That’s not in the laws of the game though!.

You make some good points. But…. Some of the things you complain aren’t being done… we’re being done… but fans complained about them!. For instance, kicking the ball away, this was clamped down on, but, fans complained that players were getting booked for “petty” taps of the ball, so referees were told to only book players when the ball is kicked away a distance. Foul and abusive language has been allowed to get out of control in the top leagues, referees further down the pyramid ( especially non league referees ) are fuming that the top referees seem to be ignoring it. Because, these non league referees then get the same tirade of abuse thrown at them, but will use the red card. Then you get players and managers complaining that the top leagues players do the same but get away with it !!. I don’t follow your “obstruction” point. Obstruction is always penalised, but shielding the ball is not an offence in the laws of the game. Re grappling at corners etc, this seems to have become an acceptable part of the game nowadays, so much is going on that a referee needs ten pairs of eyes. If at the top level a referee does give a penalty for holding, the tv pundits will then scrutinise every corner and ask why “this, this, and this” wasn’t given as well. Re the moving the ball forward 10 yards for dissent. This was simply a trial and only happened in the Prem,it lasted 4 years and was scrapped. Some teams took advantage of it and deliberately took a yellow card, this so the referee had to move the ball 10 yards closer to goal, making it harder for some of the free kick experts to get the ball up and down over the wall. At the end of the day referees cannot win, if they clamp down hard on certain things the fans complain. When they don’t, the same fans complain!. Who would be a referee, no wonder they are quitting in their droves. Some local leagues are struggling to get refs, the abuse and the violence against them just isn’t worth the £25, so they are just walking away. It’s funny, because there are so many “experts” out there, but not many who will go out and put their expertise into practise!!.

Sun bins are being used in the lower leagues, this has been going on for the last 3-4 seasons.

Probably because he isn’t watching the incident from a tv camera giving a view that he will never have. If he has the use of about 15 camera angles rather than the ‘one’ he had, he is going to use them.

Beirut looks nicer!

I’m guessing you haven’t been to Bridgwater then!

Yeah, just imagine if he had called us ‘Bristol’ !!.

The only keeper I’ve seen where it seemed he had a trampoline as a 6 yard box. His agility was amazing.

Why are a lot of our fans paranoid, I can’t see anything untoward in what he says.

Would be nice to see someone actually have a shot from outside the box!.

In the interview I heard Tinman give, he stated that 3 were just about done deals. These 3 were players who have been playing below the Championship for a few years, and players that haven’t been given the chance ( yet) to play at a higher level.

WTF!. Edit, just noticed this has already been posted!.

I’m sure if you can do better than “the clowns last night” you could volunteer to run the line somewhere this weekend!. Clubs are always looking for expert linesman!.

That’s because they communicate on their intercoms. They would have discussed it.

That stat is just ridiculous, football needs some kind of a reset, a reality check. 18 managers sacked in 7 months, madness.

North Riding is the area they are being trialled.

Yes they are, they are being trialled in the Yorkshire area as of the next couple of weeks i think. It is sad that it’s come to this, but hopefully it will make players think twice before their actions go over the top.

Referees are quitting in their droves, due to abuse, attacks, lack of respect etc. Leagues are struggling to operate without enough referees coming through. But, the good news is, we have millions of armchair referees who know far more than anyone!.

Far more than ‘decent’ free kick, he outwitted the keeper and put tremendous pace and accuracy on the ball. No one was expecting it, not just the keeper. The keepers position was probably the same as 99% of keepers would take up for that free kick.

I would rather give big credit to the free kick taker, he hit that superbly.

He isn’t exclusively a Prem referee, this will be his fifth championship game this season. Clearly coming back from a long term injury as well it seems.

I think it’s probable, but also winning the FA cup could mess the league form up ?

Imagine their fans reaction if they drew us ?.

Just joining the thread. I take your word re the 5 loan players. But Exeter’s academy is something special, and has been for the last two decades. They have at least 5 playing in the first team that have come through the club. If you add in the talent that they have sold, it’s an academy to be very proud of.