Robert Madley - Referee

[cidered abroad]

What a pleasure to see a ref who did his best to keep the game flowing and who got most decisions correct.

Anyone remember the first half incident in our penalty area near the goal line? Livermore against Klose. My first thought was that here's another dodgy penalty. Livermore is well known for being a a lifelong member of the dark arts club. But Madley was there in a split second with a yellow card for the Albion player, whereas an awful lot the clowns, sorry, referees, that we are forced to live with, would have instantly pointed to the penalty spot.

[Harry]

I’ve always thought Madley is one of the better refs around 

[Alessandro]

Thought he was generally unfussy - my problem with refs like Keith Stroud is that it's too much of a performance from them sometimes.

Madley, although not afraid of a card, doesn't give away too many fouls per game in comparison to others.

Felt he got the majority of calls right last night: off top of head though, trying to be balanced, Klose lucky not to get a yellow after a couple of fouls and i'd like to see the handballs again.

Atkinson, we've seen that given in the prem (probably VAR though) and Williams probably should have been a freekick outside area IMO.

Edited October 19, 2022 by Alessandro

[frenchred]

behave you lot, the only reason your saying this is that we won and he gave most 50/50 decisions to us.

if you were a wba fan you’d be fuming!

 

[daored]

1 minute ago, Alessandro said:

Thought he was generally unfussy - my problem with refs like Keith Stroud is that it's too much of a performance from them sometimes.

Madley, although not afraid of a card, doesn't give away too many fouls per game in comparison to others.

Felt he got the majority of calls right last night: off top of head though, trying to be balanced, Klose lucky not to get a yellow after a couple of fouls and i'd like to see the handballs again.

Atkinson, we've seen that given in the prem (probably VAR though) and Williams probably should have been a freekick outside area IMO.

Thought he had a good game too, Atkinson certainly looked like a handball and there were a couple of quick shouts from them in succession I thought he was likely to buckle and give one

[Alex_BCFC]

He was brilliant for us - nice to see all the 50:50s go our way for once. 

[UREDS_91]

We got most of the decisions. Especially the very hairy moment where WBA should (IMO) have had a penalty for the Atkinson handball... (although Toby Osbourne would tell you his hands were by his side... 

Good old Bob. 

[Banjo Island]

18 minutes ago, cidered abroad said:

What a pleasure to see a ref who did his best to keep the game flowing and who got most decisions correct.

Anyone remember the first half incident in our penalty area near the goal line? Livermore against Klose. My first thought was that here's another dodgy penalty. Livermore is well known for being a a lifelong member of the dark arts club. But Madley was there in a split second with a yellow card for the Albion player, whereas an awful lot the clowns, sorry, referees, that we are forced to live with, would have instantly pointed to the penalty spot.

Keith stroud nailed on penalty and red card

[MSN Red]

He was previously one of the better Prem referees before he resigned a few years back. Now working his way back up the leagues.

[cidercity1987]

5 minutes ago, MSN Red said:

He was previously one of the better Prem referees before he resigned a few years back. Now working his way back up the leagues.

Yes a top level referee working in the wrong league for non work reasons.

I didn't think it was a penalty but the Williams handball straight after should have been a free kick to WBA on the edge of the box

[phantom]

20 minutes ago, UREDS_91 said:

We got most of the decisions. Especially the very hairy moment where WBA should (IMO) have had a penalty for the Atkinson handball... (although Toby Osbourne would tell you his hands were by his side... 

Good old Bob. 

Sky commentary referred to the that incident as not being a penalty but the block on the edge of the box not given was a handball

Oddly sky were watching replays and talking about them but not actually showing them

[Northern Red]

I was only watching on the red button so didn't have the benefit of any replays, but the commentator suggested that the Atkinson one could have gone either way but that he might have been in trouble if we'd had VAR, whilst the Williams one definitely was but was outside the box.

[Selred]

Atkinson and Williams both could of been given as handballs. 

[Mad Cyril]

I don't watch football for the thrill and pleasure of correct refereeing decisions, I go to watch the game being played. I hate VAR.

Any ref who let's the game flow, is basically consistent, and goes largely unnoticed is a breath of fresh air.

Ref was my MOTM last night.

[RoystonFoote'snephew]

39 minutes ago, Alessandro said:

Thought he was generally unfussy - my problem with refs like Keith Stroud is that it's too much of a performance from them sometimes.

Madley, although not afraid of a card, doesn't give away too many fouls per game in comparison to others.

Felt he got the majority of calls right last night: off top of head though, trying to be balanced, Klose lucky not to get a yellow after a couple of fouls and i'd like to see the handballs again.

Atkinson, we've seen that given in the prem (probably VAR though) and Williams probably should have been a freekick outside area IMO.

I'm probably in the minority but I've never had a major problem with Keith Stroud. He can be a bit full of himself sometimes but he is his own man, rarely swayed by crowd or player reactions and gets most of the big decisions right. His problem for me is that there in match inconsistencies in his own game regarding lesser offences eg he will book a player for kicking the ball away but not one who petulantly throws the ball away. He's not as good a referee as Bobby Madley but I'd rather him than Andy Davies any day of the week. 

[hollydog]

16 minutes ago, Mad Cyril said:

I don't watch football for the thrill and pleasure of correct refereeing decisions, I go to watch the game being played. I hate VAR.

Any ref who let's the game flow, is basically consistent, and goes largely unnoticed is a breath of fresh air.

Ref was my MOTM last night.

Spot on. 
I note that the BBC on MOTD seem to have forgotten this. Absolutely obsessed about whether a certain decision was correct or not.  
Talk about the football!

[frenchred]

4 minutes ago, hollydog said:

Spot on. 
I note that the BBC on MOTD seem to have forgotten this. Absolutely obsessed about whether a certain decision was correct or not.  
Talk about the football!

unfortunately while refs are making such blatant mistakes and wrong decions on a very frequent basis and are completely unapproachable for explanations it will always be a topic of conversation for lineker and his mates.

to counter that the players and/or managers don’t exactly help the refs, var has not helped them at all and i would prefer motd togo back to the old days, one presenter, show the football and no chatting bollocks!

 

[Harry]

Re the Atkinson handball, I thought he got it right. 
Atkinson’s left arm is raised, but I wouldn’t say it was an “unnatural” position. Basically, if the ball doesn’t hit his arm, it would hit his head, and therefore I don’t think you could categorically say that the arm was ‘away from the body’. 

[RedEyez]

He was very, very good. Always a sign when you don’t really notice the ref much.

Either that or he’s bang average and the rest of the shite refs made him look so good. 

[Davefevs]

2 hours ago, cidered abroad said:

What a pleasure to see a ref who did his best to keep the game flowing and who got most decisions correct.

Anyone remember the first half incident in our penalty area near the goal line? Livermore against Klose. My first thought was that here's another dodgy penalty. Livermore is well known for being a a lifelong member of the dark arts club. But Madley was there in a split second with a yellow card for the Albion player, whereas an awful lot the clowns, sorry, referees, that we are forced to live with, would have instantly pointed to the penalty spot.

When I saw him whistle, I thought he’d given a penalty…not that I thought it was though.  The replay, I would argue should’ve been a red card, he jumped into it.  Could’ve been v.nasty for Klose.

[Antman]

2 hours ago, TomF said:

Yeah to be fair the WBA fans didn't seem to like any of his decisions. If that was at home getting those decisions against us v WBA we'd all be going on about how it was premier league bias etc. 

However he did let the game run a lot of the time, even ignoring some of Scott's usual antics for trying to win cheap free kicks etc. 

agree - i think refs are becoming wise to Scotts antics (shield the ball, stick your arse out, fall over) he needs to be cleverer than that.

[GrahamC]

He’s one of the top refs & until his fall from grace was seen as one of the best in the Prem.

I do think we got the benefit of the doubt on a few last night but good to see a ref who wasn’t swayed by the crowd & go with what he felt was right.

Glad he booked Livermore, he’s a dirty, sly player who tries to referee the game as well.

[ciderwithtommy]

I might be the only one - but I thought Livermore’s was a red. Really naughty challenge, Klose was lucky that he got away with a minor knock.  that said I can’t stand him as a player, gets multiple let offs per game from refs as he’s a “name” and seemingly  a mate of theirs. The 3-2 at ours years ago he must have committed about 4 yellow cards fouls before finally being booked. 

[Sheltons Army]

12 minutes ago, ciderwithtommy said:

I might be the only one - but I thought Livermore’s was a red. Really naughty challenge, Klose was lucky that he got away with a minor knock.  that said I can’t stand him as a player, gets multiple let offs per game from refs as he’s a “name” and seemingly  a mate of theirs. The 3-2 at ours years ago he must have committed about 4 yellow cards fouls before finally being booked. 

I said on match day thread , I thought he was slightly fortunate to see red , Fevs has commented similar on another thread 

My impression was two footed , and jumped , so out of control 

Real nasty individual, not sure I’ve ever seen him play without leaving his foot in at best a few times

[PHILINFRANCE]

42 minutes ago, Sheltons Army said:

I said on match day thread , I thought he was slightly fortunate to see red , Fevs has commented similar on another thread 

My impression was two footed , and jumped , so out of control 

Real nasty individual, not sure I’ve ever seen him play without leaving his foot in at best a few times

I agree with all your points and, unless I am mistaken, he was the same when he played against us for Hull.

Nevertheless, and you might reflect before you answer, do you not sometimes think you would like him, or a player of similar ilk, playing for City?

[Coxy27]

3 hours ago, Harry said:

Re the Atkinson handball, I thought he got it right. 
Atkinson’s left arm is raised, but I wouldn’t say it was an “unnatural” position. Basically, if the ball doesn’t hit his arm, it would hit his head, and therefore I don’t think you could categorically say that the arm was ‘away from the body’. 

I think that would be a prime example of a decision that is too ambiguous within the current rules.

I don't think not giving, or giving a penalty there could be said to be right or wrong.

I'm happy they didn't give it - but I bet as a training exercise if you had a room full of professional referees, there would be a pretty even split of those that think it's a penalty, and those which don't.

[Cityboy1954]

4 hours ago, Alex_BCFC said:

He was brilliant for us - nice to see all the 50:50s go our way for once. 

Yeh good ref after having fifteen shit ones about time we had a bit of luck .

[AshtonRobin21]

It worked out well for us last night. 

However, if we were the team chasing the game, we would be fuming. 

Stop-start, all through the second half. It certainly worked in our favour. 

[cidered abroad]

2 hours ago, Davefevs said:

When I saw him whistle, I thought he’d given a penalty…not that I thought it was though.  The replay, I would argue should’ve been a red card, he jumped into it.  Could’ve been v.nasty for Klose.

I thought the same as you. Amazing how recognised cloggers can get away with it. Same as Robbie Savage!

[Sheltons Army]

56 minutes ago, PHILINFRANCE said:

I agree with all your points and, unless I am mistaken, he was the same when he played against us for Hull.

Nevertheless, and you might reflect before you answer, do you not sometimes think you would like him, or a player of similar ilk, playing for City?

No , not really Phil

You can be physical or dominant there without having to go over the top (literally) every game

He is IMHO one who crosses the lane , and consistently

The ironic thing is he’s powerful enough and is , or was , a good player , and didn’t need to resort to that

Id like to see him try and do somebody one day and come off a poor second best