Referee Watch 2026/27 (11 Viewers)

[Themepark]

I’d have gone with the Denis Law chat to a ref
“If I called you Cnut I’d be sent off”
Ref “yes”
“If I just thought you were Cnut you couldn’t send me off?”
Ref “correct”
“Well I think your a Cnut” and ran off

I used to do the opening County Cup game for the local Step 5 club to me, it was almost a tradition having done it for four seasons but this year I wasn't given it as the CFA thought I'd be 'too bigtime' for it now I'm higher up the ladder (shame really... I'd have done it!)

I said to skips in the tunnel: "Lads if you're talking to me like this, say what you want, call me what you want - call me a cnut if you want I'm only going to agree with you" and it got a usual chuckle.

Anyway, corner in the second half. While we wait for the ball to come back as it had gone miles (no multi-ball) a player wanders up to me
"Is it true we can call you a cnut?"
'If it's in my ear and the whole ground doesn't hear it then sure'
"Oh nice"
<wanders off.. corner gets taken.. counter attack>

In my ear through the whole counter attack I hear cnnnnuuuuuuuuuuuuuttttttttttt being growled at me. Goes out for a corner at the other end. I look at the player with a big smile on my face laughing away, and he's got his tongue out also laughing having opted to chase me saying that rather than actually try to defend a lost cause.

Class.

 

[Old B]

Barratt was awful....... it was like he was reffing a completely different game.

Thanks for that

 

[Will Bee]

With more calm reflection today I don't think we can say we were robbed overall as Sunderland could have been 3-0 up at half-time and the least they deserved was a point. But I can't remember the last time a referee was booed off at the Gtech like that - felt like a very rare thing despite the overall level of refs in the premier league. My biggest frustration is with VAR which will always back the ref. If he hadn't given the pen against KLP then the VAR report would have been 'mutual holding from both players and the Sunderland attacker was not going to reach the cross' (I bet that's what they said for our shouts when Collins and others were thrown to the floor when we had corners and free kicks).

 

[Untouchable]

Sunderland could have been 3-0

They had one shot on target in the first half and an xG of 0.45.

 

[Will Bee]

They had one shot on target in the first half and an xG of 0.45.

But the disallowed goal will be 0.00 xG as it was disallowed but you could argue Kelleher was never getting it. And another shot was from out wide so low xG but only stopped by Schuster on the line. And they hit the post. So 0-3 not too far fetched.

 

[hanworthbee]

They had one shot on target in the first half and an xG of 0.45.

Stats ! They had one slam off the post and Jannick almost off the line

 

[Untouchable]

But the disallowed goal will be 0.00 xG as it was disallowed but you could argue Kelleher was never getting it. And another shot was from out wide so low xG but only stopped by Schuster on the line. And they hit the post. So 0-3 not too far fetched.

IMO it’s a bit of a stretch to include an offside goal to justify the conclusion that they could have been 3-0 up at HT.

A shot that hits the post is off target.

The one off the line was 12 yards out and almost dead centre with the goal.

At the end of the day they had one shot on target and an xG of 0.45. Being the better team did not translate to good chances. Being 1-0 up would have been a statistical overperformance.

 

[Themepark]

With more calm reflection today I don't think we can say we were robbed overall as Sunderland could have been 3-0 up at half-time and the least they deserved was a point. But I can't remember the last time a referee was booed off at the Gtech like that - felt like a very rare thing despite the overall level of refs in the premier league. My biggest frustration is with VAR which will always back the ref. If he hadn't given the pen against KLP then the VAR report would have been 'mutual holding from both players and the Sunderland attacker was not going to reach the cross' (I bet that's what they said for our shouts when Collins and others were thrown to the floor when we had corners and free kicks).

It overturned two on field decisions...

 

[Themepark]

View: https://x.com/ReadingFC/status/2096335358711451990?s=20


In other news

 

[Will Bee]

It overturned two on field decisions...

Two on-field decisions? There was the offside goal which was subjective so needed him to view the screen (debateable as to whether that counts as an overturn but fair enough) but what was the other one? He disallowed our goal on the field but just took ages to do it (hence why we were all celebrating and the goal was up on the big screen).

 

[Themepark]

Two on-field decisions? There was the offside goal which was subjective so needed him to view the screen (debateable as to whether that counts as an overturn but fair enough) but what was the other one? He disallowed our goal on the field but just took ages to do it (hence why we were all celebrating and the goal was up on the big screen).

VAR intervened and recommended an on field review. That's classed as an overturn.

I stand corrected on the disallowed goal - highlights make it look like a VAR intervention but I'm actually watching the game back now and can see he gives it on field and VAR confirm it.

It's just completely wrong to say VAR will always back the ref though. We've seen VAR get involved many, many times... whether we agree with it or not...

 

[HantsBee]

Just watching Birmingham v Wolves and the referee Adam Herczeg has been excellent. Really seems to understand the game from a players point of view - how refreshing after yesterday's debacle.

 

[Will Bee]

VAR intervened and recommended an on field review. That's classed as an overturn.

I stand corrected on the disallowed goal - highlights make it look like a VAR intervention but I'm actually watching the game back now and can see he gives it on field and VAR confirm it.

It's just completely wrong to say VAR will always back the ref though. We've seen VAR get involved many, many times... whether we agree with it or not...

Fair point - it doesn't always back the ref. But it is designed to support the on-field decision ('referee's call') and I have lost faith in that part of the process. I think a lot of yellow cards are given for example that the ref thinks might be red but lets VAR decide. But VAR is designed to support that on-field decision. Similarly, the Schade pen at Leeds would not have been overturned either way - which is hugely frustrating for fans. I'd now rather see a TMO-style rugby approach which is more about reaching the right decision rather than backing the on-field decision - and is shown on the big screen so us fans in the ground can actually know what is going on.

 

[Banana]

There is no way that the keeper had the ball under control for our “second”.

By law if the ball is between a keepers glove and any other surface (e.g. his other glove) then the keep has it under control. It was a correct decision by the ref.

 

[badgerbee]

They had one shot on target in the first half and an xG of 0.45.

Again, very similar to our equally dominant first half display at Leeds last week I would think.....

 

[A Real Mysteron]

IMO it’s a bit of a stretch to include an offside goal to justify the conclusion that they could have been 3-0 up at HT.

A shot that hits the post is off target.

The one off the line was 12 yards out and almost dead centre with the goal.

At the end of the day they had one shot on target and an xG of 0.45. Being the better team did not translate to good chances. Being 1-0 up would have been a statistical overperformance.

The one Schuster stopped was in if he hadn’t.
Kelleher set off the wrong way.

 

[londonlegal]

I thought he was awful, whilst getting two key decisions right and in the end the first too, even allowing for the argument that Caiomin couldn't have got it anyway (he never complained at all at the time). I wondered if he was thrown totally by the initial VAR stuff and then the speed of the game he never caught up with (although how on earth he found an offence for the free kick leading to the goal!)? It got to the point where I had no idea what decision he was going to give. Although I found the CB/CF battles at both ends real old fashioned scraps and each one could have been penalised either way.

I thought about it today and thought we defended that kick badly and as others have said two or three of our players unexpectedly had poor games/first halves. Maybe the ref did too? Often unexplained/unpredictable, is it fair to assume the ref must be perfect every game when we don't put the bar that high for the players?

But for all that sensible grown up analysis, that was the worst refereeing performance I have seen here for a long time. And the clue? Both sets of fans and coaches were equally as outraged!

 

[TorbayBee]

3 games in and I think the new ‘light VAR’ is yhe worst of all worlds as refs conditioned to not overly ref as they knew VAR would provide back up now let obvious fouls go. They are not used to being the sole arbiter and I think they are struggling. We cannot very easily go back m, VAR has had a massive impact on the attitude and behaviours of refs (whether they like to admit or not) . We let the Ghenie out of the bottle with VAR, at the moment we are struggling to stuff a bit of him back in.

 

[malkay]

Mr Bramall has previous of being an incompetent swine. The 2nd incident they mention shows why he was so quick to disallow Anthony's goal.


View: https://youtube.com/shorts/Hpo7Yh6w3oQ?is=1VTDA6U2Uz344IeJ


On another day, another ref doesn't blow for either of those two big incidents that went against us and VAR back the ref as there's no clear an obvious proof that Anthony makes contact with the keeper or that the keeper has both hands on the ball (freeze frame it at Anthony's contact and he's still trying to get the ball under control, it's not deemed control as stipulated under law 12) AND they call the penalty incident "mutual holding".

 

[HMDBFC]

Thomas Bramall had a very busy weekend. Not content with ruining our match he was then the Fourth Official at the Arsenal v Chelsea game yesterday. Think they dodged one there....

 

[Les Beeavinu]

Thomas Bramall had a very busy weekend. Not content with ruining our match he was then the Fourth Official at the Arsenal v Chelsea game yesterday. Think they dodged one there....

Just the kind of strong referee you need to keep Arteta in order.

 

[Untouchable]

Jarred Gillett on Saturday:

Bournemouth v Brentford
Referee: Jarred Gillett.
Assistants: Neil Davies, Nick Greenhalgh.
Fourth official: Tom Reeves.
VAR: Michael Salisbury.
Assistant VAR: Nick Hopton.

 

[Untouchable]

I know what everyone wants to know - was Thomas Bramall stood down after his inept performance on Saturday?

Of course not. He’s been given Liverpool v Fulham.

As I’ve been saying, no accountability and no consequences.

 

[TW3Bee]

Jarred Gillett on Saturday:

Bournemouth v Brentford
Referee: Jarred Gillett.
Assistants: Neil Davies, Nick Greenhalgh.
Fourth official: Tom Reeves.
VAR: Michael Salisbury.
Assistant VAR: Nick Hopton.

That'll please Bournemouth fans.

 

[Untouchable]

Thomas Bramall…Fourth Official at the Arsenal v Chelsea

Looking very cosy with his mate Arteta:


View: https://x.com/hughesy1312/status/2096653139042590970?s=61&t=EJGqSVScFRoPzRCeoUcI_w

 

[Untouchable]

Apparently there is a ProRef VAR Enhanced Training Programme.


View: https://x.com/prorefofficial/status/2097272850705006667?s=46&t=SQP7mje7Pimu8X-ugPnQnQ

 

[Banana]

Porto vs Man City. How long is that technical area????

 

[BuzzBeeSi]

I noticed that Gabriel went down with a "head injury" in the box last night. He was made to leave the pitch for one minute. Lovely stuff!

Shame that particular rule wasn't applied for us last week against Sunderland.

 

[westendbee]

I noticed that Gabriel went down with a "head injury" in the box last night. He was made to leave the pitch for one minute. Lovely stuff!

Shame that particular rule wasn't applied for us last week against Sunderland.

And Sunderland won another penalty after their attacker initiated contact : wonder how long they will be able to get away with that before the referees work that tactic out?

 

[The Pipe]

Given up with referees and VAR now, the new system is bizarre, unless of course you are a big team when intervention is guaranteed!!

The lack of consistency just beggars belief and if the elite refs are all going o fancy training courses then what the hell are they being taught??

We do t get a penalty at Leeds yet Chelsea given one for exactly the same thing ??

We have a system not fit for purpose and whilst the referee apologists o here will stand up for the fellow officials, in my humble opinion having watched football since I was first taken to Brentford in 1957 the standards have deteriorated and this is just compounded by the abomination that is the current system for VAR

 

[Themepark]

I noticed that Gabriel went down with a "head injury" in the box last night. He was made to leave the pitch for one minute. Lovely stuff!

Shame that particular rule wasn't applied for us last week against Sunderland.

Was play stopped for the Sunderland one, or had treatment been called on? OR had the game stopped naturally (free kick/gone out of play)?

 

[JANORAK]

Was play stopped for the Sunderland one, or had treatment been called on? OR had the game stopped naturally (free kick/gone out of play)?

There was a rarity on MOTD last night, when one team put the ball out for an opposing player to get treatment. I’ve certainly got used to refs stopping the game, but not in this instance.

 

[HantsBee]

Watching Sheff Utd v Wolves and Rob Jones having his usual crap game...apart from missing an obvious penalty to Wolves (blatant handball in the area) his decision making has been nothing short of atrocious. And he is supposed to be one of the top referees - I rest my case.

 

[Les Beeavinu]

Watching Sheff Utd v Wolves and Rob Jones having his usual crap game...apart from missing an obvious penalty to Wolves (blatant handball in the area) his decision making has been nothing short of atrocious. And he is supposed to be one of the top referees - I rest my case.

The free kick to Wolves when a Sheff U player ran into him was hilariously bad

 

[Untouchable]

Rob Jones having his usual crap game

This will not be a surprise to anyone who has watched Jones officiate a match.

It is impossible for a ProRef official to be dismissed for persistent poor performance. So as long as there is no sanction for being crap, crap will continue to be the standard.

 

[HantsBee]

Howard Webb was in attendance but doubtless he will not criticise Jones who no doubt will get a top appointment next weekend.

 

[Old B]

Have to laugh at Xhaka complaining that Arsenal got all the decisions! Seems he can only referee against non big 6 sides.

 

[westendbee]

Was play stopped for the Sunderland one, or had treatment been called on? OR had the game stopped naturally (free kick/gone out of play)?

Wasn’t that the incident where Sunderland were inexplicably awarded a free kick because their player blocked a shot with his face and collapsed theatrically?

 

[Themepark]

Wasn’t that the incident where Sunderland were inexplicably awarded a free kick because their player blocked a shot with his face and collapsed theatrically?

I don't know, that's what I'm asking. But if play was stopped for the injury or treatment was called on - 60 seconds off.

If the ball goes out naturally/free kick gets given - player stays on unless treatment is requested.

This is where the screaming "Ref Head. Ref Head. Ref Head" is going to start stopping once teams realise that if we stop the game for a non-head injury because they won't stop screaming about it, and player goes "I'm fine it isn't my head" the player goes off anyway.

 

[BuzzBeeSi]

I don't know, that's what I'm asking. But if play was stopped for the injury or treatment was called on - 60 seconds off.

If the ball goes out naturally/free kick gets given - player stays on unless treatment is requested.

This is where the screaming "Ref Head. Ref Head. Ref Head" is going to start stopping once teams realise that if we stop the game for a non-head injury because they won't stop screaming about it, and player goes "I'm fine it isn't my head" the player goes off anyway.

Yeah I was referring to that incident. The Brentford shot hit a Sunderland player's face. Sunderland player goes down. Referee blows whistle and awards a free kick to Sunderland.

It was explained away on the GPG (not by you or another referee, so it could be wrong) that there is a rule where head injuries in the box equate to a free kick or drop ball to the defending goalkeeper. If the poster was correct then that rule didn't apply to Gabriel last night. If he was incorrect then our ref against Sunderland must have mistaken the ball for a Brentford elbow or something.

 

[aslan]

Will Dan Ballard get a retrospective ban for deceiving the officials?

 

[londonlegal]

How can any ref or VAR not think Bruno walks away with nothing? Red them both or be sensible b-lock them both and yellow and get on with it.

 

[Themepark]

It was explained away on the GPG (not by you or another referee, so it could be wrong) that there is a rule where head injuries in the box equate to a free kick or drop ball to the defending goalkeeper.

There isn’t.

If play is stopped for any reason other than an offence (offside/foul) and the ball is in the area it’s a drop ball to Goalkeeper regardless of who was in possession/likely to be in possession.

 

[Les Beeavinu]

@Themepark If a team wanted to waste time by simply running after the referee hitting him with the ball, would they be penalised?

 

[BuzzBeeSi]

There isn’t.

If play is stopped for any reason other than an offence (offside/foul) and the ball is in the area it’s a drop ball to Goalkeeper regardless of who was in possession/likely to be in possession.

Right. And head injuries are such scenarios where play has to be stopped (as opposed to a leg injury). Which explains why the ball hitting Sunderland defender's face resulted in the ref handing the ball to their goalkeeper. But if I understand correctly, their defender should also have gone off the pitch for one minute.

I appreciate your responses. I'm not deliberately being obtuse. Genuinely don't know the rules!

 

[longtimeagobee]

Oliver had more touches than some Utd players

 

[Boston Bee]

Oliver had more touches than some Utd players

Feel for Oliver. His team got the offside correct, and all we are talking about is the blown offside call!

 

[aawharris]

There isn’t.

If play is stopped for any reason other than an offence (offside/foul) and the ball is in the area it’s a drop ball to Goalkeeper regardless of who was in possession/likely to be in possession.

This sets a worrying precident, where any team under cosh could just have players go down after run of the mill headers in the box and get the ball back

 

[Untouchable]

This sets a worrying precident, where any team under cosh could just have players go down after run of the mill headers in the box and get the ball back

See Bournemouth under Iraola.

 

[aawharris]

See Bournemouth under Iraola.

That was exactly who i was thinking about.
All the player has to do is pop straight up after the ref blows his whistle and avoids leaving the pitch for a minute