Referee Watch 2026/27

[Les Beeavinu]

Some of this afternoon's decision's can be debated. What isn't in question though is one of the worst penalty decisions I've seen.

How did the ref give Liverpool a pen!

It is one benefit of VAR when such a clear error is made. You could clearly see from the stands we won the ball, it wasn't even close to consider a penalty.

We all make mistakes and the ref will be assessed, my guess is it won't be his best report.

And then what? It'll just be the same again next week, there are no consequences for poor refereeing, Howard Webb has got his little closed shop and no one is getting in.

 

[JANORAK]

So, ‘filthy’ Brentford (2 x sent off remember), committed the horrific number of 7(seven) fouls in 112 minutes. Liverpool got away with a paltry 13(thirteen) in comparison, according to our illustrious Arbiter this afternoon….

 

[BURFORD BEE]

Some of this afternoon's decision's can be debated. What isn't in question though is one of the worst penalty decisions I've seen.

How did the ref give Liverpool a pen!

It is one benefit of VAR when such a clear error is made. You could clearly see from the stands we won the ball, it wasn't even close to consider a penalty.

We all make mistakes and the ref will be assessed, my guess is it won't be his best report.

Debated? How can you debate blatant bias?
The crap that was going on in the area prior to Yarmo's
"headbutt " was ridiculous and it was the scousers who were the main offenders. The cheating **** went down like he'd been shot when it's dubious if contact was made.

 

[Shamrock_Bee]

And then what? It'll just be the same again next week, there are no consequences for poor referring, Howard Webb has got his little closed shop and no one is getting in.

I wouldn't disagree. The assessments are in place so we can only hope issues are identified, although it's fair to conclude the system doesn't appear to be working.

 

[Shamrock_Bee]

Debated? How can you debate blatant bias?
The crap that was going on in the area prior to Yarmo's
"headbutt " was ridiculous and it was the scousers who were the main offenders. The cheating **** went down like he'd been shot when it's dubious if contact was made.

My main point was some decisions are open to debate, although my own view is the vast majority went against us including Yarmo's red card.

These debatable decisions are clouding the worst penalty decision this season or previous seasons, within the media.

 

[Untouchable]

I wouldn't disagree. The assessments are in place so we can only hope issues are identified, although it's fair to conclude the system doesn't appear to be working.

The system is broken.

No PL official has been sacked for performance issues. Ever.

There is no incentive to improve as there is no sanction for being sh*t. At worse you get a weekend off whilst still being paid 6 figures.

 

[Holysmit]

Whats the point the media wont say anything because it was in Liverpools favour.

 

[Kingston Bee]

The system is broken.

No PL official has been sacked for performance issues. Ever.

There is no incentive to improve as there is no sanction for being sh*t. At worse you get a weekend off whilst still being paid 6 figures.

Spot on.

 

[Untouchable]

Is Attwell still not allowed to referee Forest matches after Marinakis wrote a strongly worded letter in his favourite red crayon?

If so maybe it’s time we took a stand with ProRef about Brooks.

 

[Banana]

Is Attwell still not allowed to referee Forest matches after Marinakis wrote a strongly worded letter in his favourite red crayon?

If so maybe it’s time we took a stand with ProRef about Brooks.

Last game was : 26.08.2023 Man Utd - Nott'm Forest

 

[SmiffyBee]

The system is broken.

No PL official has been sacked for performance issues. Ever.

There is no incentive to improve as there is no sanction for being sh*t. At worse you get a weekend off whilst still being paid 6 figures.

In which profession would you be sacked after subjectively poor performance after 90 minutes ?

 

[Untouchable]

In which profession would you be sacked after subjectively poor performance after 90 minutes ?

Nobody has suggested this should happen.

But you show me an organisation that has several hundred employees where nobody is ever dismissed for poor performance and I’ll show you an organisation that has a problem.

 

[Les Beeavinu]

In which profession would you be sacked after subjectively poor performance after 90 minutes ?

Where I worked for the last 10 years, if someone was repeatedly sh*t, they got moved on pretty quickly.

 

[Banana]

Where I worked for the last 10 years, if someone was repeatedly sh*t, they got moved on pretty quickly.

Bottom 10%/15% get binned off too. Every year.

 

[shaun]

Got both reds right but still cr&p.

Honestly, the standard of officiating in the league is pathetic.

Why can’t the football structure fast track National League through to Division 1 players who actually understand football and need the money.

 

[Les Beeavinu]

Bottom 10%/15% get binned off too. Every year.

Sounds fine but who was it this year? After Darren Bond and Anthony Taylor retired, I'm not sure it was anyone. I'd love to see a list of referees demoted from the EPL in the last 5 years because the list looks remarkably similar to me.

 

[Banana]

After Darren Bond and Anthony Taylor retired,

at my place they would both go to the bottom of the list....

 

[Les Beeavinu]

at my place they would both go to the bottom of the list....

Yep, sounds right - if you know someone is going, everyone will get bumped up.

 

[Houghton Bee]

In which profession would you be sacked after subjectively poor performance after 90 minutes ?

The oldest profession....

At least next week's game should be a level playing field.

 

[aslan]

How many times did he go past his 5 second warning today? Weak and pathetic

 

[Edmundo]

Anyone who thought it was a penalty when Ouattara tackled Macalister is simply not good enough to be given charge of a professional match, let alone a Premier League one. Never mind that VAR got him out of an embarrassing error, he simply shouldn’t have made it in the first place.

 

[hanworthbee]

Anyone who thought it was a penalty when Ouattara tackled Macalister is simply not good enough to be given charge of a professional match, let alone a Premier League one. Never mind that VAR got him out of an embarrassing error, he simply shouldn’t have made it in the first place.

From behind the goal it looked like a daft challenge and a nailed on pen in real time

 

[Hippobee]

Just watched MotD.

Keith Andrews on the first red card:

"We need to be better there...we need to look at ourselves and not the officials."

Always speaks well. And he is spot on.

 

[Old B]

I don’t know why the players shook the incompetent man’s hand after the game, he just did not deserve that on his performance, surely blanking him on the final whistle actually makes a point without “ bringing the game into disrepute”.

He will walk off still thinking he did ok.

Time for these chaps in the middle to do press conferences and be asked some questions with a public audience.
Time for all VAR discussions with any referee to be broadcast live for greater openness with the audience.

Similarly with any 4th official commmunications. Schade and baby rat had been niggling each other for the previous 5-10 minutes, shirt pulls both ways, pushing etc, should have been spotted and clamped down on by at least one of the Lino or 4th notifying the ref before Kevin’s push into the blokes chest. I thought Kevin must have electric current going through his hands the way the rat went down. Another cheating scouse so and so!

 

[Justheretoread]

Somebody in the media needs to insist upon an answer as to why the Gabriel “headbutt” wasn’t deemed a red card but YY’s was.

But, like politicians, anybody who speaks will answer a different question and, like politicians, things won’t improve as there is little to no accountability.

The big club bias is real. Even if it is subconscious.

 

[Edmundo]

From behind the goal it looked like a daft challenge and a nailed on pen in real time

On TV it was very clear that Dango played the ball.

 

[SmiffyBee]

On TV it was very clear that Dango played the ball.

Maybe we should have a system where a mistake from a referee, can be corrected by another referee, who may have access to unlimited camera angles and replays ?

 

[Old B]

Maybe we should have a system where a mistake from a referee, can be corrected by another referee, who may have access to unlimited camera angles and replays ?

Would you have booked McAllister for simulation?

 

[westendbee]

On TV it was very clear that Dango played the ball.

The MotD commentator got that call completely wrong too

 

[aslan]

From behind the goal it looked like a daft challenge and a nailed on pen in real time

I couldn't tell how much of the ball Dango got tbf. What was obvious though, was how the cheating argie threw himself to the floor well before any contact (and I'm not sure there even was any)

 

[BURFORD BEE]

From behind the goal it looked like a daft challenge and a nailed on pen in real time

That was where I was and yes it did though the bloke behind me called it right. The ref though saw it at ground level and was right up with the game. You can therefore add incompetence to bias.

 

[mhead bee]

Is Attwell still not allowed to referee Forest matches after Marinakis wrote a strongly worded letter in his favourite red crayon?

If so maybe it’s time we took a stand with ProRef about Brooks.

The letter would be so long we wouldn’t have any refs left who could do us

 

[mhead bee]

From behind the goal it looked like a daft challenge and a nailed on pen in real time

From half way line in the north stand it looked a ridiculous decision, but it is so fast you think maybe have missed something. The replay showed it to be exactly what I thought I had seen. The ball long gone and the cheating argie arriving 2 seconds later and diving.

 

[longtimeagobee]

Maybe we should have a system where a mistake from a referee, can be corrected by another referee, who may have access to unlimited camera angles and replays ?

That might just work, would certainly stop all the fans moaning about decisions

 

[Griffingreen]

Debated? How can you debate blatant bias?

Sh*t referee yes, but there were a few times he ignored a Liverpool player rolling around after a tackle with little or no concern, so maybe not so bias

 

[Isleworth_Bee]

What drives me mad is the bias and inconsistency around holding. Only goes one way.

 

[The Pipe]

These days I only watch football on TV and regularly lose my temper at the blatant cheating that goes on, often condoned by the commentators “ taken a booking for the team “ etc. as for the players falling to the deck one wonders where the grassy knoll is as obviously there must be a sniper somewhere!!!

At no time do we here pundits, managers, refs or commentators calling out the cheats as this would upset the happy status quo of the world of football where everyone is at the gravy train, and until such time as those involved in the game take a stance then I fear football is heading inexorably into the gutter and the levels of cheating, condoned by coaches will continue to desecrate a once beautiful game

 

[alexcavell]

How many times did he go past his 5 second warning today? Weak and pathetic

It basically encouraged time-wasting from Liverpool because they knew they could wait until the last second every time

 

[Vid]

At no time do we here pundits, managers, refs or commentators calling out the cheats as this would upset the happy status quo of the world of football where everyone is at the gravy train, and until such time as those involved in the game take a stance then I fear football is heading inexorably into the gutter and the levels of cheating, condoned by coaches will continue to desecrate a once beautiful game

There are a few pundits, possibly at the end of contracts calling out players like Cash etc. who cheat in order to get a player sent off.

 

[aslan]

I'm also sick of us basically being penalised for having someone good at throwins. Every team is fine to gain 5/10 yards, as soon as Kayode picks up the ball the refs suddenly care exactly where the throw is taken from

 

[Banana]

I'm also sick of us basically being penalised for having someone good at throwins. Every team is fine to gain 5/10 yards, as soon as Kayode picks up the ball the refs suddenly care exactly where the throw is taken from

He pulled him back ONE YARD on one occassion.

 

[Vid]

They say a good ref is someone you don't notice in a game. Did anyone notice John Edmund Cornwall Brooks yesterday ?

 

[Les Beeavinu]

There seems to be an increasing tactic of defenders fully wrapping their arms around the player they are marking when a long ball is played. Why is this not being called a foul?

 

[malkay]

There seems to be an increasing tactic of defenders fully wrapping their arms around the player they are marking when a long ball is played. Why is this not being called a foul?

As I said to my seat neighbour yesterday, a ref missing this one or two times a game is a frustrating oversight... but the amount of times physicality by Liverpool defenders on our players (particularly Thiago) when anticipating a ball from the air went unpunished was frankly a dereliction of duty in refereeing the game properly or consistently.

I don't really know what Thiago has done in the last 18 months to be singled out by the refs as a man who gets nothing when he's clearly fouled but yellow cards the other way around when he gives as good as he gets.

 

[lanzabee]

These days I only watch football on TV and regularly lose my temper at the blatant cheating that goes on, often condoned by the commentators “ taken a booking for the team “ etc. as for the players falling to the deck one wonders where the grassy knoll is as obviously there must be a sniper somewhere!!!

At no time do we here pundits, managers, refs or commentators calling out the cheats as this would upset the happy status quo of the world of football where everyone is at the gravy train, and until such time as those involved in the game take a stance then I fear football is heading inexorably into the gutter and the levels of cheating, condoned by coaches will continue to desecrate a once beautiful game

I think we're already here - the WC Final, the games ultimate showpiece - was an utter disgrace. f*** all done about it too, so the cynicism just spreads through the wider game

 

[lanzabee]

As I said to my seat neighbour yesterday, a ref missing this one or two times a game is a frustrating oversight... but the amount of times physicality by Liverpool defenders on our players (particularly Thiago) when anticipating a ball from the air went unpunished was frankly a dereliction of duty in refereeing the game properly or consistently.

I don't really know what Thiago has done in the last 18 months to be singled out by the refs as a man who gets nothing when he's clearly fouled but yellow cards the other way around when he gives as good as he gets.

Thiago rarely if ever gets a decision, regardless of opposition

 

[SmiffyBee]

There seems to be an increasing tactic of defenders fully wrapping their arms around the player they are marking when a long ball is played. Why is this not being called a foul?

Is it prolonged holding ?
Is it impacting the play ?
Is the attacker backing in, or holding as well ?

These are possible reasons why it is not called as a foul.

 

[Les Beeavinu]

Is it prolonged holding ?
Is it impacting the play ?
Is the attacker backing in, or holding as well ?

These are possible reasons why it is not called as a foul.

If a defender has his arms fully around a player who can't move easily as a result, is it a foul or not? Also, why does it need to be prolonged - even 2 seconds doing that is enough to impact an attack.

 

[BlueJayBee]

Is it prolonged holding ?
Is it impacting the play ?
Is the attacker backing in, or holding as well ?

These are possible reasons why it is not called as a foul.

On one of the countless occasions, yesterday, not only did the defender have his arms around (I think) Jaydon, but he also threw him sideways, preventing him from playing the ball.

 

[BURFORD BEE]

Sh*t referee yes, but there were a few times he ignored a Liverpool player rolling around after a tackle with little or no concern, so maybe not so bias

No? Just look at the foul count, the shade incident the penalty that never was, the behaviour of that French git which led to Yarmo's " head butt"