The match is on Sky Sports and a local derby. The perfect time for a good strong ref.
Then Andy D'urso is appointed. He was the Ref on the opening day at Bournemouth. Who have Charlton upset ?? Should he be appointed to our games again so soon ?
We're going over old ground here, but it was D'Urso who on Boxing Day a couple of years ago postponed our game against Southampton just one hour before kick-off. Around 20,000 excited and festive fans had made their way to The Valley for the 1 p.m. start under difficult travelling conditions; being Boxing Day, there were no trains. D'Urso discovered a thin strip of ice along the east touchline, and despite Paddy Powell and his team still working with the hot-air blowers, D'Urso blew the final whistle at high noon.
Both managers thought the pitch was eminently playable and wanted the game to go ahead. D'Urso said he "feared for the safety of his linesman" on the thin strip of ice. Ah, diddums. Paddy Powell later reckoned the postponement cost the club 60 grand. I generally forgive refs for the mistakes they make during the match, but this was a case of a gross error of judgement before the game could even begin.
We're going over old ground here, but it was D'Urso who on Boxing Day a couple of years ago postponed our game against Southampton just one hour before kick-off. Around 20,000 excited and festive fans had made their way to The Valley for the 1 p.m. start under difficult travelling conditions; being Boxing Day, there were no trains. D'Urso discovered a thin strip of ice along the east touchline, and despite Paddy Powell and his team still working with the hot-air blowers, D'Urso blew the final whistle at high noon.
Both managers thought the pitch was eminently playable and wanted the game to go ahead. D'Urso said he "feared for the safety of his linesman" on the thin strip of ice. Ah, diddums. Paddy Powell later reckoned the postponement cost the club 60 grand. I generally forgive refs for the mistakes they make during the match, but this was a case of a gross error of judgement before the game could even begin.
A timely and well written reminder. And sadly just one of many that could be written about d'Urso
Is he a cheat though ? If he's equally incompetent with us and Millwall without favour then I think I can live with that possibility. Unless in this instance he fancies becoming a "homer" in which case I prefer that option.
No not a cheat. Just a bad official. As JohnnyH2 quite rightly points out on the other thread concerning D,Urso if he was such a good consistent ref why was he removed from the Premiership list of refs.
Is he a cheat though ? If he's equally incompetent with us and Millwall without favour then I think I can live with that possibility. Unless in this instance he fancies becoming a "homer" in which case I prefer that option.
Nobody on this thread has suggested he is a cheat, but there is a strong view that he is the type of ref who thinks people have come to see him (assuming he allows them to come at all), and is therefore prone to make decisions which are to the detriment of the game. Of course he might send off Nicky Bailey, but generally I think the best games are those that finish with eleven a side.
He sent off our Bradley the effing cheat! Only joking? As one of the hardy few who were scraping off ice in the Valley surrounds prior to that Southampton game...this is personal!
He owes me a fiver - I paid for the car park 30 seconds before the announcement on the radio. The man is a ditherer rather than a cheat, one moment he avoids a decision and then he suddenly wishes to play the strong man - will always remember him running away from Keane and co.
Is he a cheat though ? If he's equally incompetent with us and Millwall without favour then I think I can live with that possibility. Unless in this instance he fancies becoming a "homer" in which case I prefer that option.
Personally, I don't believe any of our professional refs are "bent" or "dodgy". They are highly trained men with vast experience and are continuously monitored both by their own professional body and by the all-seeing eyes of the TV cameras. A split-second error of judgement by the ref makes the headlines, yet we are quick to forgive and forget glaring errors by our players: Pigott's penalty blazed over the bar at Dartford, Church's howler with the goal gaping against Oxford, etc., etc.
Football is a human game and as such is prone to human errors; referees take pride in having a good game just as players do. The idea that some refs are "homers", or are reluctant to give penalties to the away team at Old Trafford for example, is nothing but a myth. Why would a ref willingly make a wrong decision and subject himself to widespread opprobrium? He'd soon lose his job. Away teams rarely get pens at Old Trafford simply because they rarely get in to the Man Utd box - and when they do, Man Utd are skilful and clever enough not to trip them up.
We are fortunate to have a list of refs of impeccable integrity. Just imagine us living in Italy or parts of eastern Europe and supporting a club there. Before every game we would be wondering: Has the ref received a brown envelope? Has the result been fixed in advance?
Is he a cheat though ? If he's equally incompetent with us and Millwall without favour then I think I can live with that possibility. Unless in this instance he fancies becoming a "homer" in which case I prefer that option.
Personally, I don't believe any of our professional refs are "bent" or "dodgy". They are highly trained men with vast experience and are continuously monitored both by their own professional body and by the all-seeing eyes of the TV cameras. A split-second error of judgement by the ref makes the headlines, yet we are quick to forgive and forget glaring errors by our players: Pigott's penalty blazed over the bar at Dartford, Church's howler with the goal gaping against Oxford, etc., etc.
Football is a human game and as such is prone to human errors; referees take pride in having a good game just as players do. The idea that some refs are "homers", or are reluctant to give penalties to the away team at Old Trafford for example, is nothing but a myth. Why would a ref willingly make a wrong decision and subject himself to widespread opprobrium? He'd soon lose his job. Away teams rarely get pens at Old Trafford simply because they rarely get in to the Man Utd box - and when they do, Man Utd are skilful and clever enough not to trip them up.
We are fortunate to have a list of refs of impeccable integrity. Just imagine us living in Italy or parts of eastern Europe and supporting a club there. Before every game we would be wondering: Has the ref received a brown envelope? Has the result been fixed in advance?
But Viewfinder...only a few comments above, you elegantly reminded us of the evidence that Andy D'Urso is an egomaniac with no sense of his duty to the paying customers...
Is he a cheat though ? If he's equally incompetent with us and Millwall without favour then I think I can live with that possibility. Unless in this instance he fancies becoming a "homer" in which case I prefer that option.
Personally, I don't believe any of our professional refs are "bent" or "dodgy". They are highly trained men with vast experience and are continuously monitored both by their own professional body and by the all-seeing eyes of the TV cameras. A split-second error of judgement by the ref makes the headlines, yet we are quick to forgive and forget glaring errors by our players: Pigott's penalty blazed over the bar at Dartford, Church's howler with the goal gaping against Oxford, etc., etc.
Football is a human game and as such is prone to human errors; referees take pride in having a good game just as players do. The idea that some refs are "homers", or are reluctant to give penalties to the away team at Old Trafford for example, is nothing but a myth. Why would a ref willingly make a wrong decision and subject himself to widespread opprobrium? He'd soon lose his job. Away teams rarely get pens at Old Trafford simply because they rarely get in to the Man Utd box - and when they do, Man Utd are skilful and clever enough not to trip them up.
We are fortunate to have a list of refs of impeccable integrity. Just imagine us living in Italy or parts of eastern Europe and supporting a club there. Before every game we would be wondering: Has the ref received a brown envelope? Has the result been fixed in advance?
But Viewfinder...only a few comments above, you elegantly reminded us of the evidence that Andy D'Urso is an egomaniac with no sense of his duty to the paying customers...
Aw, come on Prague, you're misquoting me and you know it. D'Urso made a very bad decision in calling off the game, which has nothing to do with being bent, dodgy, or corrupt in any way.
However, as for D'Urso being an egomaniac - well....
Sorry, the thin strip of ice thing at the S'Hampton game has passed into mythology. I have the photos, there were mounds of snow/ice right on the touchline and despite protestations from people who didn't actually see it, after much dithering and obfuscation, IMO d'Urso eventually got it right. Apart from that, he's a showboater that the game just doesn't need. But I do look forward to hearing everyone in the ground singing to d'Urso in unison!
Sorry, the thin strip of ice thing at the S'Hampton game has passed into mythology. I have the photos, there were mounds of snow/ice right on the touchline and despite protestations from people who didn't actually see it, after much dithering and obfuscation, IMO d'Urso eventually got it right. Apart from that, he's a showboater that the game just doesn't need. But I do look forward to hearing everyone in the ground singing to d'Urso in unison!
You've let the facts get in the way of a good story, SA. Bang goes your chance of a successful career on the tabloids.
I thought you were spot on Viewfinder. I would only add that every other person on the football pitch cheats, in some form or other, during the game.
There was an interesting piece in the Times today about Mark Halsey's book, however, which doesn't paint him in a particularly good light when it comes to his relationship with managers and his subsequent objectivity.
I thought you were spot on Viewfinder. I would only add that every other person on the football pitch cheats, in some form or other, during the game.
There was an interesting piece in the Times today about Mark Halsey's book, however, which doesn't paint him in a particularly good light when it comes to his relationship with managers and his subsequent objectivity.
Thanks, Jimmy - I'll try to find The Times piece. D'you remember that very strange incident at Anfield when the ref was caught on camera clenching his fist ('Yesss!') when Liverpool scored? His explanation was that he was congratulating himself for a good decision in allowing advantage and play to continue, which happened to result in the ball hitting the onion bag. It didn't look at all good. But surely that was an isolated case.
I thought you were spot on Viewfinder. I would only add that every other person on the football pitch cheats, in some form or other, during the game.
There was an interesting piece in the Times today about Mark Halsey's book, however, which doesn't paint him in a particularly good light when it comes to his relationship with managers and his subsequent objectivity.
Thanks, Jimmy - I'll try to find The Times piece. D'you remember that very strange incident at Anfield when the ref was caught on camera clenching his fist ('Yesss!') when Liverpool scored? His explanation was that he was congratulating himself for a good decision in allowing advantage and play to continue, which happened to result in the ball hitting the onion bag. It didn't look at all good. But surely that was an isolated case.
I think that was Mike Reed. I actually laughed at that. Showed a bit of humanity for once. And it was an excellent advantage in that specific rule's early years.
Must admit my heart sank yesterday on reading that this individual is the ref. My least favourite ref by a country mile. For all the comments previously expressed, I hope that he try's just for once not be be the centre of attention, although I will not hold my breath.
Sorry, the thin strip of ice thing at the S'Hampton game has passed into mythology. I have the photos, there were mounds of snow/ice right on the touchline and despite protestations from people who didn't actually see it, after much dithering and obfuscation, IMO d'Urso eventually got it right. Apart from that, he's a showboater that the game just doesn't need. But I do look forward to hearing everyone in the ground singing to d'Urso in unison!
Shouldn't be blaming the Ref, should blame successive boards who refused to install undersoil heating.
Just about everyone else in the top two divisions have it.
Many others like me appreciate Pierluigi Collina as a very good ref. For instance, at any hint of handbags between players he would lollop up, hands behind back, and smile broadly at them. No lecture, tension diffused, just get on with the game. And yet, of course, he made a bad mistake in the South Africa World Cup, not seeing the 'goal', a yard over the line.
Even the very best refs are fallible, which is quite different from saying that those on the English list are "influenced", let alone "bent". Amid all the conflicting and distracting movements on the pitch, the feints and deceit, the ref has to make a split-second judgement - was it intentional? Refs are highly trained professional men with vast experience and proven integrity. Compare all that with, say, young Joe Pigott, with the world at his feet, blazing the penalty three yards over the bar in our pre-season game at Dartford.
That was a mistake - a very bad one. Yet no-one seems to remember it, while Andy D'Urso gets it in the neck for red-carding Pritchard for a wild and reckless challenge at Bournemouth.
Many others like me appreciate Pierluigi Collina as a very good ref. For instance, at any hint of handbags between players he would lollop up, hands behind back, and smile broadly at them. No lecture, tension diffused, just get on with the game. And yet, of course, he made a bad mistake in the South Africa World Cup, not seeing the 'goal', a yard over the line.
Even the very best refs are fallible, which is quite different from saying that those on the English list are "influenced", let alone "bent". Amid all the conflicting and distracting movements on the pitch, the feints and deceit, the ref has to make a split-second judgement - was it intentional? Refs are highly trained professional men with vast experience and proven integrity. Compare all that with, say, young Joe Pigott, with the world at his feet, blazing the penalty three yards over the bar in our pre-season game at Dartford.
That was a mistake - a very bad one. Yet no-one seems to remember it, while Andy D'Urso gets it in the neck for red-carding Pritchard for a wild and reckless challenge at Bournemouth.
Collina retired in 2005/2006. He did not take part in the world cup in 2010 in south africa.
Comments
Agreed - so why have we got D'urso?
Both managers thought the pitch was eminently playable and wanted the game to go ahead. D'Urso said he "feared for the safety of his linesman" on the thin strip of ice. Ah, diddums. Paddy Powell later reckoned the postponement cost the club 60 grand. I generally forgive refs for the mistakes they make during the match, but this was a case of a gross error of judgement before the game could even begin.
Only joking? As one of the hardy few who were scraping off ice in the Valley surrounds prior to that Southampton game...this is personal!
Football is a human game and as such is prone to human errors; referees take pride in having a good game just as players do. The idea that some refs are "homers", or are reluctant to give penalties to the away team at Old Trafford for example, is nothing but a myth. Why would a ref willingly make a wrong decision and subject himself to widespread opprobrium? He'd soon lose his job. Away teams rarely get pens at Old Trafford simply because they rarely get in to the Man Utd box - and when they do, Man Utd are skilful and clever enough not to trip them up.
We are fortunate to have a list of refs of impeccable integrity. Just imagine us living in Italy or parts of eastern Europe and supporting a club there. Before every game we would be wondering: Has the ref received a brown envelope? Has the result been fixed in advance?
However, as for D'Urso being an egomaniac - well....
(If he googles his own name, and I think he may be the sort of bloke who does, this thread may be in front of him).
I'd rather have the incompetent Trevor Kettle....
Now that sort of thing only happens in the league games when the rest of the world isn't looking. There were arrests only last week.
Viktoria don't need that kind of help anyway. But they could do with Vincent Kompany failing a late fitness test...
Seriously, I think he may be the sort of bloke who would read the teams forums before a match to see what sort of reception he will get at a game.
There was an interesting piece in the Times today about Mark Halsey's book, however, which doesn't paint him in a particularly good light when it comes to his relationship with managers and his subsequent objectivity.
My least favourite ref by a country mile. For all the comments previously expressed, I hope that he try's just for once not be be the centre of attention, although I will not hold my breath.
Just about everyone else in the top two divisions have it.
Even the very best refs are fallible, which is quite different from saying that those on the English list are "influenced", let alone "bent". Amid all the conflicting and distracting movements on the pitch, the feints and deceit, the ref has to make a split-second judgement - was it intentional? Refs are highly trained professional men with vast experience and proven integrity. Compare all that with, say, young Joe Pigott, with the world at his feet, blazing the penalty three yards over the bar in our pre-season game at Dartford.
That was a mistake - a very bad one. Yet no-one seems to remember it, while Andy D'Urso gets it in the neck for red-carding Pritchard for a wild and reckless challenge at Bournemouth.