RateTheRef

Quote from: Mackem ref on Sat 25 Mar 2023 22:48

And only the 13(!) yellows for Boyeson!!!

Afraid on this showing, it may be time for Mr Boyeson to think about hanging up his whistle. Nearly all of the cards came in the second half, things coming to a head after a Colchester forward was booked for a dive in a penalty shout. That no penalty call was from the AR and after a conversation with his colleague, he then decided to issue a YC. A few minutes later he did award a penalty to the home side, booking two Rovers players in the process and from there on it seemed like a card for every foul. One, for Rovers forward Harvey Saunders, who fell in the box after a clear shirt tug, with Mr Boyeson well behind the action and the AR on the opposite side of the pitch looked plain wrong.

Only 6 yellows today for Breakspear!

Quote from: mbj44 on Mon 20 Mar 2023 16:40

Congratulations to Mr Duckworth for his EFL debut but personally that is not a game that should be being used as a trial game. A team scrapping for their future in the EFL vs a team, ableit basically there, still looking to acheive promotion. I know that it should be a formality but that shouldnt be a factor in appointments. There are other games in league 2 this weekend that would have been more suited to trial a referee.

Im all for this new system of trialling referees all through the season but some of the games being selected could really backfire. Its not the first time this season an important game has been used as a trial match either, Scott Oldham in the championship for Sunderland vs Luton springs to mind. For referees on the NL already how must they feel when a game with something riding on it is given to a lower level referee and they are left to pad fixture list out so to speak.

It is most unusual (unprecedented ?) for a referee to be awarded a Football League match of such import after just 12 matches in his first season at National League level. Can only make one wonder whether those 12 matches have been so exceptional or whether his position as National Referee Manager for the FA has influenced that appointment. We can watch and judge for ourselves with his televised match tomorrow.

Although there are plenty of barely adequate referees in the National League, there are also some pretty decent ones who have done well for a number of seasons and not got near a table-topping Football League match.