RateTheRef

You were a cynic a couple of hours ago, bmb, now you’re an idealist!!  I think I prefer the latter though! 

Call me naive but it hadn’t even crossed my mind that UEFA’s wonderful invitation to Omar Artan might be political manoeuvering by Ceferin. 

Whatever the motive, it’s still a nice thing to have happened - and so quickly too.  I hope the supporters of Aston Villa and PSG have been following the story.  If so, Mr. Artan will get one hell of a standing ovation, and rightly so.

Going off on one of my tangents again, I have only twice seen a referee applauded onto the field before the game (in the days when the officials came out separately from the players).  One was Jim Finney at Upton Park, the other was Jack Taylor at Loftus Road not long after he had refereed the 1974 World Cup Final.  (I can definitely confirm I was never clapped on to a pitch or clapped off of one - though perhaps a bit clapped out in my last few months!).

Back in 66 FIFa threatened to remove the tournament from England if it didn’t let North Korea and their delegates into the country. Unfortunately FIFA has lost its backbone and the corrupt infantino laughs it up to trump.

Omar Artan will referee the final match of Kuwait’s Premier League.

Nice touch from the football authorities in Kuwait!