RateTheRef

Good performance from Atwell at Chelsea so far tonight penalty and red card spot on

Alot of people on this site seem to have issues with Stuart Atwell, but he had a very good game tonight. Credit where credit is due.

In agreeing with ajb95, yes, Stuart had a reasonable game last night, the great majority of decisions, including cards, were correct and his fitness is without question. However, imo he lacks a certain charisma that would take him to the top. I'm not suggesting that he should aim to be the next Mike Dean but at present, it is all rather mechanical or robotic and he seems to lack much empathy with the players. As a result, I was always waiting for problems to kick off which was a pity since this was an exciting game to watch, particularly the 2nd half.

But isn't that what the powers that be want, 20 SG1's  that are mechanical. robotic and have no personality.

Quote from: carrowman on Wed 22 Jan 2020 17:44

Quote from: Acme Thunderer on Wed 22 Jan 2020 08:50

In agreeing with ajb95, yes, Stuart had a reasonable game last night, the great majority of decisions, including cards, were correct and his fitness is without question. However, imo he lacks a certain charisma that would take him to the top. I'm not suggesting that he should aim to be the next Mike Dean but at present, it is all rather mechanical or robotic and he seems to lack much empathy with the players. As a result, I was always waiting for problems to kick off which was a pity since this was an exciting game to watch, particularly the 2nd half.

But isn't that what the powers that be want, 20 SG1's  that are mechanical. robotic and have no personality.

I fear it probably is ...and why? because for years the Clubs and those who own/run them have screamed out the word Consistency in relation to referees and individualism/personality is not seen as the servant of Consistency, a concept which has been elevated to idol status to which everything else must bow.

Consistency, combined with accuracy ?  Loss of "personality" might be a price worth paying but we're not even getting close to either let alone both !!

edited purely to fix quote thingamajigga

Quote from: Whistleblower on Wed 22 Jan 2020 18:50

I fear it probably is ...and why? because for years the Clubs and those who own/run them have screamed out the word Consistency in relation to referees and individualism/personality is not seen as the servant of Consistency, a concept which has been elevated to idol status to which everything else must bow.

Consistency is a "drive to the lowest common denominator". So, for the 20 SG1's to be consistency, their standards have to be that of the lowest.
Consistency is what all clubs moan about, whereas they actually want the best referees.

If we are not careful, then refereeing will be like the late 90/early 2000's; when Durkin and Riley were the top referees - HELP 

Well, I actually thought Durkin was a top referee. Not world class, as his brief stay at the 1998 World Cup Finals showed, but certainly a very good domestic referee. As to Riley, well the least said the soonest mended.

To broaden out the question of personality. I go to so many matches now where there seem to be identikit referees. It's as if they are manufactured somewhere in a factory just south of Manchester. They look alike, officiate alike and it's hard to notice anything particular about them. Perhaps there is some dreadful cloning experiment going on somewhere though, as m'learned friend nemesis has observed, they don't seem to have perfected the accuracy gene yet ! That is why I welcome referees like Brett Huxtable who doesn't fit into a mould ( except a large one of his very own ) and  do appear to use their personality in controlling a match. I would also include Neil Hair as someone who displays personality in officiating.

That is why I welcome referees like Brett Huxtable who doesn't fit into a mould ( except a large one of his very own ) and  do appear to use their personality in controlling a match.

Cuddly please! Brett is cuddly! Of course if Brett reads RTR then I am in for a kick up the behind if & when he has the pleasure of seeing me next! As long as I also get a cuddle... 

To broaden out the question of personality. I go to so many matches now where there seem to be identikit referees. It's as if they are manufactured somewhere in a factory just south of Manchester.

I hate to disagree with Whistleblower, but given the rate at which Lancashire-based officials have been propelled upwards in recent seasons, the factory must surely be just North of Manchester.

Quote from: Whistleblower on Thu 23 Jan 2020 09:12

To broaden out the question of personality. I go to so many matches now where there seem to be identikit referees. It's as if they are manufactured somewhere in a factory just south of Manchester.

I hate to disagree with Whistleblower, but given the rate at which Lancashire-based officials have been propelled upwards in recent seasons, the factory must surely be just North of Manchester.

 You are absolutely right JCFC. Geography has never been one of my strong points. It wasn't said of me but of another in a School Report under Geography " he does well to find his way home " but it equally applies to me.

Consulting a road atlas, I think perhaps the cloning factory might be based at Ramsbottom.  Over the years Lancashire has certainly produced scores and scores of top flight referees and some of them very good ones indeed.