RateTheRef

No coin to toss so ...
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/are-male-referees-too-lenient-with-female-footballers-6h6mf0t9h

I had to do 'which hand is the stone in once', whilst getting the captains to watch an imaginary coin be tossed (eyes up, eyes down, which hand is the stone in?

I once did a contrib game with a referee who asked us in the tunnel if we had a coin.  I'd forgot mine but offered to go back for one, he said no don't worry, so I'd assumed he was doing the what hand is it in trick.  So you could imagine mine and the other assistant's surprise when he asked the away captain to call head or tails, knowing as we did that he didn't have a coin.  He replied heads, to which the referee pretended to flick a coin and said "heads it is, your choice of ends".  One of the funniest things I've ever seen.  Home captain said "you can't do that ref", to which he replied "would you have changed end", reply was no, then "excellent, you get a kick off each so lets get on with it".  Captains after that thought it was hilarious and the referee had no problems at all in the game.

How anybody can think that 21 days suspension is a fair and equitable punishment in these circumstances is absolutely beyond me. 24/7 365 days a year you give your body and soul to refereeing, balancing work, family suffers, can't plan to do anything as you get that last minute call to do a game. Forget your coin once and that's 3 weeks out son. Shambolic decision. Everyone on that disciplinary panel should be the real ones charged with "not acting in the best interests of the game."

I never seem to agree with the dross either Neville spouts, but Phil is spot on with his assessment of the refereeing in the womens game, imo. Having been involved in it myself a number of years ago, the major factor for me was a shockingly large number of the male officials not taking the game serious enough.

Dross? Presumably the fact they played for United is purely coincidental.

Gary Neville is one of the best pundits around and by and large speaks a lot of sense, although his being taken apart by Accrington’s chairman was quite funny.

Phil Neville, by and large, is a terrible pundit who can’t articulate properly.

Probably went:
"I've left my coin in the changing room and we haven't time to retrieve it because of the TV schedule"
One of the skipper's: "Don't worry we'll 'ching in' for it"
Other Skipper "OK, that'll be different (with a smile) but lets do it"
Ends and kick off decided, the aim is achieved.
How did this get to a 21 day suspension?

Or have I missed something?

That decision is scandalous. Would the panel get a 3 week ban if they forgot the paperwork or a pen perhaps.

How that equates to a players violent conduct charge beggars belief.

It is a ridiculous decision to suspend him at all, never mind for three weeks.  Apart from the fact that it is clearly disproportionate, it simply draws attention to a referee getting it slightly wrong.  As if referees don't have enough to deal with.  He forgot his coin, found a way round it which didn't impact the game in any way and everyone was happy.  Where is the problem?

Incidentally at a game I lined earlier this season the referee used a plain plastic disc which was a different colour on each side to toss.  Since this was most certainly not a coin presumably he should also be banned.