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Author Topic: PL referee of the season 2020-21  (Read 2298 times)

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Re: PL referee of the season 2020-21
« Reply #30 on: Tue 01 Jun 2021 19:50 »
It won't have made the headlines, as it was a Fourth Division match, but Hackett oversaw three of the biggest injustices I ever witnessed on a football pitch.

Saturday 28th December 1985, Stockport County v Rochdale. Both teams in the promotion hunt at the time.

Stockport had a forward called Barry Diamond, who was on loan from Rochdale. Quite why we allowed him to play is a mystery. Rumours abounded that he had been causing issues in our dressing room, hence him being loaned out.

Fifteen minutes into the game, Diamond ran into our captain, Joe Cooke (a fine 1970s/80s player for many clubs), and threw himself to the ground. The County fans were in uproar even though most of them must have been watching an attack unfold further up the field.

Now I know I could be accused of bias, but I like to think I'm pretty fair when it comes to matters about my team. I saw the whole incident as it happened and Cooke didn't do anything except be in the way.

The nearest linesman (who was Stephen Lodge) didn't wave his flag vigorously as often happens with incidents of this nature. Hackett was further up the field with the attack, but he went to speak to Lodge, before sending Cooke off the field.

Now Lodge might have seen something, but I'm sure he would have brought it to Hackett's attention much sooner than when he went over. It was always my view - and still is 36 years later - that Hackett went off the crowd reaction.

We didn't cope with 10 men and County deserved their 3-0 win. Two of their goals were penalties ..... after 'fouls' on Diamond!

I asked Hackett about this game on Twitter once, but he just said he couldn't remember it. I told him that was understandable after all these years, but that I had got a photographic memory of it if he wanted me to fill in the details. He didn't reply!

I often think about this game when he's slagging off other officials on Twitter! Maybe I'll mention it to him again...
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