RateTheRef

Scott Oldham has had two games in the Championship now, I assume with the view to become a SG2 referee next season. Both of these had a fair bit riding on them - Sunderland v Luton before the international break with both sides fighting for a playoff place and Reading v Birmingham on Friday, with both sides not safe.

At Sunderland, Oldham gave a last-minute penalty to the hosts I believe (replays suggested the assistant helped) and this looked questionable.

He was also criticised by Paul Ince following Friday’s game, during which he actually went off injured and was replaced by Jeremy Simpson (who was, incidentally, praised by Ince). Ince also suggested a new or inexperienced referee at Championship level should never have been appointed the game, considering Reading’s deduction and plight they now face. He said: ‘We are not an experiment.’

I have never seen Oldham live. What are your thoughts on him? What’s your view on Ince’s argument? I hope, by the way, Oldham’s injury wasn’t severe…

As a Reading supporter I admit a vested interest in the game but like to think I try to minimise any bias. I suspect Scott Oldham was appointed to the game before Reading’s six point deduction added jeopardy to the game but it had been public knowledge for over a month now so I think a more experienced official should have been appointed.

I think even a neutral would agree that Scott Oldham’s foul detection was poor and both sides suffered. I think a lot of the fouls he decided not to penalise was intended to be in the interests of keeping the game flowing in the style of Anthony Taylor but I felt he took it too far and that he misjudged the mood of the game. Shirt pulling and wrestling were allowed in all areas of the field and a fair bit of tripping too.

At the start I didn’t think he helped himself by responding to any complaints by laughing and smiling at the player. There’s a time and a place for that and I think he had misjudged the tension surrounding the game particularly in the Reading camp. To be fair he dropped that habit as he got into the game.

Although Simpson only had a limited time as replacement referee you could tell the difference in experience and he was certainly a firmer hand.

Kevin Friend was at the game so I can see the thought behind Ince’s ‘experiment’ comment.

Overall, despite all I’ve said, I’m sure Scott Oldham has a good future in the game and will have learnt a lot from the experience. I just feel it wasn’t the right game for him and neither was an anything goes style.

Scott Oldham has had two games in the Championship now, I assume with the view to become a SG2 referee next season. Both of these had a fair bit riding on them - Sunderland v Luton before the international break with both sides fighting for a playoff place and Reading v Birmingham on Friday, with both sides not safe.

At Sunderland, Oldham gave a last-minute penalty to the hosts I believe (replays suggested the assistant helped) and this looked questionable.

He was also criticised by Paul Ince following Friday’s game, during which he actually went off injured and was replaced by Jeremy Simpson (who was, incidentally, praised by Ince). Ince also suggested a new or inexperienced referee at Championship level should never have been appointed the game, considering Reading’s deduction and plight they now face. He said: ‘We are not an experiment.’

I have never seen Oldham live. What are your thoughts on him? What’s your view on Ince’s argument? I hope, by the way, Oldham’s injury wasn’t severe…

Penalty was awarded on 85 minutes for Sunderland.