RateTheRef

Ben Speedie also handing out 8 yellows yesterday for Luton v Notts, 5 for the home side.

Notts were clearly trying to get in Luton’s faces but the yellow card threshold wasn’t particularly high.

I thought that referees were employing a less is more mentality?

If you go on social media, you’ll see a second handball penalty not given to Luton in the second half. Per the laws, it’s not handball, but I think it proves that the law still doesn’t work. He is looking the other direction and is jumping, but it’s hit his hand about 1 foot above his head and the ball has gone the other direction. In my opinion he has gained an advantage.

Also, what is the point of having stricter restart rules if they’re never enforced? The players sensed that he was going to be lenient very early on.

Dare I ask… why is Howard Webb observering a CLQ1?

For me, the best referees have to referee the best games, but the conspiracy theorists are having a field day at the moment. I really don't think any of the competing semi-finalist associations should have a referee involved.

They should however bin confederation neutrality and assign the following:

France v Spain - Vincic
England v Argentina - Makkiele
3rd Place - Penso (it is a glorified friendly)
Final - Marciniak

Sorry that third red card is not DOGSO. And football as a sport doesn’t want that to be DOGSO regardless of what the technocrats like Collina would perhaps want.

As for said Bolton v Luton match, I don’t necessarily agree with the above. I haven’t seen it back, but in real time I thought the first penalty should’ve resulted in DOGSO with no intent to play the ball which could’ve resulted in Bolton’s attacking threat being negated with one less player. Apart from that, I thought the officiating was relatively solid.

The bigger issue I have is the potential “ghost goal” which occurred about 30 seconds before Luton’s winner at Stevenage. I’ve watched it back about a dozen times and I have no idea if that has crossed the line or not. Assistants get 1 look in real time whilst trying to look in a million other directions. I’m not sure how they can give that goal with confidence. It was incredibly marginal, just like at Rochdale last week.

I don’t know how much GLT costs but to not have it throughout the EFL, you’re going to have situations like that one. That was a real “hospital pass” of a situation at such a critical moment.

What I find almost as baffling - this referee is one of the most senior referees in Germany. Not exactly a developing nation!

He’s done Champions League and World Cup Qualifers this season. He did Dortmund v Bayern last month.

How can someone that experienced have such a shocker?

Quote from: HChip on Mon 11 Aug 2025 16:42

I have never watched Leigh Doughty referee a game, but as a SG2 referee I see him mostly in L1/L2 with occasional Championship appearances, unless I am overlooking it.

To people that have watched him, does he deserve more Championship games?

I watched the Coventry v Luton cup game the other day.  My answer to your question, based on personal opinion formed from that viewing, would be no.  That said, I am going to Oakwell on Saturday where Mr Doughty will be in the middle of Barnsley v Bolton (hence me watching the COV v LUT game as a 'what to expect').  Everyone can have a bad day at the office, so I will possibly have a changed opinion and a different answer to your question after seeing a second performance to compare with.

I also watched this game - stopping the play with Jerry Yates through on goal was a real bad one.