As we all know, the referee for Arsenal’s Premier League game against Fulham recently was Anthony Taylor. A game that Arsenal dominated, winning 1-0. I read with great interest his suggestion that referees should be shown more respect, as they do a difficult job and are only human, so mistakes will happen.
All very true, and I have great sympathy with him when his family is attacked – that should never happen or be condoned. But I’m afraid that is where my sympathy ends, and here’s why.
High earnings and high expectations
Premier League referees are, on average, earning around £100,000 a year and asking for more. They also have the technology of VAR to assist them when a clear and obvious error occurs, plus cameras situated all around the grounds to analyse every single angle available.
Yet every week we see wrong decisions, apologies from the PGMOL, promises to learn from mistakes, and then the same problems repeated week after week. It seems they cannot use VAR in a consistent and straightforward way, often making the on-field referee’s decision for him when that isn’t what VAR is designed to do.
Rule-book confusion and fading trust
We also see referees making up scenarios that are not in the rule book, creating even more controversy. For example, when Mr Oliver decides not to spoil the spectacle of a game one minute, then does exactly the opposite the next.
When Mr Webb took charge of the PGMOL, he promised to listen to clubs, consult on changes, and improve refereeing standards. Can anyone honestly say they’ve improved since he took over, apart from increasing the number of letters apologising for wrong decisions?
I’ve used the word “corruption” when explaining my frustrations, and people have assumed that means brown envelopes changing hands. Wrong! What I mean is that the rule book itself is being corrupted every week by officials who fail to apply the rules properly or make up new interpretations as they go along.
Surely the PGMOL must understand that referees need to earn respect rather than simply expect it.
Do you agree that respect must be earned through consistency and accountability rather than demanded through reputation?
Let’s discuss in the comments.
Ken1945
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I will ask again.
Why are they corrupt?
Who is organising the corruption?
What have they to gain?
Is it against Arsenal?
And why?
By the way Ken, even with all this perceived corruption, (i do not agree by the way) we are top of the league and 4 points clear. Unlike previous corrupt season where we have been forced out of the title race by corrupt referees. Or thats what had been intumated by some wrongly. I have been a referee and I will tell you, I made mistakes, I got plenty wrong but I wasn’t corrupt. It sometimes is a hard job getting it right. Until you have refereed (and it must be harder the higher you go) then you would not understand. There have been plenty of mistakes already this season and there will be many more but the decisions are more correct than ever before. I watched a womens game the other day and it reminds you of how hard it is and how many more mistakes are made, with no VAR.
Its getting boring and unfounded and thats my last word on the subject of corruption. You can keep peddling it but, im out. I will stick with my theory of mistake happen and you will stick with yours (unfounded) that everyone is corrupt.
Reggie
Whilst the meaning of corrupt/corruption is most commonly associated with an individual(s) seeking financial gain, there is a different slant to the word as well. I think this is what Ken1945 is referring to. (Like the computer corrupting)
It seems to me this article isn’t about a deliberate attempt at sabotage – financial or otherwise, but more about consistency in following the rules that are laid down and VAR intervening when an error is not clearly obvious and then taking several minutes to review.
Well done to you and anyone else who takes to the field as a referee. It’s a rewarding but sometimes thankless task and mistakes do occur. I’m sure you’re right that more decisions under VAR are correct as the technology is a useful tool.
Chico Guerrera below makes a good point that an independent group rather than the PGMO
Sue, some decisions are black and white, some aren’t. Very often opinion differs. One set of supporters will say penalty another set will say, never. It often depends on which side you are on, as to your answer. Some people also think their opinion is right. Football rules do not work with peoples opinions. Plus peoples opinions are biased, all people. Nothing you do in judging a game will ever be perfect, while humans are involved.
As a former youth referee, I can agree with you that the job is essentially impossible. As we used to say ” They only newly when it is impossible to see what really happened. ” The phrase In the Opinion of the Referee” appears after in the Laws of the Game.
I’ve used the word “corruption” when explaining my frustrations, and people have assumed that means brown envelopes changing hands. Wrong! What I mean is that the rule book itself is being corrupted every week by officials who fail to apply the rules properly or make up new interpretations as they go along.
In my view the author should stop insisting on using the word “corrupt” or it’s derivatives in discourse about referees. This use of a word that has multiple meanings has led to irrelevant side debates. Unless of course that was the point all along.
David, I don’t want or need “irrelevant side debates” what I want is a discussion about refereeing standards in the PL and why they (the officials) are not following the rule book.
If you don’t want me to use the word “corruption” what word would you suggest?
As per the rules governing the football body , there should be also the ways of punishing some incompetent refrees
As a former youth referee, I can agree with you that the job is essentially impossible. As we used to say ” They only newly when it is impossible to see what really happened. “
Corrupt in the sense that the VAR makes decisions to protect their fellow refs. Example in point being Mike Dean admitting that he failed to call an obvious red card review because “he had a personal relationship with the on-field referee, Anthony Taylor, and didn’t want to cause him more grief by sending him to the monitor after a difficult game”.
VAR should be taken out of the PGMOL’s hands and given to an independent body that includes, at each game, at least one former professional footballer.
Agreed. As should time keeping.
Another point Managers are required to give a public interview after the game.
If the manager makes a criticism of a mistake the Ref has made he is accused of bring the game into disrepute but not the ref.
Referees should also be required to give a public interview after the game. This happens in Germany and other countries, so why not here?
There is more, another time perhaps,
I don’t buy the corrupt angle although I’ll settle for bias. VAR is a useful tool however decisions that are made in real time are overruled by the endless slow motion replays which are rerun until they have finally found what they are looking for. Such was the decision a few games ago to overul the penalty against us because the offending players toe nail had fortunately got a touch on the ball before our player hit the ground. I hope the footballing gods will keep that in mind because they owe us a penalty.
Bias is just one example of corruption!
Was I biased in some of my decisions? I would have to say, as hard as I would like NOT to be, I probably was. Truth is EVERBODY is biased to a degree. You will never get rid of bias. Some may be in your favour and some may not. Humans ARE biased.
You can have unintentional bias, which is what you have written about here.
Then there is intentional bias.
Many fans (not just Arsenal fans please note) believe the bias that we see in football is practised by some PGMO officials is intentional. When you take into consideration all the other factors that are wrong then corruption is the only word for it.
Going by your definition of corruption, you are right. There’s inconsistency in the way the rules are applied. For the so called best league in the world, the refereeing should be better. We all watch the Champions League and I’m sure most will agree that the refereeing in the CL is better than the refereeing in the Prem.
I also share in your frustration with the VAR. It is meant to spot CLEAR and OBVIOUS errors, not referee the game. Sometimes VAR takes as long as 3 minutes to review. Surely when it takes that long then it’s not clear and obvious. I’m yet to see a referee stick to their original decision after VAR intervention.
Hello Ken
Very good article. It is noticeable that the pundits never talk on this subject yet they have better access to information on this subject than we do.
I enjoyed your last piece.
Thank you Charles.
I note, with great frustration, that Reggie does not understand my use of the word “corruption” as detailed out in my article.
I was also a referee for many years, made many mistakes, but followed the rule book as instructed by the referee’s association in North West Essex.
Satisfaction for me, was not the £10 I received after each game, but players coming up and shaking my hand, saying “well done ref.”
What I fail to understand though, is why this referee is saying they deserve respect – when week after week the PGMOL are having to explain decisions that are proven wrong.
Reggie is 100% correct that the major decisions are better with VAR and that’s why the PGMOL voted to keep it.
But it’s the controversial decisions, such as the 100% penalty that was, somehow, overturned after four minutes as a “clear and obvious error” by the referee.
This isn’t just a Arsenal problem, as other clubs also suffer from this kind of ridiculous use of VAR.
How many games have been ruined by not following the rule book?
I totally agree that referees should be expected to be interviewed after a game, if only to educated the fans on how they saw a controversial decision and arrived at a decision.
Lets end this Ken, answer my questions?
Ken
Nice article my friend, and I agree with your take. In response to Mr. Taylor’s call for respect, I’ll just say this;
If he does the job consistently, the respect will be there, no need to ask for respect.
If he continues to be inconsistent he gets called out, that’s why he whines. Does not help when Mr. Webb covers and makes excuses for incompetence.
Follow the rules as stated, uphold the rules.
“Interpreting” the rules shows arrogance, as if the ref thinks they know better, as if Mr. Taylor is needed to adapt rules to fit the particular game.
Accountability is what is missing, and the refs have far too much influence.
They should be in the background, not in the forefront as we see most weeks. Their mistakes cost team points which equals real money at end of the season.
PGMOL should have independent oversight, no refs, managers, or former players. People well versed on the rules should suffice, aided with technology.
Your last paragraph sums up the situation perfectly Durand.
The lengths to which Mr Webb goes in order to support his members, is counter productive in my opinion.
As for asking the opinions of ex referees such as Dean, is also a complete waste of time, as they’ve done exactly what the current members are doing now.
Why are they corrupt?
Because they don’t follow the rule book.
Who is organising the corruption?
It’s not organised, as the mistakes are random and made by individuals. However, the PGMOL are backing these mistakes up, or issuing apologies and promising to learn by their mistakes.
What have they to gain?
Keeping their jobs and asking for more!!
Is it against The Arsenal?
No.
Why?
Because they don’t follow the rule book.
That answer was for Reggie.
For me I find it laughable that Mr Webb seems to spend half of each season apologizing for his employees in competence.
What good is the apology anyway, the wrong decision has been made and the team involved have been affected by said decision in some way or another. And any amount of apology’s isn’t going to change that are they?.
No what Mr Webb should really be doing instead of being an apologist for these incompetents, is to tell them to shape up and do their jobs, or bring in referee’s that will.
But I won’t be holding my breath on that one.
Agree 100% Derek.
Every PL club manager has, at one time or another, questioned the official’s interpretation of the rule book.
For me the refrees all over the world and especially England are extremely corrupt and the brown envelope you spoke about is being received on their behalf by their boss Webb and disbursed later.there’s no point in defending them as Reggie regularly does as no one knows what happens between them behind the camera or what type of conversation they make during all those lengthy Var checks.i don’t think i have witnessed Arsenal win a match officiated by Chris Kavanaugh or the other one that officiated our game with Newcastle some season’s back(can’t remember his name) and Michael Oliver whom i admired as a top ref when he came along has now been corrupted by Howard Webb and Man city’s Arab money.so however you try to twist it Reggie,you can never convince me that the refs are not being corrupted by money or bias towards teams they prefers to win.
Matthew, your making a different “corruption” argument to the one I’m making.
I do agree that Mr Oliver has changed in the way he officiates, especially when it involves The Arsenal / city 115 games.
All corruptions are the same Sir Ken,i know you are trying fine tune your perception of corruption inorder to appease people like Reggie but i believe deep down you know most English refs both past and present are corrupt/biased,that’s they accept bribe inorder to manipulate the outcome of games.i gave an example of Ferguson era at man utd the other day and recently that of man city until the investigation into their dirty dealings began(which i know they would be cleared from due to the massive corruption that extends to all governing bodies of football)
The problem I have is how pgmol, especially since Howard has been there has repeatedly changed and bent rules to explain away mistakes. Mistakes happen, and 99.99999 percent don’t seriously effect games anyway. But refusing to admit the mistakes and making insane excuses while doubling down on saying the referee was right when everyone knows they were not is what fuels this feeling of bias more than any of the actual on-field decisions.
If the pgmol can make decisions and declarations that can result in fines and suspension for players and coaches, why can the fa not suspend or fire refs for severe and repeated mistakes? Oh that’s right, because the pgmol is saying that there were no mistakes so they can’t be punished anyway.
Ken1945
On your post is the legendary Pierluilgi Collina
The legendary Italian is chairman of FIFA Referees committee.
Pierluigi Collina could help improve premier league officiating by bringing his experience with innovation and his trade mark integrity, authority and meticulous preparation.
His work at FIFA is mainly on addressing modern issues it the beautiful game , including players interaction, time wasting and the use of technology, why can’t the league invite this old stalwart to assist.
Because the PGMOL want to remain a body that regulates itself, answers to no one and, since the formation under Riley, remains a closed shop.
Yes, match officials MUST earn respect, simple.
Unfortunately, that seems unlikely given the erratic & inconsistencies that prevail week in, week out.