It has been a crazy year for decisions made by referees all around the British Isles. Those of you who follow my regular blog for the boys at Pitch Talk, will know only to well there has been plenty to blog about. If you read my columns closely, you will know I have said most of the year that the best two referees in the country have been Mark Clattenburg and Martin Atkinson, a point not missed out by their bosses at UEFA as both have been picked to referee at next years European Championship Finals. So it was to my astonishment to see the two lads get a few things wrong in the games they had on Bank Holiday Monday, they must have had to much Christmas Turkey as the decisions they got wrong were in my opinion poor ones.
Let me first have a look at two big decisions in the Manchester United v Chelsea game that changed the outcome of the match. As I always say, if a refereeing decision changes the result of the game that to me is a cardinal sin. How Martin Atkinson did not give a penalty when Willian handled the ball within his own penalty area is a mystery to me. It was a clear hand ball seen by everyone and by the letter of the law the referee should have pointed to the spot. The Chelsea player actually moved his hand to the ball and that was the point when the referee should have blown. The assistant referee was in a good spot to see it and maybe give the referee a shout, on those famous earpieces but not even he was able to help out his colleague. It is game changing decisions like these that can sometimes cost managers their jobs and we all know that the Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal needs victories and with that type of decision not been given, does not help his cause. The other big talking point in the game was an awful challenge by England captain Wayne Rooney on Chelsea midfielder Oscar. He could have broke his opponents leg and how the referee only gave him a yellow and did not send him off beggars belief. In fact Wayne knew he had done wrong and his reaction to the challenge in my opinion was one of a guilty man.
Mark Clattenburg took charge of what surely will go down as a Barclays Premier League Classic game between Everton and Stoke at Goodison Park, and if he had not given an outrageous penalty in the dying moments, the game would have ended up all square. Their is not doubt in my mind Everton defender John Stones clearly won the ball on his initial challenge and the fact his trailing leg came into contact with Antanouci should not have made a blind bit of difference. The referee appeared to wave play on and then changed his mind, maybe he got a whisper in his ear from his assistant, but if he did it was incredible. The referee was well positioned to make the call and needed no outside interference. A very very poor decision in the end cost Everton the game and I was not surprised to hear after the game, Roberto Martinez complain, with some justification in my opinion.
As we head into the year 2016 I am sure that their will be plenty to blog about for the boys at Pitch Talk and in this strangest of seasons god only knows what will happen. This could be a season when we have a surprise winner of the title but I really do hope it is not a bad refereeing decision that decides this seasons champions. As I finish off this blog may I take the opportunity to wish each and every one of you a very very Happy New Year, Enjoy your Football, Ciao
