Paul Parker Article

Let's give referees a break

Wed Feb 04 11:49AM

Excuse Sir, do you think you might reconsider?

There has been a lot of referee-bashing this week after Frank Lampard's red card against Liverpool.

We give refs such a hard time it's amazing that anyone would ever want to do the job. But the four officials can make their lives a bit easier if they communicate.

Referees are wearing microphones - unless they are just long sticks of Liquorice they should be using them to consult with their linesmen and the fourth official.

Mike Riley made an honest decision based on what he thought he saw when he sent Lampard off. But it would only have taken a couple of seconds for one of the other officials to tell him it was not a red card.

Never mind that the three-match ban was overturned. The decision eventually cost Chelsea a point and might even decide the Premier League title - referees need to take time to get the big decisions right.

The fourth official should be doing more than just playing Dear Deirdre with the two managers. He should be following the game on a TV monitor so he can see what everybody around the country knew immediately - that it wasn't a sending-off offence.

And if he needs to watch a replay, which can be done very quickly - there is no need to stop the game for minutes at a time.

As for Jose Bosingwa's 'tackle' on Yossi Benayoun, I don't understand the regulations at all. No further action can be taken because the linesman saw the incident, and to go above his head would supposedly undermine him.

But surely it erodes the officials' credibility much more if a blatant miscarriage of justice is allowed to stand?

Referees are human and they can get things wrong. That doesn't mean their decisions are taken lightly. I'm sure Mike Riley felt just as bad as any Chelsea fan on Sunday night.

Nobody makes more mistakes on the pitch than the players, but they are able to get away with them while we pounce on the slightest slip from the ref.

They are lambs to the slaughter. People say more ex-pros should become referees, but it would have to be players from the lower leagues.

Why would you subject yourself to the abuse unless you needed the money? No Premier League player on today's wages would subject themselves to ridicule every time they went out in public. You are basically agreeing to ruin your own life and your family's to be a referee.

Technology has been used in cricket and rugby without ruining the game, and the same can be done in football.

Until then, the officials need to stick together and work as a team. They should consult with each other, make decisions together and take collective responsibility if they get something wrong.

Plus players can help them out by behaving with more honesty on the pitch. If a referee makes 10 bad decisions in a game, I bet eight of them come from players conning him.

A disciplinary panel should look at every game within 24 hours, and if they see any blatant examples of diving they should ban players.

Last weekend we saw clear dives from Steven Taylor and Steven Gerrard - both Englishmen, I'm afraid to say - but there will be no consequences for either man.

People who cheat need to be named, shamed and suspended. Gerrard is a magnificent player and Liverpool cannot do without him. I'm sure he would soon cut out the darker side of his game if he knew he was going to get a ban.

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hey u stupid leave Gerard alone why do not you talk about Christiano ronaldo every body knows his the worst diver in the whole world. but cause his a man united player you did not say something about him.
From fitsumsew on Wed Feb 04 12:06PM
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What a mind numbingly stupid statement the sending off cost Chelsea a point
Unless you are psychic who can predict what would have happened if Lampard had stayed on the pitch?
WIf he'd stayed on he might have scored 4 own goals and helped Liverpool's goal average
From brianobrien on Wed Feb 04 12:16PM
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I don't dislike Paul Parker at all - in fact, I thought he was a very good player. His role on here appears to be simply to take the opposite stance to the norm in order to justify his job, seemingly. Recently it was his comments on the clean sheets accrued by Man Utd; something about the forwards/midfield making the defence's job easier. Now it's the performance of referees. How anyone can defend what we saw last weekend - most weekends, really - defies belief. These are not isolated incidents; officials are doing this all the time and appear not to be disciplined whereas managers and players can tell the truth and get charged with bringing the game into disrepute. The only people to do that are the likes of the FA, FIFA,EUFA,Blatter and Platini with their pettiness and lack of understanding of 'their' game.
So where can I apply for a job like Parkers?
From les_b_richards on Wed Feb 04 12:19PM
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Surely surely the simplest solution is to use the video option that is used so successfully in rugby and cricket. If refs still manage to make glaring errors even after recourse to video evidence then we can be certain that they really are cretins who need to be out out to pasture! Your thoughts, gentlemen and ladies?
From slurrmsmackenzie on Wed Feb 04 12:22PM
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havent u read this article u morons. 1: lampard is the teams attacking generator; without him chelsea didnt create chances so the ball was lost. 2: gerrards a diver, end of story
From dannydwilton on Wed Feb 04 12:23PM
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Posts 1 and 2: it is not good to speak @#$% on this forum. Mr Parker is quite objective in this article and surely, everyone, would agree, except he's got the brain of a mosquito, that the absence of Lampard altered the outcome of the game, could Liverpool have won if Gerrard had been sent off on his tackle on Mikel, his kicking the ball into the belly of a Chelsea player 7 seconds after the whistle had gone without apology, his incessant Cristianolike diving in the box, it's not rugby where u dive for a touchdown and get the points, he is bringing down his reputation, and that confirms the Night Club incidence which he INTENDS to plead not guilty or rather DENY.
From saddiqlillah on Wed Feb 04 12:25PM
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I think it is about time a panel after the match bans divers. Full stop.
For once Paul Parker is spot on. The Panel should be the divisions referees.
I even hate diving from my own team - it is about time the jobsworths at the FA get booted out and get people prepared to work to do it!
I would like them to issue what they do with their time.
From gparratt on Wed Feb 04 12:26PM
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Gerrard dives - granted. But no mention of your special boys Ronnie and Rooney I see? Both of the them dive too. It's part and parcel of the game unfortunately - just make sure you see it happening in the red half of Manchester as well as Merseyside.
PLUS Liverpool were dominant throughout the game against a woeful Chelsea team, the goals were coming even before Lampards dismissal.
From m_kingswell on Wed Feb 04 12:26PM
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Lampard may also have scored a late winner but who knows!! Why is no-one talkin about Gerrards disgracful challenge on Obi Mikel? If Mikel had dived and play acted like the awful Alonso then maybe the outcome may have been different, but fair play to his honesty by just jumping the "tackle" and staying on his feet.
From stueys2000 on Wed Feb 04 12:27PM
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post 5, ur opinion on Mr Parker does not count, this is purely a case of Argumentum Ad Hominem, do not attack the man, rather be a man by looking at the honest facts Mr Parker has raised in the write up. Would you write something different? Ok, then, counter each of his points constructively let everyone visiting this site know your credibility. feck off this page, scunt! Allah wu ha ku baru
From saddiqlillah on Wed Feb 04 12:28PM
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I have not even bothered reading this article as I already know that a. Paul Parker will mention Manchester United about a dozen times and b. his articles are boring!
From prkirkpatrick on Wed Feb 04 12:34PM
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The game is basically dishonest.22 players and a myriad of club officials do their best to cheat the referee.Why anyone should want the job is beyond me.
From stephenthailand on Wed Feb 04 12:38PM
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If a linesman standing 6 feet away from the Boswinga incident, claims he saw it and did not feel that it warranted telling the referee , then there is little hope for the officials to communicate when an incident takes place further away. No wonder fans have a go at the officials when this happens
GMB
From graham.1947 on Wed Feb 04 12:40PM
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There will be no replays to help refs in the game so long as that idiot Sepp Blatter is in charge of FIFA.
From jonathan.highfield on Wed Feb 04 12:41PM
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I think if technology is deployed to properly referee a game loads of human errors, such as sundays' show of shame, would be minimized. Liverpool no doubt took the game to chelsea but their victory was earned from Mr. Riley's blurred sights. I hope Liverpool continue to benefit from the likes of Riley cos I hear they never walk alone.
From akanibokette on Wed Feb 04 12:46PM
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Good God, as usual half of you miss the point by going into apoplectic rages every time someone dares suggest one of Liverpool's "untouchables" are less than perfect. Paul Parker's point was that football refs should be given the same advantages that rugby and cricket refs/umpires now have, and I think it is a hugely valid point. What difference does it make that he once played for Man United? How does that make his point any less valid? He was also a QPR player, so are all Chelsea and Fulham fans going to write off his opinions as well ... oh, no wait, they can't because he played for them as well ... If you are going to completely disregard anything penned by Mr Parker, why the hell are you even bothering to read his article in the first place?
From ijmoza on Wed Feb 04 12:51PM
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I didn't realise that Lampard was playing until he was sent off, so to say it cost Chelsea a point is just plain stupid. He did not add one thing to the game up to that point. This player is so overrated, it's untrue. Red cards should not be able to be appealed and clubs should just accept that as part of the game which tends to get evened out over the season.
Cricket and Rugby are suited to video replays because they are stop-start games. Part of the reason football is so much more popular than these is because the are NOT this type of game, and to constantly stop the game for video replays would destroy an essential part of the sport.
From p_strutt on Wed Feb 04 12:52PM
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NO, the FA needs to give the refs a break. INSTALL THE CAMERA TECHNOLOGY THEREFORE EVERYONE IS HAPPY!!
From c.akinwande on Wed Feb 04 12:54PM
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yeah Paul thats not the first time i see Steve G dive. on several occassions he has won penalties like this and u hear the english boast as if English players dont dive. i also believe Lamp's card should have stood and Bosingwa banned whether the officials saw it or not
From kaggwa2000 on Wed Feb 04 12:55PM
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No.7 was Lampard sent off when United thrashed Chelski 3-0??? what did he create then?
From kaggwa2000 on Wed Feb 04 12:57PM
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what a stupid article.only two sentences about bosingwa and the rest of the text is about lampard's red and gerrard's diving.mr.parker gerrard got yellow card for diving and taylor was awarded with penalty.don't you see any defferences between these two consequences?
From gabisoniag on Wed Feb 04 12:58PM
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THE ONLY WAY TO BE TRANSPARENT IN FOOTBALL IS TO INTRODUCE THE COMPUTER SIMULATION OF COMPLEX EVENTS/INCIDENTS (JUST LIKE TENNIS) TO SEE ON TV BEFORE THE REFEREE DECIDES THE NEXT ACTION TO TAKE. BAD DECISIONS CAUSE POINTS BEING AWARDED OR MISSED TO TEAMS WHICH CAUSE BAD REPUTATION TO THE GAME IN GENERAL.
From bellomimam on Wed Feb 04 12:58PM
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To prkirkpatrick, comment 14: You are a total fool because a) you comment on articles without reading them, and b) the article doesn't mention Manchester United once.
From steveguppy14 on Wed Feb 04 12:59PM
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I do agree with one thing Mr.Parker says. Players who dive should be named and shamed and banned.
starting with Damien Duff and Steven Taylor. Both tried to cheat Howard Webb and unfortunately one succeeded. Its time something was done. If Mr.Blatter and his cronies are unable to sort it get someone in who can.This is costing teams valuable points and cash.
From pstewart77uk on Wed Feb 04 12:59PM
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"Why would you subject yourself to the abuse unless you needed the money? No Premier League player on today's wages would subject themselves to ridicule every time they went out in public. You are basically agreeing to ruin your own life and your family's to be a referee."
This is, frankly, one of the most insulting paragraphs you've ever written. Your pity is, I'm sure, the last thing anybody who is still in active service in the premier league (which you are not) would want.
Furthermore, your article is yet again drivel. The title requests that WE give the refs a break, when YOU go on to point out their recent blunders.
From pr_davies on Wed Feb 04 01:04PM
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Reading 90% of these posts makes me think that soccer must be a sport for people without an ounce of intelligence...(saddiqlillah, you are part of the 10% intelligent ones by the way): the sending off cost Chelsea a point because although we cannot predict the future, it is always more difficult to win a match with only 10 player against 11...or it? Soccer is a game of cheaters, dives, elbows, putting your hand up when you put the ball out just in front of the linesman and hope to get the same ball, actions to be respectful about the refs when you have no intention of doing so...if the world of soccer is not cleaned up (and that means taking action against any form of cheating), it will only get worse!
From victoria.heaphy on Wed Feb 04 01:06PM
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I SICERELY AGRRE WITH U PP ABOUT EVERY WORD U'VE SAID, WELL THOUGHT ARTICLE INDEED. I BET NOW EVERYONE WILL NOTICE LAPARD IS SUCH A DISCIPLINED AND WELL BEHAVED PLAYER. IN CONTRAST DURING THE CHELSEA GAME GERRARD AFTER HARD TACKLING THE MAGNIFICENT MIKEL WAS EVEN SHOUTING TO THE REFREE INDICATING HE WAS THE ONE BEING TACKLED AND THE REF TRYIN TO CALM HIM DOWN. if players can bahave like that, i think a BAN will do just as fine to tackle the problem. im disappointed in gerrard and eventually lampard has become my hero in the game.
From bellomimam on Wed Feb 04 01:08PM
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Mr Parker's articles are terrible. To suggest that we give the referees a break and then draw further attention to their recent blunders. This article is confused and, frankly, insulting in some cases. I partularly liked the paragraph that said:
Why would you subject yourself to the abuse unless you needed the money? No Premier League player on today's wages would subject themselves to ridicule every time they went out in public. You are basically agreeing to ruin your own life and your family's to be a referee.
What a fool.
From pr_davies on Wed Feb 04 01:09PM
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Taking the basic from this article that football should look at other sports (like cricket and rugby) and use video evidence has been talked about for years.
When will the FA/FIFA/EUFA or whoever makes these decisions actually listen the fans?
From simmondsrob on Wed Feb 04 01:12PM
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Parker you continue to be an idiot. How can you give refs a break when they can't even sort out a size 10 with studs in the back of an opposing player? These refs need taking to task until such outrageous decisions or non-decisions are limited to a few and not every weekend.
From grahamnpotter on Wed Feb 04 01:13PM
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