When the referee simply isn't good enough

[ronin]

I think no matter what we are going to be fined but if it`s an equal fine with Witham it will be a travesty.

 

Maybe the F.A. can cut down on costs and sort out the outcome of the 3 games on the same day. On a serious note there does seem to be a big gap between events occurring and the hearings, players who are facing potentially lengthy bans are still playing each Saturday.

[YELLOW]

Let's hope there are no points' deductions!!!

 

The incident at Brentwood v Wivenhoe occured a few months' back and it doesn't look like anything has been done about that.

 

Reckon it will be well into the new year before anything is said or done.

[Matt H]

The one thing I didn't get from the result of the brawl yesterday...

 

Two Witham players booked - number 10 and I think number 6.

Three Canvey players booked - Colin Wall, Chris Bourne and I think the other was Fanibuyan.

 

Witham's 10 was obvious. Bourne, Fanibuyan, (if it was he) and the other Witham player I presume were all booked for the argy-bargy.

 

Now, Colin Wall, spent the whole of the the 'gathering' on the floor receiving treatment. What was he booked for, diving?

[Part Time Par]

Originally Posted By: Canvey_Fan_2007

After paying the admission fee, I think supporters are fully entitled to giving their opinion to somebody who is being paid to do something if they think its being done wrong.

Lets get one thing straight before my rant, I've been to many matches, shouted at many referees too, but what you have written above is absolute rubbish.

Football is a passionate game and so are us supporters. At the end of the day, we pay our money for entertainment.If we don't get that entertainment we have a right to feel aggrieved. But... do we abuse our own players for EVERY mistake they make with the venom we give it to a referee. NO.

If we go to a show/theatre and someone fluffs there lines, do we start ranting and raving in the middle of the show at them. NO. and we've probably paid more than £7 to watch that.

If we get the wrong order given to us in a restaurant, do we start going red with rage at the waiter/waitress. NO.

So why should football supporters, just because they paid their money have the right to shout abuse?

How about 300 people sign up to pay £7 each, of which you see £30 (that's what another post has said they earn) to see you work for the day, and shout at you everytime you do something wrong!

[Iron Webbo]

From the local Witham paper

 

Police called to football match trouble

 

By Nina Morgan

 

Police were called when a football match was abandoned and away fans began protesting.

 

The match starting at 3pm between Witham Town and Canvey Island in Spa Road, Witham, on December 1 was abandoned at half time and police were called at 4pm.

 

Police officers arrived to find Canvey Island fans protesting against the Witham Town FC officials because the referee had abandoned the match.

 

Tony Last, Witham Town FC chairman, said: "It's the first time it's ever happened at Witham.

 

"The police were called because there was crowd trouble.

 

"We're dealing with everything that went wrong."

 

Witham Town FC have sent a report to the FA and are waiting for the referee's report.

 

A Witham Town FC committee meeting will take place on December 3.

 

Mr Last had no further comments.

 

Police ensured that Canvey Island fans boarded coaches while Witham fans remained on the club's grounds.

 

No arrests were made.

[ken]

I am really cursing my hangover on Saturday that prevented me from going to the match, sounds like utter pandamonium.

 

from what i gather there wasnt anybody that came out of this well, the Ref for loosing control of the game, the players on both sides for fighting (it isnt hard to not have a fight i have done it pretty much every day of my life) the fans on both sides for abusing players to such an extent they attacked the crowd and abusing eachother enough to get the police called. neither club will come out well with both probably getting fined (im sure their money situation is as tight as ours) and maybe points deducted.

 

lets hope the replay will be in better spirits

[Matt H]

Was he the idiot with the black coat and walkie-talkie who tried to kick out the Canvey fans single handedly for protesting that the Witham player was a thug?

[Angelo]

That news report is a load of bollox. Some fans were obviously upset at what had happened, there were a few raised voices, but i didnt see any behaviour that warranted calling the Police. What i saw were Canvey fans patiently waiting (in the rain) to hear whether the game had actually been abandoned or not - as their seemed to be some confusion. As for Witham fans, how many were there? Most of them walked out as soon as they heard the game was off. This looks like an attempt by Witham to shift ALL blame on to us. Such reporting only further serves to inflame feelings.

 

[The Gaffer from the Rock]

I was standing right by the gate with my son when the number 10 & number 9 started both started kicking out at the fence and then jumping up and trying to lash out at the bloke next me. I didnt hear what was said as I was keeping an eye on my boy, but whatever was said, if I had behaved in the manner of these 2 players, I am pretty sure I would have been arrested and banned from every ground in the country. The FA official was standing right beside me as well and he told me he had observed everything that had happened. As for 'Johnny Big Boots the chairman',if I heard him tell a Canvey supporter " I am the chairman of this club and I will have you ejected from the ground" once, I must have heard it a dozen times. His actions and reasoning were also disgraceful.

[Merv]

Why on earth did anyone think that the police would be needed to eject the Canvey fans? We only waited in the stadium (in the pouring rain) because we didn’t know if the game was on or off. Once it was confirmed that it was off, all it took was Chris Gardner to walk around the fans and say something to the effect of, ‘Come on lads. We’re all going to get on the coach and get out of here before the police arrive. We don’t want any trouble.’

 

With that, everybody walked calmly out and made their way over to where the coach was waiting. There was no nastiness just disappointment and a general feeling of disbelief over what we had just witnessed.

 

As for the Witham fans, what Witham fans? There weren’t that many to begin with and as soon as the game was confirmed as being off, they all cleared off, once again quietly and without bother.

 

What do they say in newspaper circles? Never let the truth get in the way of a good story!

 

[YELLOW]

Exactly Merv. People were surprised that the game was called off but nobody argued. I think once the game was called off nobody really wanted to hang around. I don't think it was a case of us having to be told to leave the ground. All we wanted to do was get back to the warmth and comfort of our own clubhouse for a few beers.

 

Anyway we couldn't get on the coach quick enough to escape the torrential downpour!!!

 

Also I was in the bar at half time, no trouble in there whatsover.

 

 

[LOS]

just been reported on BBC look East News main TV news!! Its talks about how the Police had to "Rush the visiting supporters, Canvey Island, back onto their coaches etc"......didn't paint a pretty picture.

[Angelo]

Originally Posted By: LOS

just been reported on BBC look East News main TV news!! Its talks about how the Police had to "Rush the visiting supporters, Canvey Island, back onto their coaches etc"......didn't paint a pretty picture.

As i said this story is total bollox. Where do these people find their sources? I saw nothing of the sort. Someone seems to have blown this aspect of what occurred completely out of proportion, in fact it doesn't bare any relation to the truth whatsoever - someone has an agenda here.

[The Great Eckscape]

I've had loads of different papers and rsdio stations ringing up for the story. However, I'm not sure what response Witham are giving as the published/broadcast version certainly stretches the truth.

 

The first I saw of the Police (2 policemen) was when we were already outside the coach (singular) waiting to get on.

[ukhammer]

oh dear - i can't believe the spin thats been put on this....Well i'm a bonafide journalist and was in attendance as i've already stated.

 

I maintain that WHATEVER the provocation there is NO justification for a player to attack fans..No grey area here at all.

 

This is blatantly an attempt from Witham to deflect the finger of blame away from their players. Pathetic. They should be concentrating on putting their own house in order rather than trying to besmirch the Canvey fans who, only less than an hour before, had been grateful for more than doubling their average attendance.

 

I feel strongly enough to offer to stand up at any FA hearing as a credible eye witness to ensure justice is done.

 

I stood among the fans at half time as they waited patiently for the outcome of Mr Dithery's (thats the ref btw) decision on whether the game should proceed. 1st its abandoned, then he's reconsidering, then its off again. Ridiculous. I saw no antagonism during this very protracted period of indecision.

 

Police? yeah 2 coppers in the car park looking slightly bemused as the canvey fans boarded their coach and cars trying to get away from a) the rain and the very dissapointing outcome of the trip to Witham.

 

Witham fans? er yeah there were a couple - one was the chairnman and one was the guy in the black coat.....

 

 

[YELLOW]

Ever heard the one about the boy that cried 'wolf'? This time that boy cried 'riot'.

 

From what has been said somebody called the police to tell them 'a riot' was happening. Whilst the events were not exactly pretty they lasted barely a minute or so. By the time most of the Canvey support got around to near the tunnel the altercation was over.

 

If the chairman is who I think it is he told somebody who was absolutely nowhere near the trouble when it started and had been walking back towards the clubhouse with me to "get out". In fact from what I could see the guy was running around hysterically shouting at anybody wearing yellow 'your out'.

 

Very strange and hardly diffused the situation.

 

As for the police, the two coppers there didn't seem at all concerned at the situation and were in fact chatting amicably to some of our support.

 

 

[Matt H]

Simple answer to this is when the replay with this joke Club comes about, we outplay them on the pitch, we outsing them, (not too difficult) on the terraces and we give them no money whatsoever other than the £7 entrance fee to cheer on our team.

[ken]

the Look East News report can be found here , you can tell it must ahave been a slow news day as they dont mention any facts,

 

it is about 11 minutes in

 

and here is the page that you can send them an e-mail to complain

[Ribbit]

Everyone else seems to have summed it up perfectly, but I just want to say that I can't recall the last time I saw such a dirty, thuggish team as Witham. Their Chairman was a disgrace and should be thoroughly ashamed of himself.

As far as I'm concerned, the Canvey fans did nothing wrong. The referee was a disgrace and should accept the abuse. He wouldn't get any abuse if he wasn't so awful.

 

The game fell apart from the first whistle, as the referee had no intention of controlling the game and let the Witham players get away with murder. Ruggy was hacked down twice and Gab once, both had to be taken off for treatment, yet we were lucky to get a free-kick.

 

I think the ref made the wrong decision in calling the game off. He should have sent a couple of Witham players off in the changing rooms for attempting to attack the Canvey fans and let us get on with slaughtering them. Even if we had've played the second half with two full teams, we would have beaten them easily. As for the headbutt, I didn't see it, so I can't comment.

 

Witham Town FC are a disgraceful football club and I never want to go back there. I was furious at the time and I am still furious now. Hopefully we'll be given the points, but I think we're more likely to get the blame.

 

EDIT - I should say, I'm really dismayed at the complete lack of stewards at this level. I thought they were a requirement, but clearly not. I think we've only been to one or two clubs that have had any at all. It's appalling, really. Witham could have saved a lot of potential on Saturday if they had a couple of stewards to help control things (their players).

[The Great Eckscape]

Just watched it, unbelievable.

 

What has really annoyed me is how the BBC in the form of BBC Essex starve us of publicity all season despite numerous approaches, but as soon as something like this happens they can't wait to report it.

 

Well, at least they knew where Witham's ground is and that we were from Canvey Island. After that the facts seem to fall away slightly!