The Referee

[coupwotcoup]

Match officials are an easy target, especially if you have just lost, what if this, what if that...have any of you lot ever done a referee's course? Probably not in most cases. I did many moons ago and it is hard enough at Sunday League level to distinguish everything to perfection from the angles open to you. You have a split second to make a decision and mistakes will happen. Mind you, watching football round-ups on the box makes me think it is now mandatory for every footballer to contest every decision made against his side. I saw one the other day when a defender handled on the line and his team mates still argued the toss with the ref.

As I have previously stated, it is thelr consistency (or lack of it) which sticks in most people's craw.

We had a new one at Hullbridge the other week and when a Romford player had received attention for a knock, did the now customary walk to the touchline (another stupid Blattersim) and waited to be called back on once the game had restarted. After 10 seconds or so there was still no acknowledgment from the ref and when the Romford bench complained, the ref said, and I quote: "He cannot come on until the ball has gone out of play".

Now what is that all about then?

[lovely stuff]

To be fair, most of us Town supporters have watched Top flight Non League football for 20/30/40 years.

 

We have seen all standards of refereeing.In the past bad refereeing normally evened itself out. We never had a reputation for overly criticizing officials.

 

Yes, Now we are watching football at a lower level. We must accept the standard of officials will fall. BUT we have had 4 seasons of constantly feeling that 80% of all discisions go against us.The amount of very good shouts for penalties that are turned down each season are mindblowing.It seems that only bodily assualt will force an ESL ref to give Town a penalty, but the slightest touch down the other end will result in a spot kick. We've waited season after season for discisions to even themselves up.We're still waiting.

 

The fact that at home in EVERY game we are winning in ,the refs always seem to play at least 10-15 minutes injury time.Games we are leading in never finish before 5pm at home on a saturday.Where as the games we are drawing or losing end bang on 45 minutes.

 

 

The best one was a few seasons ago, when we played Brentwood...Town were down to 9 men and leading 4-3.After 10 minutes of injury time,all us fans said to eachother ' This refs not going to blow until Brentwood have eqaulised'.Brenwood finally scored in the 22 minute of injury time,and the ref then immediatly blew for time.

 

It's just incident after incident like that ,that gives the impression that sometimes the refs are making 'Essex discisions for Essex people'.

 

Or maybe its just a case of very poor offficiating and us lot being a bit paranoid about. who knows.

[coupwotcoup]

Do you think you are the only side in this league who feels hard done by?

I first watched Romford in 1961 and have seen my fair share of football over the ensuing 43 years (god is it that long?) and yes I remember games finishing at 4.40 and home for tea at 5.15. Most Romford games finish between five to and five o'clock and yes we also wonder were some of the inj comes from. You may feel that decisions have constantly gone against you, but hang on a moment, what have you won since being in the ESL? I know for a fact that your trophy cabinet has hardly been gathering dust, so things cannot be all that bad.

[Guest]

Quote:

To be fair, most of us Town supporters have watched Top flight Non League football for 20/30/40 years.

.

? I thought you all watched Enfield?

[Steph]

Coup.

 

This was a high tension game yesterday and the ref appeared to go out of his way to demonstrate that he was not intimidated by the crowd. Why was Paul booked? Pinnacle states that the goalie was pushed when we scored, he may have been, I didn't see it I saw a goalie flapping for the ball and it being headed in. The goalie, as I recall, did not catch a single ball all game. It was a crowded area and the ref was on the edge of the box. Did he really see a push or did he blow up because the goalie missed the ball and ended up in the net. Only he knows. But I do not recall any of the WA players appealing at the time but the ref did disallow the goal very quickly so perhaps they had no time to complain.

 

Give the town players credit on most controversial decisions, except towards the end, the town players did not complain but got on with the job in hand.

 

Towards the end the ref lost it completely and it seemed to me with the kick off at 2:55pm (Were we on Sky?) only a ten minute break at half time and blowing sharp for the final whistle it appeared as though the ref wanted to get the game over with soon as.

 

Yes, like you, I have been to Romford when they were in the Southern league for an FA Cup game. (We won that one after a replay late 60's wasn't it?). In those days it was accepted that football was a contact sport and refs did not blow up for every little thing. Now the game is a lot faster and things happen quicker yet the refs appear not to have taken that into consideration. Bookings are given out like confetti and, like yesterday, inconsistently.

 

When we at your place the other week a "Town" player, (Brotherton) appeared to have to wait forever before coming back on. I would suggest that is something to do with where you play. If there is a player waiting to come back on or a substitution to be made the crowd will let the ref know. At Ford the ref may find it difficult to hear the crowd :-) and in the course of the game forget to wave a player on or look at the linesman. These things happen.

 

Like most Town fans we enjoy being in the ESL. We would rather be in the Ryman or even the conference, let alone the football league but given time that will come. Yesterday was not an enjoyable experience because, in order of importance.

 

1) We lost - well we have lost before and we will lose again. You take that on the chin when it happens.

 

2) We played the better football but WA played to their strengths - this involved serious gamesmanship, big boot up the ground and keeping the ball in the air. Well we should have been ready for that it is not that we did not know about it.

 

3) The officials did not, apparently, play to the rules of the game. Throw ins to be taken from where the ball goes off. (Asa was booked when number 6 stole at least 3 yards and clobbered him). When the ball goes dead the ball is dropped from where play stopped. (The centre circle incident) The ref cannot instruct players to move away from where the ball is to be dropped. (again the centre circle incident). Booking Paul for what? You may be able to help me on this as you have done the course. It was not serious foul play, it was not consistent fouling as the game was only about 15 minutes old and I dont think Paul had been spoken to before. He did not abuse the ref. It was not ungentlemanly conduct. It was not even dangerous play. So perhaps you can enlighten me on what a player can be booked for.

 

4) The behaviour of the crowd. And it was both sides. Bigboybubs describes a situation that you would agree is inexcusable. So is spitting and foul language. But I do not recall any ETFC chant criticising the appearance of any of their players. I recall the foul language that was started by WA fans even before the game kicked off. At the end my mother was concerned about her and my car's safety as WA fans surrounded my car and the one behind as they proudly display follow ETFC stickers. Last time I experienced anything like that was at Derby when some lout placed a bottle under the wheel of my car after the Skem semi-final.

 

5) The raffle not drawn at half time and the result not being known at full time. I have consistently bought raffle tickets at away grounds and always had the result if not at half time then certainly at full time. Do you want me to stop buying raffle tickets when I visit Romford? Anything with which MR BIRD is associated with has to be looked at very carefully and you know that I have asked for the result of the raffle on here but have not had a reply from Abbeyman or any of the people we know are associated with the club. So why are they keeping it secret. I have my ten strips in front of me now. Am I a winner - I dont know! My father does not have access to the internet and he has another two strips so did he win? I dont know. Unless the numbers are properly presented you can hardly blame me for thinking that it was a raffle of the "Bulgarian" variety.

[Chopper]

i will say we are not the only team to suffer the bad officals in this league!

[coupwotcoup]

Strange you should pick up on the Enfield (Town on the cover of the Romford programme, prophetic or what) 1964-5 and second replay at Highbury...what did Enfield's Alf D'Arcy do at the North Bank end? Yup, blatantly punched the ball in and goal given and Enfield go on to win 4-2. Grrrrr.

Burlimey, bottle under wheel at Derby against Skem? I'm surprised their fans didn't nick the wheel first!!

Actually, I was at the Enfield v Skem Quarter-Final in 1969 as a pure neutral and if memory serves me well it was one of the most exciting matches I have ever been to, with Skem winning 2-1.

As for the raffle, I am sure if you have a word with Abbeyman, he will sort things for you. Chill out a tad man, coz you know what will happen on here.

[Guest]

Quote:

Coup.

5) The raffle not drawn at half time and the result not being known at full time. I have consistently bought raffle tickets at away grounds and always had the result if not at half time then certainly at full time. Do you want me to stop buying raffle tickets when I visit Romford? Anything with which MR BIRD is associated with has to be looked at very carefully and you know that I have asked for the result of the raffle on here but have not had a reply from Abbeyman or any of the people we know are associated with the club. So why are they keeping it secret. I have my ten strips in front of me now. Am I a winner - I dont know! My father does not have access to the internet and he has another two strips so did he win? I dont know. Unless the numbers are properly presented you can hardly blame me for thinking that it was a raffle of the "Bulgarian" variety.

steph see other posts get a life mate, safety of your car it gets better don't it......i think i'm gonna throw up at all the injustice you lot suffer

[Steph]

That 1/4 final, as I recall, was at Southbury Road cant remember much about it.

 

It was the semi-final in, I believe, 1970 at Derby when we won 1-0 entirely against the run of play and they had Heighway playing for them. Heighway it was who hit the top of the Enfield cross bar from the 1/2 way line when our goalie (Williams?) was stranded. (Medders or someone will put me right on dates and players I am sure).

 

Peter Feeley scored our only goal in probably the only attack we had. He got the ball late in the second half and ran around 30 yards on his own to put the ball in the net. But my memory might be playing tricks on me there.

 

Alf D'arcy not playing to the rules - surely not! But come on we were a little Isthmian league side and you were in the Southern league, a professional outfit whilst we were amateurs :-). It was the second replay at Highbury wasn't it.

[JordanB]

DOT COMS GRANDAD WON THE RAFFLE! thanks for entering tho.

[Chopper]

blimey scored 2 fluke goals and his grnadad wins the raffle good day for his family! ha ha

[andyetfc]

It had to come at some stage and it was unfortunate that yesterday's game ended a brilliant away league run stretching back to October 2002. Arsenal lost their unbeaten run recently and it was interesting to see that AFC Wimbledon also lost their first league match for ages. However, life goes on.

 

What was interesting yesterday was some of the match decisions.

 

1. Town get a corner and an Abbey player kicks the ball out for a corner. Both officials look at each other and give a goal kick!

 

2. Town get another corner. The players challenge for the ball and an Abbey player goes down. Town carry on attacking and the ref' stops the game for a head injury. Physio comes on and treats the player for a leg injury. Ref then gives the ball to the goalkeeper who puts it down for a free kick!

 

3. Perfect challenge for the ball by two players. One receives a leg injury and the ref stops the game with Town in possesion of the ball. The ball is then played down into the corner where we make a hash of it, give away a free kick which then results in a goal.

 

Strange decisions amongst many. Certainly not the best display of refereeing seen by both sets of supporters.

 

Credit where credit is due. The Abbey got the points and too many Town players never got going.

 

Disgusted to see the incidents at the end and both sets of supporters who used foul and abusive language should be ashamed of themselves. However, no stewards for a big crowd was a worrying factor and Abbey could face the prospect of having to explain why they failed to control a crowd, irrespective of where the 'supporters' came from. Certainly Abbey need to look into the 'incident' whereby a drinks can was thrown into the crowd. If it is true, then surely someone knows who threw it!

 

As for Junior selling tickets. It was all done with the best intentions for both clubs but really Abbey should have had an adult going round with her and then providing a tannoy system to give the result out.

 

3 points for Abbey. None for the Town but it's a long way until the end of the season.

 

Enjoy the time at the top whilst you can.

[Stone Cold]

Quote:

i will say we are not the only team to suffer the bad officals in this league!

Is the other team to get bad officials the team who are in 16th place?

[MbrunoB]

When Butler was booked,rightly, for a foul on the 2 the player was told to go off and wait to be called back on by the ref, the incident and free kick was by the Abbey penalty box and a big boot was employed to put the ball into our box,by this time the 2 had run down the touch line and was waved back on LEVEL with our box and up with play.Surely he should have re-entered play no further forward the the half way line.

[theabbeyabbott]

andy junior was quite happy to go round and it was her choice, we thought it was a great gesture so both clubs could benefit. when she went to the Abbey supporters her dinner lady accompanied her I belive who is from the Abbey. We had a chalk board that we were going to use so she could walk around with the result but she sold so many tickets it took too long to fold them all up at the end, thats why it was done in the bar.

[coupwotcoup]

Being an ex 'E', I suppose you know Roger and Cheryl Reed fairly well. I first me them over Enfield in the 80s and our paths crossed on a regular basis and then we finally met up back at Romford again two seasons ago. Nice couple.

[theabbeyabbott]

I first met Roger when I played for EFC Reserves at Cambridge United in the Capital league. Martin Robinson went down the left wing, I got back to cover and he smacked the ball straight in my face. I chewed grass for a while before collapsing in the changing room at half time. Roger accompanied me to Addenbrookes Hospital till I was better again. Top man.

[coupwotcoup]

I think his darling wife talks for both of them! Nah, she is a great girl. Actually I think he was running the Enfield club shop when I first met him. It was during one of your interesting? home games against everyone's favourite team...Aylesbury!

[theabbeyabbott]

I used to watch EFC in the 80's mainly whenever I could. Ive been at the Abbey since 82 (apart from a little spell a while back) I also played for the legendary EFC Supporters team on a Sunday, now those were the days.......

[Tom S]

Quote:

I also played for the legendary EFC Supporters team on a Sunday, now those were the days.......

Ah, the memories. The days when I could actually get up early enough on a Sunday morning to watch the games. Which was more than some of the players could manage. *cough* Rob Hinds *cough*