Ref Watch: Swindon

[BerlinWaller]

The Ref was bullied by Artell and the Grimsby bdnch. The liner on our side was giving offsides despite being ten yards behind play. It's hard to get angry about it because it just seems to be the norm these days.

[Billy bodger]

Poor officials today.

[Keith]

We’ve been allocated Farai Hallam for the Crewe match on Saturday and Matt Corlett for Crawley on Tuesday.

FH is the FA’s Senior Referee Officer and is rarely seen in the middle!! He was in charge of the Walsall v Doncaster match last May and the Walsall v Accy match on Tuesday evening. He also officiated in three EFL Trophy matches in September, October and November. So far this season he’s issued 13 yellows and no reds in the four matches (3.25 per match).

We haven’t had MC in charge before as it’s his first season in the EFL after a year in the NL. He’s issued 101 yellows and 6 reds in 23 matches so far (4.39 and 0.26).

[Keith]

After a run of quite reasonable officials, we were back down to earth last Saturday. You'd hope, if Farai Hallam is the FA's Senior Referee Officer, he's pretty good, and not a case of The Peter Principal! [Google it, it might explain your boss!]

[Keith]

Farai Hallam is the FA's Senior Referee Officer, he's pretty good, and not a case of The Peter Principal! [Google it, it might explain your boss!]

I think he had a good game and wasn't sucked in to Crewe's theatrics.

[Billy bodger]

After a run of quite reasonable officials, we were back down to earth last Saturday. You'd hope, if Farai Hallam is the FA's Senior Referee Officer, he's pretty good, and not a case of The Peter Principal! [Google it, it might explain your boss!]

Being Promoted above your capabilities when it comes to officiating a football match is rife especially when it comes to linesmen. Thou some of the refs have left you wondering how they have got to this level.

Linemen’s job is now basically just giving offside!! Just stay in line, yet time and time again they are 5-10yrds behind the play. This alters the perception of your angles!! The best persons running the line at the mazuma are usually the ladies, they just hook on the last defender. The other infuriating thing is letting players gain 10yrds on a throw-in.

[Keith]

Wrexham brought their own referee with them. Remember the name Thomas Parsons, and hope we never see him again. If we do notice he's officiating us, stick a wedge of cash on the opposition.

Generally, in the cold light of day, we can recognise if a ref has been incompetent, or just having a bad day, because errors will be in both directions. Even if a decision is game changing, we can see that other 'odd' decisions, that weren't so important, went in the other direction. But Parsons was simply biased, giving us absolutely nothing, and Wrexham everything.

I can't remember a worse referee in the Football League, and that is going some.

Incidentally, in three of Wrexham's last five games, the opposition have had a player sent off. Looks like diving & cheating works for them? It certainly did yesterday.

[fulwoodshrimp]

For me, yesterday’s ref Thomas Parsons joins Ross Joyce on the list of cheating, biased incompetent refs in the EFL. How either of them were promoted into the league is a mystery. While they continue to operate I will not believe that football is a fair, honest and clean sport.

[Martin]

Incidentally, in three of Wrexham's last five games, the opposition have had a player sent off. Looks like diving & cheating works for them? It certainly did yesterday.

I had a feeling Wrexham would get a penalty yesterday although I thought it would be for a foul on Mullin. He seems to "win" quite a lot.

[Westgate Wanderer]

Incidentally, in three of Wrexham's last five games, the opposition have had a player sent off. Looks like diving & cheating works for them? It certainly did yesterday.

I had a feeling Wrexham would get a penalty yesterday although I thought it would be for a foul on Mullin. He seems to "win" quite a lot.

he does fall over s lot and he's always in the refs ear! A dangerous player who has honed the dark arts since leaving us. I remember a visitor on Saturday being rather good at getting decisions for us many moons ago!

[Billy bodger]

I had visitors with me on Saturday for the Wrexham match and they could not believe how bad the ref was. They watch football 5 leagues down the pyramid and they all said they have seen a lot of bad refereeing over the years but this guy was up there with them. It makes you wonder how they ever get up the refereeing pyramid, it really does! For me he spoiled what in the opening half hour was a decent game, I am not naive to think we would have held Wrexham and gone on to win, there was still an hour to play but how does anyone stand a chance with officiating like we saw on Sat?

[Keith]

We’ve been allocated Sam Purkiss for the Salford match on Sunday.
He was in charge when we beat Colchester 1-3 in October sending Connolly off and booking Love, Tutonda, Senior and Mayor in the process!!

So far this season he’s issued 124 yellows and 11 reds in 27 matches (4.59 and 0.41) which is really high!!

Let's hope we don't spend post match talking about the ref, rather than the game.

[fulwoodshrimp]

Sam Purkiss was poor at Colchester. Sent Connolly off and awarded Colchester a penalty which they missed plus handful of shrimps bookings. Another referee promoted beyond his abilities. I hope he proves me wrong on Sunday!

[Keith]

Sam Purkiss...
Another referee promoted beyond his abilities. I hope he proves me wrong on Sunday!

I think he proved you wrong. He had a good game I thought, certainly better than most of our players!

We’ve been allocated ref Paul Howard for the Gillingham match on Saturday.

He was in charge when we beat Tranmere 1-0 in October and last season when we drew 1-1 at Cambridge in March. So far this season he’s issued 111 yellows and 4 reds in 30 matches (3.70 and 0.13).

[fulwoodshrimp]

Yes, Keith. I agree Sam Purkiss had a decent game at Salford but he did have a nightmare in our game at Colchester. Guess the best you could say is he is inconsistent!!!

[marky No.1]

This would be a big improvement

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/MUiQsXtCyVVNHrXh/

[Keith]

We’ve been allocated ref Alex Chilowicz for the Accy match on Friday and Marc Edwards for Barrow on Monday.

Interestingly, AC is an American MLS referee who came over in December. So far this season he’s issued 50 yellows in the UK and no reds in 14 matches (3.57) plus 92 yellows and 4 reds in the MLS in 25 matches (3.68 & 0.16).

ME was in charge when we beat MK Dons 1-2 in January and last season at home when we drew 0-0 with Shrewsbury, drew 1-1 with Derby and lost 1-3 to Plymouth. He’s issued 85 yellows and 1 red in 27 match so far this season (3.15 & 0.04).

Last time we had a 'new' 'international' referee, it was the guy who moved to the UK from Australia, and he was excellent, so let's hope Alex continues in that form!

[Redalert1970]

The Aussie ref who we had few years ago is now a premier league ref

[MfcChris]

Very good officials today. No big calls to make, but still good performance.

[fulwoodshrimp]

Ref was the one we had at MK Dons and based on his two performances he seems like one of the better ones. Perhaps Wrexham’s own referee Thomas Parsons could shadow him to see how impartial and unbiased a referee can be!

[CityShrimp]

Yes, pretty good ref today who seemed to find a good balance between allowing a bit of physicality and not letting players get away with blatant fouls.

You could imagine that with a weaker ref, Barrow would have had a field day against us.

[dougiewonga]

Very good officials today. No big calls to make, but still good performance.

Always chuffed when officials get some praise on here. Well done to you pal !
It's a thankless and difficult job, particularly for the 4th man getting haranged by the two benches for 90 minutes.

[Keith]

I've missed a couple of matches, but this one brings us full circle, Joyce was in charge for the Harrogate game where this thread started.

We’ve been allocated Cleveland ref Ross Joyce for the FGR match on Saturday.

He was in charge when we lost at Harrogate in August sending Rawson off in the process and when we lost at home 1-2 to Newport in November.

He’s issued 145 yellows and 9 reds in 34 matches (4.26 and 0.26).

[John L]

I've missed a couple of matches, but this one brings us full circle, Joyce was in charge for the Harrogate game where this thread started.

We’ve been allocated Cleveland ref Ross Joyce for the FGR match on Saturday.

He was in charge when we lost at Harrogate in August sending Rawson off in the process and when we lost at home 1-2 to Newport in November.

He’s issued 145 yellows and 9 reds in 34 matches (4.26 and 0.26).

Oh fu...

[fulwoodshrimp]

Ross Joyce is definitely the worst ref we have seen in the last couple of seasons. He shouldn't be anywhere near the football league. He is really biased in his decision making and that means we are likely to have a difficult job tomorrow getting fair decisions. He is one of the referees that makes me question how clean football is. I hope he makes me eat my words tomorrow but I'm sure he won't!