PGMOL looks after the Premier League refs. But are they serious? « Untold Arsenal: Arsenal News, supporting the club, the players and the manager

By Walter Broeckx

Thanks to a great link Phil sent to me we can have a further look at the PGMOL and the referees. The article itself  can be found here http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17668965 and it really is an interesting article where former world cup referee Clive Thomas is very critical about the standard of refereeing. Clive if you read this, just join our team by sending me a little note or send it to Tony who will send it to me.

Mr. Thomas is very critical and also points at the fact that he thinks many referees are simply not at the right spot to make a good decision. This is indeed something that one of our ref reviewers also highlighted in one of his reviews. I think it should come online shortly if it has not already, and yes our ref reviewers have seen the same thing as this former top ref. I will take this as a big compliment for my ref reviewers.

Now of course the media give the chance to the PGMOL to defend themselves against this critical attack. And in doing so the PGMOL revealed some costly information. They have said how they get the numbers that are quoted by Mike Riley, head of the PGMOL.

You know the statistics that says that 99% of the offside decisions correct and most of all the 92% of the major decisions correct.

Of the offside decisions I have already said that we only come to 90% of the offside decisions being correct and that is based on only 50% of the decisions being verifiable. But I will leave this alone for now but will come back to it at the end of the season when we get all our reviews done.

So what did the PGMOL said through the mouth of their spokesman Phil Dorward : “As he [Thomas] should know all too well, sometimes officials make human errors but the truth is that standards in officiating have never been higher.

“The Match Delegates report – compiled by former players and managers and which the clubs provide feedback on after every Premier League match – show that referees get over 92% of major decisions right.”

About the first part I do agree when it comes to making human errors. Sad thing is when those errors have the same teams benefiting or being on the receiving end it becomes difficult to keep believing in “human errors”.

And then Mr. Dorward claims that standards have never been higher. And how do we know this? Ah, because of the Match Delegates report.

And what is this Match Delegates report? Well apparently it is a report (which is kept secret from the public of course) and from these reports they get the 92% correct decisions.

And please do take a seat before I put the next question and give you the next answer as it really knocked me off my chair.

And who makes these reports? Former players and managers. If must repeat this as it really is shocking : FORMER PLAYERS AND MANAGERS.

So basically what the PGMOL is saying is that they base their numbers on what former players say. So an Alan Hansen, a Gary Linneker, an Alan Shearer could be having their say about the refs and those reports.

With all respect for their playing careers and ability how on earth can you ask a former player to judge if a ref made the right call or not? If you hear them talking and explaining the rules at times in MOTD they mostly just show that they know nothing about the rules. Most players in fact don’t know the rules very well (as Alan Smith, the former Arsenal forward and now pundit on Sky and reporter for the Telegraph admitted on air a couple of years back)  . The rubbish you hear about the rules on a football field is only surpassed by the rubbish you hear from some supporters. And some supporters know the rules better than some players. Let alone some managers.

Now I have taken just a few names because those are known for analysing the games in MOTD and how miserable they are in explaining the rules and showing their not existing knowledge in how to apply the rules. It could well be that Roy Keane is doing this. Being a former player and manager? Imagine that for a second! Why don’t they invite Joey Barton to do this job after his career?

I think it is shocking in a way that they use people who probably never have refereed a game in their live to make up these reports.  Believe me, despite having played the game for a long time, having been a fervent spectator of the game it doesn’t make you an expert of the rules. I remember when I went for my courses as a ref I expected to waste my time because I knew it all. I didn’t. I learned a lot about the game I thought I knew.

And yet the PGMOL is relying on such persons to judge the refs. And further more they pat themselves on the back when those persons say what great refs we have.

So thanks for the link to the BBC article Phil. It was an eye opener. So now we know where the PGMOL gets their number of  92% of the important decisions correct. Based on the opinion of former players and managers. Jezus Christ, if it wasn’t so outrageous it would be funny….

It is in a way…who can take such an organisation serious? Who can take their leader serious? The trouble is that they are ruining the game, that they are ruining our sport. They should be removed from football and never be allowed to have anything to do with it again. Such incompetence…

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