TEN-MAN LEEDS UNITED CLINCH PROMOTION

From Football365.com

Ten-man Leeds United secured automatic promotion to the Coca-Cola Championship after a tense final afternoon in League One on Saturday.

They came from behind to beat Bristol Rovers 2-1 and clinch second spot in the table.

With Norwich already promoted as champions, the permutations for who could join them in winning automatic promotion were vast, with five teams in with a shout.

Three points separated second-placed Leeds and sixth-placed Huddersfield before kick-off, with Millwall, Swindon and Charlton the other sides guaranteed at least a play-off place.

Things looked bleak for Simon Grayson's side when they were reduced to 10 men on 34 minutes after Max Gradel was sent off for stamping on Daniel Jones in an off-the-ball incident.

An expectant Elland Road suffered yet more agonies three minutes into the second half when Darryl Duffy fired Bristol Rovers ahead.

But Leeds regrouped and sub Jonny Howson brought them level with a super finish on 59 minutes.

Four minutes later came the crucial winner as Jermaine Beckford fired home emphatically from close range after the visitors failed to clear a low near-post cross.

Millwall had looked like overhauling Leeds in the race for automatic promotion as they too came from behind to beat Swindon.

The visitors took a third-minute lead through Daniel Ward, but a Steve Morison penalty after 14 minutes and Gordon Greer's own goal after 62 minutes saw the Lions in control.

And Millwall netted a third when Morison struck his second after 73 minutes before Billy Paynter's strike five minutes from time set up a tense finale.

Swindon will meet Charlton in the play-offs after goals from Nicky Bailey and Miguel Angel Llera secured the Addicks a 2-0 win at Oldham.

Millwall will play Huddersfield after the Terriers lost 2-1 at Exeter, whose win made certain of their survival.

Gary Roberts gave Town a second-minute lead, but the Grecians responded through Matthew Taylor before Ryan Harley's winner eight minutes from time ensured it would be Tranmere, Gillingham and Hartlepool fighting it out to avoid the drop.

Tranmere, who were in the drop zone at the start of the day, claimed a 3-0 win at Stockport, with goals from Ian Goodison, Ian Thomas-Moore and Joss Labadie.

Hartlepool, who earlier this week were docked three points for fielding an ineligible player, survived after earning a point in the goalless draw at Brentford.

Defeat would have sent Pools down, but they clung on and Gillingham's woeful goal difference sent them down to League Two.

Gillingham lost 3-0 at already-relegated Wycombe, whose goals came through Matt Phillips, Alan Bennett and Kevin Betsy.

Elsewhere, champions Norwich waved goodbye to League One with a 2-0 loss at home to Carlisle.

Brighton beat Yeovil 1-0 and Colchester defeated Leyton Orient by the same scoreline after Kevin Lisbie converted a stoppage-time penalty following Luke Ashworth's dismissal.

Southampton defeated Southend 3-1 with two goals in the final five minutes securing victory and Walsall beat MK Dons 2-1.

Pity The Poor Sods In The Middle...

I pinched this from Football365.com and was written by John Nicholson and echoes many of my own thoughts.

I recently met a police officer. No, he wasn't busting me, he was off-duty in a local bar.

He said that when they attend an incident and ask for eye-witness statements, they almost always vary massively. He said an old woman had been knocked to the ground and had her handbag stolen in the street recently. The eye-witness reports variously reported the assailant as male, a teenage girl, Asian, ginger, black-haired, over six foot, average height, fat, medium build, wearing a red hoodie and blue jeans, a black coat and most hilariously of all, 'clearly had a wig on'.

All these observations were definite and not woolly or vague. They knew what they had seen and were keen to help out. When the person guilty of the crime was arrested he was actually 16, fair-haired, skinny and had been wearing a navy sweatshirt and black jeans. In short, he looked nothing like most of the eye-witness reports. Only one had got it 100% correct.

We should remember this before we spend a lot of energy and emotion slagging off referees - something so fashionable at the moment. We all think we see things with 20/20 vision but we rarely do, and that includes referees.

With the scrutiny on the men in black, green, yellow or whatever clown's costume they're wearing this week, at an all-time high thanks to the multiple camera angles and graphic devices which allow us to see the action from all angles, the cry comes from the masses that referees are all useless and have never been worse.

This is utter rubbish, Referees have always given poor decisions, it's just that as we were all standing on the terraces in the teeth of sleeting north-easterly, it was impossible to tell. And of course there were no TV cameras present.

In many ways, making the officials professional was the worst thing that happened because it meant everyone assumed that they would become so much better somehow; that their eyesight would improve and their decision-making along with it.

But clearly, he's just a man - and now, occasionally a woman - prone to mistakes and to being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Football's infinite variables guarantee it. Being a professional doesn't change that.

There was one loud voice on 606 over the holidays which confidently proclaimed that all referees in Europe were rubbish. Every single one of them. Obviously, he was some kind of omniscient being who has witnessed every game across all countries this season and not an emotionally incontinent idiot. But he's becoming all too typical as one fan after another, along with pundits, queue up to criticise the 'lack of consistency'. So much so that it has become a cliché.

As frustrating as it can be to have decisions go against you, my sympathies lie whole-heartedly with the man in the middle and the, usually two weedy-looking, boney-kneed nerdy men running the line.

Frankly, I'm surprised they get such a high percentage of decisions right. Players are institutionalised cheats and will lie and deceive for advantage as soon as take their next breath. You cannot trust their responses or words. They will try and bully you, Respect Campaign, my arse.

I have no idea how anyone manages to watch a line of players for offside while simultaneously looking for when the ball is kicked. Try it yourself, it's impossible, especially when the ball is hit at pace from midfield. You end up looking at either the ball or the back line, doing both requires a third eye. Quite how they get any call right is a mystery to me. I assume it's just luck or they have super-human powers.

The problem is with expectation. Fans expect too much from referees. They're humans and not infallible robots. They're all individuals and, like witnesses to a crime, are all bound to see things differently.

We might also want to consider that some of them maybe ever so slightly bent. No proof m'lud. I'm not accusing anyone specifically, but we know it has happened in football on one scale or another all across Europe.

If I was a referee and I could decide something such as how many yellow cards would be shown in a game, it would be very tempting to tell a mate to get a bet on for you. When you see some decisions that simply beggar belief, perhaps we should stop being so naïve - he's not useless, he's just got a bet on and doesn't fancy losing a big wedge of cash. In an age of rampant spread betting you don't have to be a terrible cynic to think some officials would use their position for financial advantage.

Even if we brought in technology to help referees, it wouldn't solve problems overnight. While blatant offside and handball might be eliminated, they'd be replaced by a rash of calls for video evidence on every bloody decision. After all, if you allow it for an offside, why not for a thrown-in - especially if it's one of Rory Delap's. Before you knew it, the game would be stopped every few minutes for a referee to refer to the bloke in the stands watching it on TV and those present still wouldn't be happy, feeling that the call had been wrongly made against them.

For example, we often see a player handle it while sliding in for a tackle in the box, his arm raised as part of his movement. Sometimes it's given as a penalty, sometimes it's not. The crucial aspect is to decide whether it's deliberate. Deliberate is a pen, not deliberate isn't. But no camera angle can tell you what is in a player's mind. That will always be open to human interpretation, be it the referee on the pitch or the man in the stands. And in such cases, we will all disagree as to whether it was deliberate or not. Thus, the cries that referees are rubbish would still go up even if we had the most invasive technological scrutiny because so many of the game's laws are about interpretation of intent.

It's no good weeping about how much money relies on them getting things right, accepting that there will be refereeing errors should be built into our fan DNA. The constant 'outrage' about a mistake or four is a tad pathetic really. Haven't you been watching football for however many years? It's always been like this; it's an intrinsic part of the game's culture.
We need some poor sucker to do the job. Christ knows why any sentient creature would take the task on in this day and age when you are little more than a piñata for the fans, player and managers to beat, often merely to deflect attention from their own side's inadequacies.

If they were allowed to do a press conference and point out why they made specific decisions and also to apologise for errors, perhaps it would take the sting out of the hatred for them. The silence allows people to feel they are aloof and arrogant, whereas if you actually saw them talking, we might have some human empathy. But mistakes would still happen.

With football now playing to a TV audience, the referees are in a no-win situation as fans sitting at home get themselves into a lather about a wrong decision after seeing it in slow motion five times from five different camera angles. Often, somewhat ludicrously, claiming it was an easy decision to get right; unable to tell the difference between the here and now and hindsight and often not even cogent on their own understanding of the laws of the game.

As a fan for over 40 years, I've stood on terraces and been convinced I've seen something happen that simply hasn't and vice versa. Referees are just the same. Let's face it, we all get stuff wrong, so lay off the poor sods or if you think you're so infallible, go and do the job yourself and see how you like being abused by thousands of people for a living.

FIFA.com - 30 referees from 28 countries appointed for 2010 FIFA World Cup™

FIFA.com - 30 referees from 28 countries appointed for 2010 FIFA World Cup

The FIFA Referees Committee, meeting in Zurich today (5 February 2010) under the chairmanship of Ángel María Villar Llona (Spain) has appointed 30 referees representing 28 different countries for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. Click the link above for more info

BBC Sport - Football - Referee Adrian McCourt scared after sending off five

BBC Sport - Football - Referee Adrian McCourt scared after sending off five

Irish League referee Adrian McCourt said he was worried about his safety after sending off four Crusaders players and their manager at Seaview (click above link for more info).

WRCFA School of Excellence Interview

United States: 'Dirtiest' Woman Footballer Banned Indefinitely By Her College Team | World News | Sky News

A footballer in the US has been suspended indefinitely by her university team after one of the dirtiest performances ever by a female player.

United States: 'Dirtiest' Woman Footballer Banned Indefinitely By Her College Team | World News | Sky News

BBC NEWS | England | Derbyshire | Referee, 83, to keep on whistling

BBC NEWS | England | Derbyshire | Referee, 83, to keep on whistling

One of England's oldest referees has said he has no plans to retire after more than 50 years in the role.

I love this quote from Mr Hardy …

"I always tell them when they ask: 'What was that for ref?', I say 'I ain't got time to tell you kid'.

"We have only got 90 minutes, and if I stop to tell them everything I blow for we would never finish."

BBC - Bristol - Reporter tries football ref role

BBC - Bristol - Reporter tries football ref role

The Football Association (FA) is facing a referee recruitment crisis, with the Bristol area experiencing one of the biggest shortages.

BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | P | Peterborough | Posh part company with Ferguson

BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | P | Peterborough | Posh part company with Ferguson

Peterborough United have parted company with manager Darren Ferguson, BBC Radio Cambridgeshire reports.

I rarely comment on the comings and goings on the managerial merry-go-round but it is a sad day when a brilliant up and coming young manager, who has already delivered success (and has one of the greatest managers in modern times as his father and mentor) is sacked because of a short term blip in team form.

TheFA.com - Green Day ready to rock Wembley

TheFA.com - Green Day ready to rock Wembley

Green Day will play Wembley Stadium on Saturday 19 June next year.

I think I’ll be at Glastonbury that week … wonder if they’ll turn up there too …

Football free

Yesterday was my first football free Saturday that wasn't a closed date as I am still recovering from tweaking my Achilles last Sunday.

Having declared myself injured to my Saturday league, Sunday league, Supply league, District and County FA I offered my help with assessments for our local promotion candidates. I was allocated a game in Huddersfield and set off in time to arrive around 45 minutes before kick off.

The weather overnight and this morning was atrocious with strong winds and driving rain causing travel disruption through flooding. It also led directly to the game being called off by the referee and as I considered heading across the town to watch Fat lad, he phoned to say his game was also off.

I called in at the ground where I picked up my injury last week and found they had been able to play. I watched the referee, who is on his first season on our local Sunday league, for around 20 minutes and then headed home.

This afternoon I took my wife and son to see Disney/Pixar's Up. It was absolutely brilliant!

Psychologists help referees spot a dive in football - Telegraph

 Psychologists help referees spot a dive in football - Telegraph

Referees could be helped to spot a footballer making a false dive by psychologists who have come up with a four-point guide of tell-tale signs of cheating.

Interesting article which echoes views posted on Corshamref a few seasons ago … the spine arched back rather than being bent forward being one of the most telling signs!

Football365 | All The News | Football News | STRACHAN LETS SLIP TRANSFER TARGETS

Football365 | All The News | Football News | STRACHAN LETS SLIP TRANSFER TARGETS

Strachan could have nurtured an obsession for fantasy football, although given that the players in question were a combination of old hands and young pups, it seems unlikely. Perhaps it was an early curve ball to the media, that, allowing for his quirky, quizzical nature, would not entirely be out of character, or even a gee-up to his present, promotion-chasing squad

Sir Alex Ferguson to request personal FA hearing in bid to beat touchline ban - Telegraph

Sir Alex Ferguson is aiming to escape a touchline ban after being charged with improper conduct by the Football Association for his remarks over referee Alan Wiley’s fitness following Manchester United’s draw with Sunderland on Oct 3.

Sir Alex Ferguson to request personal FA hearing in bid to beat touchline ban - Telegraph

Gary Megson: Mark Clattenburg will be under intense scrutiny at Old Trafford - Telegraph

 Gary Megson: Mark Clattenburg will be under intense scrutiny at Old Trafford – Telegraph

Bolton manager Gary Megson has warned that referee Mark Clattenburg will be under intense scrutiny during Saturday's clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford in the wake of Sir Alex Ferguson's comments about the fitness of top-flight officials… (click link above for full story)

But I’m sure Mark will cope (my words not Mr Megson’s!!!)

Football365 | All The News | Football News | BECKS MILAN MOVE '95% DONE'

 Football365 | All The News | Football News | BECKS MILAN MOVE '95% DONE'

David Beckham reiterated his desire to be part of England's World Cup adventure next summer after an eye-catching cameo in the 3-0 win over Belarus at Wembley … (click link above for full story)

TV Times

I’m in the middle of my little self imposed break from training and football (ok my wife imposed it so we could go to our friend’s wedding on Saturday) and I’ve found myself watching more football on tv than usual.

Having enjoyed some of Tranmere vs. Stockport the other night, I’m now enduring enjoying England’s last World Cup qualifying game for South Africa 2010 where they are playing Belarus at Wembley.

After 66 minutes England have laboured to a 2-0 lead and have just introduced their talismanic former captain, David Beckham. In fact the second goal came indirectly from his cross from his first corner kick. The first came from a predatory pounce in the 3rd minute by Peter Crouch

Back to the game …

3-0 now with Peter Crouch picking up Carlton Cole’s rebound …

FAMOA

Despite the foul weather continuing I'm heading out this morning on a few errands.

First stop is the bank to pay in a couple of cheques, the first from the tough end of season game where I had to wait a week to get paid, the second is a payment from WRCFA for expenses incurred while coaching at Thorp Arch last season as well as a promotion assessment for JayC.

Second stop is a barber's shop, not for me but for my 4 year old son. He spends most of the year looking like a little hippy as his mum likes growing his hair long. With our holiday in Crete only a week away, it seems the right time for a good old fashioned short back'n'sides to make sure he doesn't spend the whole of the two weeks over heating.

Last stop is at the Post Office where I'm posting my FAMOA log book off to claim my points for last season. The collection and surrender of points has saved me a fortune over the last few seasons. The number of games I complete mean I usually have the maximum number of points collected. I use them to "purchase" refereeing supplies. In fact apart from my Umbro Wembley kit, purchased especially for my honour appointments at the end of the season, I haven't bought a kit for 3 years and have used my points instead.

A new innovation this season is to allow the submission of the log book, confirmation of receipt by e-mail and purchasing items online. From what other colleagues have said, the whole process is much faster and orders are being delivered within a couple of days of the order being placed.

So it may be throwing the rain down in buckets, but these things need to be done. This time tomorrow Fat Lad will be making his final preparations for his Fitness test. It will be wet and wild tomorrow, but that's miles better than the sub tropical temperatures we had earlier in the week.

Once he passes, he'll be as fully fledged Supply League referee and Contributory League Assistant. New opportunities beckon ... that's why I'm really giving it a go myself this season. I'd like to have those opportunities too and not feel left behind like I do just now. More training required!!!

I'm hoping there's some flat roads near our apartment in Crete as I'll need to keep things ticking over while I'm away.

FA Cup Final

As I've said elsewhere, I missed the FA Cup Final on Saturday while being a good dad and eating fish'n'chips.

The record books will show that Everton scored the fastest ever FA Cup Final goal but succumbed to an equaliser before half time and eventually lost 2-1. What the record books may also mention is that two of the match officials were from my County and I'm pleased to be able to regard both of them as good acquaintances.

The record books will probably not mention that the Everton goal could have been ruled out because of an alleged earlier offside offence nor will they mention the goal that never was. A shot from a Chelsea player struck the underside of the crossbar and bounced down. On their 43rd viewing of the slow motion replay, some have said that the ball crossed the line, others have said that the whole of the ball hadn't crossed the line. Either way, it still shows that even after 43 replays, goal line technology may not have all the answers.

It certainly would have required a lengthy delay to adjudicate on the decision. There would also have to be a decision made as to when the game was stopped/suspended to conduct this review. Finally, there would have been the question of the restart. In the end, the record books will still show the result as 2-1 to Chelsea and not 3-1. Roll on next season when the debate will have died away and the lobbying for goal line technology will have moved on to the next level.

I may or may have not posted this before