[Football] Chris Kavanagh

[Swansman]

Its just not practical given the concentration of refs from the Manchester area. I genuinely believe that the refs will not have any local bias - their professionalism is more important to them. There are good refs and crap refs, which makes it important that they are rotated, but I dont think local bias is ever an issue.

Would you be completely fine with a referee born, raised and living in Croydon was in charge of Brighton vs Crystal Palace?

May 2023, Crystal Palace vs Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup final. Referee: Nigel Zaha (Croydon)

 

[sydney]

Possibly, and I agree that he's calmed down a lot from where he was two or three years ago. But clearly has a very short fuse, and he's entirely lost it there and let his team down for no good reason. And now they'll be without him for at least three games, but probably more.

12 is the word , far worse than Barnes's goofy effort

 

[Arthritic Toe]

Would you be completely fine with a referee born, raised and living in Croydon was in charge of Brighton vs Crystal Palace?

I actually would - yes. If I had reached the level of a premier league/efl ref, that is my profession and I'm going to referee the game on its merits - where I live just isn't going to come into it.

 

[Swansman]

I actually would - yes. If I had reached the level of a premier league/efl ref, that is my profession and I'm going to referee the game on its merits - where I live just isn't going to come into it.

Think its a good attitude and that most likely you're right, Mr. Nigel Zaha from Croydon would do his best.

Feck knows if the average NSC-lurker would be equally calm about it if he made any sort of minor error however.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Would you be completely fine with a referee born, raised and living in Croydon was in charge of Brighton vs Crystal Palace?

May 2023, Crystal Palace vs Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup final. Referee: Nigel Zaha (Croydon)

I was born in Kent, I could quite easily referee a Gillingham match without any personal bias if I was so qualified.

Was every Albion fan born in Sussex? Do we all live here?

 

[Lady Whistledown]

I actually would - yes. If I had reached the level of a premier league/efl ref, that is my profession and I'm going to referee the game on its merits - where I live just isn't going to come into it.

Similar scenario to Andy Farrell coaching Ireland against England in the egg chasing over the weekend. Born & raised in England, 100% English/British by any description. But his job is Ireland coach, and he is totally focused on doing that role to the best of his ability, even when they play England. He doesn't dip out for the day and go "Sorry lads, I'm not really up for this one".

 

[Monkey Man]

As an aside, Harry Lennard, a PL linesman, lives in Seaford and supports Brighton. He's not allowed to officiate at any of our games. I guess all match officials have to declare their interests.

 

[sydney]

Similar scenario to Andy Farrell coaching Ireland against England in the egg chasing over the weekend. Born & raised in England, 100% English/British by any description. But his job is Ireland coach, and he is totally focused on doing that role to the best of his ability, even when they play England. He doesn't dip out for the day and go "Sorry lads, I'm not really up for this one".

he's not in the middle with a whistle though is he...??

 

[Ali_rrr]

Really?? Wild stuff considering the rivalry.

If a referee from Stockholm would be in charge (not happening, but theoretically) of game between AIK, Hammarby or Djurgården and Malmö FF/IFK Göteborg, it would be a very dangerous situation for him.

It's even worse he is in a specific (small) region of Rotterdam- Maas Rotte, so if someone really wanted to find him they could. Hasn't had any issues yet though.

 

[severnside gull]

The 3 red cards appear entirely justified tbh. Certainly the 2 players can’t argue and that is ultimately where Fulham threw the game away. Nothing to blame the ref for

 

[Lady Whistledown]

he's not in the middle with a whistle though is he...??

Thanks for explaining that to me It was more a point that if he can detach himself emotionally from a game where he quite clearly would have personal allegiances to the other side, then a referee who merely lives in or happens to be born in a town where a team he doesn't actually care about is based, should have no issues whatsoever.

 

[Swansman]

I was born in Kent, I could quite easily referee a Gillingham match without any personal bias if I was so qualified.

Was every Albion fan born in Sussex? Do we all live here?

As I said: not every ref have some sort of bias and not every ref would cheer for the team in their specific location, but it decreases the risk of such things happening.

Similar scenario to Andy Farrell coaching Ireland against England in the egg chasing over the weekend. Born & raised in England, 100% English/British by any description. But his job is Ireland coach, and he is totally focused on doing that role to the best of his ability, even when they play England. He doesn't dip out for the day and go "Sorry lads, I'm not really up for this one".

A coach wants his team to win and will be biased by that more than anything unless it is some ultra-nationalist, in which case he'd be somewhat unlikely to coach Ireland.

Sticking to the referee comparison: would you be fine with a German, Scottish or Argentinian referee in charge of a World Cup final between England and the country where the ref is from?

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

He had a good game.

I like Chris Kavanagh actually, one of our better referees in my opinion.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Sticking to the referee comparison: would you be fine with a German, Scottish or Argentinian referee in charge of a World Cup final between England and one of those countries?

Completely different scenario. Those are likely to support their own countries therefore it would be entirely inappropriate for them to officiate those games. There is no suggestion WHATSOEVER though, that Chris Kavanagh supports or even gives a single shiny shit about Manchester United. If he was a declared United fan (or a City fan, for that matter, or any other club whose fate might be directly impacted by United's results) then it would be different. But for all we know, the bloke supports Lincoln City or Plymouth Argyle, FFS.

Do you not think if he was a lifelong United fan that somebody might have bubbled him up to the FA or the PGMOL by now? Why would he lie about it? You genuinely think that somebody would work for decades, getting abuse from fat blokes on Sunday league pitches in the pissing rain, dragging yourself to innumerable crap non-league fixtures across the country and driving to places like Exeter and Hartlepool on rainy midweek evenings, just in the hope that you might one day get the opportunity to send off an opponent against your beloved Manchester United? Really?

 

[sydney]

Thanks for explaining that to me It was more a point that if he can detach himself emotionally from a game where he quite clearly would have personal allegiances to the other side, then a referee who merely lives in or happens to be born in a town where a team he doesn't actually care about is based, should have no issues whatsoever.

perhaps the fa and pogml could appoint officials from outside immediate vicinity of the base of either team , particularly in the prem with millions of quid at stake .....Mark Halsey let the cat out of the bag the other week so confidence in referees is not exactly blooming at the moment.

 

[Swansman]

Completely different scenario. Those are likely to support their own countries therefore it would be entirely inappropriate for them to officiate those games. There is no suggestion WHATSOEVER though, that Chris Kavanagh supports or even gives a single shiny shit about Manchester United. If he was a declared United fan (or a City fan, for that matter, or any other club whose fate might be directly impacted by United's results) then it would be different. But for all we know, the bloke supports Lincoln City or Plymouth Argyle, FFS.

Do you not think if he was a lifelong United fan that somebody might have bubbled him up to the FA or the PGMOL by now? Why would he lie about it? You genuinely think that somebody would work for decades, getting abuse from fat blokes on Sunday league pitches in the pissing rain, dragging yourself to innumerable crap non-league fixtures across the country and driving to places like Exeter and Hartlepool on rainy midweek evenings, just in the hope that you might one day get the opportunity to send off an opponent against your beloved Manchester United? Really?

Why are they more likely to support their own countries than someone is likely to support their own city?

For all we know, Felix Brych or Markus Merk may be staunch Italophiles, zipping wine by day and pouring out peoples beer by night. Put a Basque referee in charge of England vs Spain and there is a fair chance he has a very deep desire for Spain to lose, despite his Spanish nationality.

Patriotism works in different ways in different countries and in many cases also in different regions. Maybe in England, where you certainly do a lot of national pride (which might be what is creating your assumption that a ref's nationality rather than place of birth would affect their potential bias more), regional loyalty is not as strong as in some countries.

Perhaps that is the reason why a referee from Barcelona or Madrid being in charge of a Real Madrid vs Barca game is unimaginable (or a referee from Naples in charge of Napoli vs Palermo; someone would die) while a referee from Manchester being in charge of a decisive game between Manchester City and Arsenal would be considered completely fine. Difficult for me to grasp personally but sure, every country is different.

 

[sydney]

Why are they more likely to support their own countries than someone is likely to support their own city?

For all we know, Felix Brych or Markus Merk may be staunch Italophiles, zipping wine by day and pouring out peoples beer by night. Put a Basque referee in charge of England vs Spain and there is a fair chance he has a very deep desire for Spain to lose, despite his Spanish nationality.

Patriotism works in different ways in different countries and in many cases also in different regions. Maybe in England, where you certainly do a lot of national pride (which might be what is creating your assumption that a ref's nationality rather than place of birth would affect their potential bias more), regional loyalty is not as strong as in some countries.

Perhaps that is the reason why a referee from Barcelona or Madrid being in charge of a Real Madrid vs Barca game is unimaginable (or a referee from Naples in charge of Napoli vs Palermo; someone would die) while a referee from Manchester being in charge of a decisive game between Manchester City and Arsenal would be considered completely fine. Difficult for me to grasp personally but sure, every country is different.

you've only got to look at the concentration of heads on that map to see that some sort of boys club is forming , not one head south of the capital , not one , 3 in bristol ffs...?? eh...??

 

[Jesus Gul]

Would you be completely fine with a referee born, raised and living in Croydon was in charge of Brighton vs Crystal Palace?

May 2023, Crystal Palace vs Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup final. Referee: Nigel Zaha (Croydon)

I'd be concerned if referee Nigel Zaha's assistants for the day were Jo Brand and Jay off The Inbetweeners with fourth official duties being carried out by Roger De Courcey & Nookie Bear

 

[Louis MacNeice]

Was every Albion fan born in Sussex? Do we all live here?

What are you on about? Born in Brighton (or at a stretch Hove) otherwise you can support Worthing or wherever else you're actually from.

BHA for real Brightonians!

Cheers - Louis MacNeice

p.s. Sussex Maternity Hospital, Buckingham Rd, Brighton.

 

[levs]

If that was the case, why didn't the other Fulham players react in the same way?

The only thing that caused the reaction from Mitrovic is Mitrovic being a massive twat.

I'm not excusing what Mitrovic did, I'm just saying it was reaction to the sending off, obviously the other Fulham players have more self control. It was obviously a sending off if it was deliberate, but I don't think it was. It felt like a double punishment, which they have tried to cut down on, with things like goal keepers not being sent off for bringing down the striker when through on goal