[Football] Future VAR referees

[McTavish]

There isn't supposed to be 'an English representative'. It's not as though England has guaranteed spaces for match officials for each tournament. It doesn't.

Secondly, even Clattenburg himself wasn't guaranteed a spot in Russia. He was on a long-list drawn up in 2016, (which Clattenburg removed himself from in early 2017). The next person on the list after Clattenburg from England was Michael Oliver, and he wasn't qualified enough. Even if he had qualified, again, there's no guarantee of him being on the final list. The final list was only approved in March 2018.

Sure, there are no guarantees but Clattenburg would almost definitely have gone if he hadn't left the Premier League. If Clattenburg hadn't been on the list originally then another English referee almost certainly would have been and the decision not to allow Clattenburg to be replaced was due to the fact that the selected group had already undergone training (particularly with VAR) and there was no opportunity for a replacement to catch up.

To suggest that the reason that there were no English referees at the World Cup is because none of them were good enough is just not the case.

 

[SimpKingpin]

My thoughts are that you are right.

One of the irritating things of living in this country to set against all the good stuff is our insistence of a ridiculous interpretation of laws without regard to the practicalities of said rules. No common sense applied, no grey areas, just the letter of the law.

Yesterday, its not a penalty nobody applying any common sense could think that the Palace player was pushed to the ground by that challenge. Friend clearly has seen that, we all did but he's unwilling to overrule his mate. Saturday how is Pickford not sent off? Because no common sense is applied and again VAR is unwilling to overrule the ref,

Where is the clear offside for the winning goal in the merseyside derby? Even if it actually is offside and that is debatable its not a clear error, but they are so concerned by the media they refuse to apply common sense. VAR should be used to eliminate the error not to reinforce the ridiculous and it will not change all the time mates are reviewing each others decisions reinforced by rules that straightjacket the application of common sense and fairness.

Definitely agree re. applying "common sense and fairness".

I remember Collina seemed to be a master of this, before VAR.

I'm definitely in the camp that there is a place for VAR. But it's being implemented terribly.

Ever since "little me" had my heart broken by Maradona's "hand of god" I've felt there was a place for some type of video review. Some matches are too important.

It's just bizarre at the moment. The Pickford challenge on VVD going unpunished because it was offside is absolutely bonkers! Common sense, please.

 

[essbee1]

Definitely agree re. applying "common sense and fairness".

I remember Collina seemed to be a master of this, before VAR.

I'm definitely in the camp that there is a place for VAR. But it's being implemented terribly.

Ever since "little me" had my heart broken by Maradona's "hand of god" I've felt there was a place for some type of video review. Some matches are too important.

It's just bizarre at the moment. The Pickford challenge on VVD going unpunished because it was offside is absolutely bonkers! Common sense, please.

Trouble is that most refs are absolute effing cretins (socially and in the work-place), hated by everyone they encounter and incapable of being fair or applying common-sense. That's because they've lived a life of being third best at everything, squirming their way through life's situations. Reffing is an outlet for them where they think they yield power for the first time in their life.

 

[The Large One]

Sure, there are no guarantees but Clattenburg would almost definitely have gone if he hadn't left the Premier League. If Clattenburg hadn't been on the list originally then another English referee almost certainly would have been and the decision not to allow Clattenburg to be replaced was due to the fact that the selected group had already undergone training (particularly with VAR) and there was no opportunity for a replacement to catch up.

We are probably making the same argument from different ends.

Only Clattenburg was qualified to be on the international longlist, so no-one else from England could have been on it. And as you say, by the time the FA's next choice was made (Michael Oliver), it was too late for him to do the course. There was opportunity for him to catch up, by doing the FIFA course beforehand, just in case. But he didn't. So there was no-one else good enough or qualified from England after Clattenburg.

To suggest that the reason that there were no English referees at the World Cup is because none of them were good enough is just not the case.

Actually, it is the case. Only one was qualified, and therefore good enough. And he removed himself from the list 18 months before the tournament.

 

[zefarelly]

Definitely agree re. applying "common sense and fairness".

I remember Collina seemed to be a master of this, before VAR.

I'm definitely in the camp that there is a place for VAR. But it's being implemented terribly.

Ever since "little me" had my heart broken by Maradona's "hand of god" I've felt there was a place for some type of video review. Some matches are too important.

It's just bizarre at the moment. The Pickford challenge on VVD going unpunished because it was offside is absolutely bonkers! Common sense, please.

Agree, COllina is an intelligent man and was an outstanding referee, he should be the standard that needs to be attained, if they need training and paying more so be it, anythings better than the current situation.

 

[McTavish]

Only one was qualified, and therefore good enough. And he removed himself from the list 18 months before the tournament.

Yes, but you were implying that the reason that no English refs were at the World Cup is that because English refs are useless, none of them got chosen - that is clearly not the case.