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PRESTON NORTH END - BLAST FROM THE PAST II
Graham Frankland - My first live TV football match to Referee
Carlisle Utd v Preston, 17/10/1997
It was only my second season as a Football League referee and I was about to take charge of my very first live TV game on Sky Sports. Now I know Carlisle Utd against Preston North End does not set the pulses racing for too many football fans from outside these two towns but I was looking forward to this game with a mixture of personal satisfaction that I was about to appear on a live TV football match, but also one of shitting bricks that if something was to go dramatically wrong I would have to live with the endless piss taking from my so called friends within the refereeing fraternity, as well as my mates back in Middlesbrough who don't need too much encouragement for them to join in too!
Anyway, I arrived at Brunton Park at my usual time of three hours before kick off for this Friday evening fixture with an extra spring in my step and really looking forward to the game. I tried to keep the build up to kick off as normal as possible although the amount of interruptions from the TV people did make this a little difficult so I was delighted when we were finally able to walk out and get on with the game.
The game itself was a pretty tame affair except for one incident that in its own way changed the face of football, for that season at least, in the way that the Offside Law was to be interpreted. As we all know offside is the worst law in football and this game was really the start of all the tampering that the authorities have been only too willing to indulge in of late.
It was the twenty-second minute and I had awarded a free kick to Preston just outside the penalty area on the right hand side of the "D". I dealt with all the usual formalities of getting the defenders back ten yards and blew my whistle for the free kick to be taken. Up stepped Gary Parkinson, the ex-Boro right back of the Bruce Rioch era, to curl a customary shot into the top right hand corner. What a fucking goal I thought and from an ex-Boro hero too, but resisted the temptation to jump on his back in celebration and off we went back to the half way line for the restart without protest from anyone.
The game continued and finished with PNE winning 2-0 and off I went back to the dressing room with a warm glow of satisfaction of a job well done and me thinking no piss taking from the lads.How wrong I was!!
The power of TV had kicked in big time and had shown that prior to the free kick being taken two PNE players had stood virtually on the toes of the Carlisle goalkeeper in an obvious attempt to block his view. Furthermore, as Parkinson moved to strike the ball they both ran away from goal in an obvious way to show that they were not interested in receiving the ball. However the argument then raged that if they were not interfering with play stood virtually on the goalkeeper's toes, then when are they?
Now I have to admit I was not even aware of these two players, as all my thoughts were concentrated on the wall and as always I had left offside decisions to the Assistants. When we were asked afterwards my Assistant told everyone that as the players were moving away from goal then they could not be flagged offside as per the instruction that all officials were working to at the time. But this goal created a huge argument within football circles as to the validity of allowing goals in these circumstances.
Fortunately there was a National Referees meeting that had already been arranged for the Sunday after the game and with all the top brass present, this goal and myself became the centre of attention. After much discussion it was decided that for the rest of the season all players who put themselves deliberately offside, as in this game, would be flagged offside and the goal disallowed.
So just when I thought I had gotten away scot-free of mickey-taking, I was hit with both barrels from all and sundry. And you wonder why I say "I fucking hate offside I do!!!"
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