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PROBING QUESTIONS ABOUT PROBERT 13-11-07
Jeff Winter
I know that some of you think I just defend referees all the time. I don't. I just try and look at things from a balanced point of view. This is difficult I know when at heart you are still a Boro fan.
As I have said on many occasions, referees often get the blame and take the flack for our frustrations. Even as a Boro nut I can still accept, unlike your good selves, that the ref can't see everything. I can also accept that human error in referees, like in players, is inevitable.
Having said that I was worried by the appointment of Lee Probert to Sunday's Bolton versus Boro game.
Whichever way you look at it, this was a six pointer. Added to this is that these sides have the two worst disciplinary records in the League this season. This meant that a strong, experienced referee was needed.
Mr Probert hardly fitted that bill. He had only a handful of top flight games under his belt and is a product of a bias to give southern-based referees an opportunity at the top.
What we witnessed on Sunday was not a referee having an off day - we all have those. It was not even a referee getting a major decision wrong, that can happen to anyone too. No, what we saw was an official completely out of his depth.
Kevin Davies is a handful to referee. He is big and strong and he is very clever. He can hold the ball up too (and my God I wish we had him) but he is also very good at leaning in and shirt holding. He knows every trick in the book. To referee him you have to be as equally streetwise and get into positions to see and know exactly what is happening.
For forty-five minutes on Sunday, big Kev had a field day. He won free kicks when he was holding and backing in and his arms were swinging about like windmills. The foul on him that led to the free-kick from which Bolton nearly scored was in fact a foul BY him.
Kevin Nolan got booked when the Boro were in posession. This resulted in an excellent advantage not being played. David Wheater also got booked when he made an excellent tackle and clearly won the ball without playing the man.
In the second half, it was as if someone had passed my feelings on to him because Davies and the Bolton players were denied free kicks that they should have had.
O'Neil quite rightly got booked for kicking the ball away but players by this time were agitated. You see, fans might think they know what is going on but players actually do know. Whilst major decisions will always be contested, for the players to have respect and confidence in a referee they need to feel that in the main the ref is getting decisions correct.
As the game progressed I became even more nervous as I could see Davies winning a free kick or even a penalty and putting us firmly in the you know what. Fortunately he didn't but another time he may have done.
I will continue to support referees when the fans unfairly give them a bad time but I only hope that in the future the authorities take more care with their appointments. When you get to the Premier League a referee needs time to adjust and become accepted. Probert is not a Premiership referee and I doubt he ever will be!
So there you are. Some might think that I don't know what I am talking about on some subjects but I do know what it takes to be a referee and for once I was almost joining in the terrace anthems myself.
On Saturday's shows I will have a pair of tickets to give away for the Villa game so tune in and also give me a ring about your feelings on the Boro.
Boro fans might like to give me a call this Saturday evening from 5.30 till 7pm on the Phone-in show that has not gone away. 01642 616666.
YOU CAN READ MANY MORE OF JEFF'S ARTICLES ON HIS OFFICIAL SITE
RETURN TO JEFF WINTER'S SOCCER SPOTLIGHT INDEX HERE
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