by South Coast Royal »
13 Feb 2023 16:28
Dirk Gently Back in the days when I used to do football-related stuff I was invited to the opening of the National Football Museum in Manchester. I was playing the video "You Are The Ref" game when I sensed a large presence watching over my shoulder.
Turned around and saw it was Howard Webb - now that's what I call pressure with the other decisions I had to make...
Talking of Howard Webb I remember complaining about Howard Webb after he didn't give a Keith Jones goal away at Walsall. (no goal line technology then).
I believe the complaint was to the FA but whoever it was I got a phone call from the "compliance " officer to discuss the matter.
I had suggested that Webb hadn't a clue and was probably what refs usually were then , i.e. a teacher, a civil servant or a policeman who were all officious , loving to tell people what to do and were generally old and bald.
The compliance officer was very friendly, in no hurry to halt the conversation and confirmed that I was right on two counts, that Webb was indeed a policeman and bald but was in fact young.
He was being fast tracked (ironically just like Attwell who gave the goal that never was at Watford) as they had high hopes for him going forward.
I expressed my doubts based on his performance in that one game.
A life lesson was learnt by me-don't judge a player or a ref based on one game only but I still think he chickened out by not sending-off De Jong in that final..