EPL Referees’ fact that might have gone unnoticed

Not to anyone’s surprise, who saw the games yesterday, Monday morning newspapers and news websites were talking about the refereeing decisions that marred the game rather than the beautiful game itself. What otherwise would have been a Super Sunday for the football fans across the world was killed by refereeing of the lowest order. Refereeing is undoubtedly a difficult job, but when you are in there you need to do it, as simple as that.

Mark Clattenburg was at the receiving end, and rightly so, for what he had done in the last 30 minutes of the Chelsea and Manchester United game, showing two red cards to Chelsea and awarding Manchester United an off-side goal; one dubious, the other two absolute howlers.

This favouritism to Manchester United yesterday brought into light a very interesting fact that might have gone unnoticed. The Last Manchester United game in which Mark Clattenburg officiated was way back, when the blue half of Manchester drubbed the Red half 6-1 at Old Trafford. After the game, Clattenburg went 38 games without officiating a Manchester United game in any competition. It has not only been Manchseter United games, but Liverpool and Arsenal games too. If the stat counts for nothing, his performance yesterday surely does. He sent off Johny Evans in that embarrassing game for the home side and went on without refereeing. If the reason was him wrongly giving marching orders to Evans, which, though, I think wasn’t, then after yesterday’s game, he must go 50 games without officiating.

He has also been accused of racial remarks on two of Chelsea’s players and Chelsea have filed a complaint against him. It remains to be seen what action is taken against him. If you think this is the only one, you are sadly mistaken. This is just one incident wherein a referee has officiated in a Manchester United loss, went on without refereeing them for a while and comes back with decisions in their favour – pivotal ones too.

There was Chris Foy, who officiated in a Manchester United loss, didn’t get a Manchester United league game. However, when given two league games, gave them two penalties, and to top that, sent off Kompany.

Phil Dowd also officiated in a Manchester United loss, came back, not only awarded Manchester United a penalty, but a draw which handed them the record 19^th title.

Mike Jones gave Ba a penalty against Manchester United, which never was and on his return, gives two to Manchester United against Stoke, handing them a 2-0 victory.

Hasley astonishingly awarded a red card to Liverpool’s Jonjo Shelvey, when Johny Evans too came in two footed, before awarding a dubious penalty to Valencia, costing Liverpool a game which they thoroughly dominated even with 10 men.

These were just a few; Webb, Atkinson, Wiley, and it goes on.

Do Manchester United truly deserve the Championships or is it a mere coincidence is what the world is arguing.

If such incidents continue, it’s going to kill the game. Every football fan in the World, no doubt, wants to see his team win, but wants good, fair exhibition of football. Hence, there needs to be an introduction of technology and fair refereeing. Not only in Manchester United games, even in other games we have seen referee howlers, which have gone on to affect a game in a big way.