The Mail Bag
Unbiased refs?
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I have just read the 'Steve Bennett scandal' in News of the World. Big deal. The thing that I find scandalous is the comment: "Just metres away, colleagues Howard Webb and Mike Dean were singing Liverpool anthem You?ll Never Walk Alone, unaware Bennett was letting slip the shameful secrets that will rock football."
How can either of these two ever be allowed to referee an Everton or Liverpool game again?
John McAllister, Posted 08/02/2009 at 13:23:53
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Whilst the story is hardly the shock horror exclusive that it is made out to be, the singing of a well known Club?s anthem by Professional Referees cannot be right. Can you imagine the ourtage of Benitez if Referees were singing A Man U or Everton anthem? Mind you, the conference was held in Spain, so perhaps it has been adopted as the new national anthem...
I agree about the singing of the RS "song" but it does make you think about the story's credibility when it is well known that Mike Dean has declared his support of the Mighty Blues and that is why he does not referee any of our games. Now if it was Clattenburg.... oh hold on a mo...
Paul Owen,
Mike Dean is actually a Tranmere Fan. I know this for an indisputable fact. He has refereed one of our games before. The Game at Wigan when he (correctly) sent off that big lug, Duncan Ferguson, for walloping Paul Scharner.
Mike Dean is actually a Tranmere Fan. I know this for an indisputable fact. He has refereed one of our games before. The Game at Wigan when he (correctly) sent off that big lug, Duncan Ferguson, for walloping Paul Scharner.
Bennett?s comments (also recounted in the Guardian, apparently on tape)"... accuse another Premier League player of being a "cheating bastard" due to his penchant for diving in the area in order to get penalties. "He takes one step, two steps, turns his body and just fucking launches himself. I mean two [unnamed club] players go like that. But they are nowhere near him. If you are in the wrong position you?ve a penalty. So I got into a position and I thought, ?You cheating bastard?. That?s what you say to yourself."
Bennett should be made to name names and to answer if he didn?t book the player for cheating. If he did book the player, it shouldn?t be hard to figure out who he is talking about because it is a rarity for refs to book the Greg Louganis? of the game for diving. Players, managers have to answer for their actions ? so should referees.
Bennett should be made to name names and to answer if he didn?t book the player for cheating. If he did book the player, it shouldn?t be hard to figure out who he is talking about because it is a rarity for refs to book the Greg Louganis? of the game for diving. Players, managers have to answer for their actions ? so should referees.
John, I don't doubt that he may be a Tranmere fan (and so he should, being from the Wirral) but I also happen to know "for a fact" that he is listed with the FA as having an "affinity or interest" in the Blues... That is why he NO LONGER does any of our games....
Paul,
I wasn?t trying to sound like a smart-arse.
Mike Dean isn?t allowed to referee Liverpool or Everton games, but I?m led to believe this has more to do with the fact that lives locally rather than any affinity towards either club. He was due to referee the cup final a couple of years ago until Liverpool got there (and eventually beat West Ham to win it).
I work with one his best mates, and will ask him to get the lowdown on this YNWA business when I see him tomorrow.
I wasn?t trying to sound like a smart-arse.
Mike Dean isn?t allowed to referee Liverpool or Everton games, but I?m led to believe this has more to do with the fact that lives locally rather than any affinity towards either club. He was due to referee the cup final a couple of years ago until Liverpool got there (and eventually beat West Ham to win it).
I work with one his best mates, and will ask him to get the lowdown on this YNWA business when I see him tomorrow.
John,
Likewise about the smart arse!! That reply looked a bit pompous and unneccesary!! Sorry mate...
Likewise about the smart arse!! That reply looked a bit pompous and unneccesary!! Sorry mate...
I wouldn?t look too much into it, even our luvvy duvvy chairman thinks it is a great song; maybe there are thinking of the show it originally came from when singing it, just like someone humming and singing "Run", not the gay Leona Lewis version but the slightly less gay Snow Patrol version.
Chris Foy is the ref who is a blue isn?t it?
Just to clear up one thing: the ONLY reason I went to the NoTW website was to read the detail behind the story I listened to on 5 live this morning.
I still think it is out of order for officials to sing a song associated with one particular circus, sorry, club.
I still think it is out of order for officials to sing a song associated with one particular circus, sorry, club.
More worrying from the red tops this weekend is the rumour that Prick Parry is on the list to replace Brian Barwick, now how much would that stink?
Just to play Devil?s advocate somewhat 1 just because a referee may have a personal bias towards or against a club doesn?t mean he will necessarily throw a game or knowingly make incorrect decisions.
There are, in my job, people and departments I don?t like and don?t particular want to provide my services to. In fact, in some cases, there?s nothing I would like more than to see them fail ? but as a professional I?m duty bound to do my job properly and impartially. I would hope professional referees would act the same way.
There are, in my job, people and departments I don?t like and don?t particular want to provide my services to. In fact, in some cases, there?s nothing I would like more than to see them fail ? but as a professional I?m duty bound to do my job properly and impartially. I would hope professional referees would act the same way.
In reply to James Marshall ? The NOTW haven?t made up these transcripts and this is a place for discussing a pretty big football story that everyone is talking about, not for lecturing people on what newspapers they should read.
Liverpool haven?t lost a game in which Webb was the referee for 4 whole years!
Liverpool haven?t lost a game in which Webb was the referee for 4 whole years!
But even more worrying would be the news that Keith Wyness was also a contender?
In Rugby League they take a much more grown-up view as witnessed by Steve Ganson (born in St.Helens and a life-long Saints fan)often refereeing his team’s matches right up to Play-Off and Finals!
Rick Parry, our loveable closet Evertonian (joke), how the hell can he possibly be considered to be in charge at the FA? He was a prime mover of the PL and as such has no respect for football as a whole.
This is the man who states that a shared stadium would only happen over his dead body. He has also allowed the managers who work for him to denigrate Everton Football Club on a regular basis.
In fact, since he has worked at Anfield, the relationship between the two clubs has hit an all-time low. If he gets the job we had better prepare for even more strange decisions in the coming seasons.
I have never seen "Carousel" on stage or in a cinema, and would never wish to. Gerry and the Pacemakers popularised the Rodgers and Hammerstein song about 1963. Had they chosen "This Was A Real Nice Clambake" from the show, would that slogan now be on the badge of the RS? We will never know.
I guess that the lyric must have been out of copyright when it was put on their insignia and above the gates named after the man they banned from their premises
Back in the 70s when in an ?English pub? in Spain they played the record and the staff came around telling us to stand up and join in. My Spanish was less developed then, so I told them what to do in English. They understood.
And anyone should understand. It has been adopted, hijacked if you like, by a very narrow set of football followers. It is not a football song, it is a partisan anthem. Should any official ever join in, he should know that he is displaying a bias which compromises his professional neutrality.
Stick with ?This Was A Real Nice Clambake? would be my advice.
I guess that the lyric must have been out of copyright when it was put on their insignia and above the gates named after the man they banned from their premises
Back in the 70s when in an ?English pub? in Spain they played the record and the staff came around telling us to stand up and join in. My Spanish was less developed then, so I told them what to do in English. They understood.
And anyone should understand. It has been adopted, hijacked if you like, by a very narrow set of football followers. It is not a football song, it is a partisan anthem. Should any official ever join in, he should know that he is displaying a bias which compromises his professional neutrality.
Stick with ?This Was A Real Nice Clambake? would be my advice.
Various sports each have their own song. Rugby?s Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, Aussie rules with Up there Cazaly and whether we like it or not, outside of UK, Never walk alone has become football's anthem.
Can you imagine the mad cacophony if a multifarious gathering of football fans were singing 20 different anthems. Another thing, I bet not many would know more than one verse of Johnnie Todd.
Dick - Nobody knows more than one verse of the Rodgers and Hammerstein song from Carousel - because there only is one. You might think that even this would stretch the attention span of your average kopshite, but that’s what pop songs are about.
If ever challenged by one of them, just ask from which musical their anthem came. That should end it.
If ever challenged by one of them, just ask from which musical their anthem came. That should end it.
Keith
Laughed out loud at the clambake quote, thanks.
On lyrics, the recent "City's all ours" song is sung by my mate thus:
THE CITY'S ALL OURS
NOT OLAF'S OR LARS'
FUCK OFF TO NORWAY
THE CITY'S ALL OURS
Laughed out loud at the clambake quote, thanks.
On lyrics, the recent "City's all ours" song is sung by my mate thus:
THE CITY'S ALL OURS
NOT OLAF'S OR LARS'
FUCK OFF TO NORWAY
THE CITY'S ALL OURS
And heres me thinking ALL refs supported our lovable neighbours.
No wonder referees wear ear piece. So they could practice their songs on the pitch.
Guy I work with in Scotland has a wee radio that lets him listen to the rugby referees and he used it at the weekend at Murrayfield. I’d love to listen to those "professionals" ruining many an EPL game and hear just what the four of them say to each other.
I have to agree with John McAllister, Premier League referee?s singing that song whilst relaxing in a bar is a disgrace with a very worrying undertone.
Haven’t Celtic also adopted it as their anthem?
Wasn’t it Celtic’s first?
I know our song ’if y’know yer history’ was sung by Spurs before us I think?
I know our song ’if y’know yer history’ was sung by Spurs before us I think?
Celtic where singing it first!
One of many songs the shite have robbed off them!
One of many songs the shite have robbed off them!
There has been much discussion over who sang it first, (You?ll never walk alone), and the jury seems to side with the RS. The Kop was one of the first to start actually singing songs in the sixties, rather than just chants, and I remember them singing it as early as 64-65, and maybe even earlier ? Gerry and the Pacemakers released it in ?63, so if Celtic (which was the team I supported in Scotland) were singing it first, they had to have been very quick off the block ? unless they had taken it from Carousel!!
Oi guys, well I say let's adopt a song from Gerry and the Pacemakers ourselves. From the same era they penned a much better song than you?ll never walk. The song of course was "Ferry across the Mersey"
Why not? It?s a massively better song and I?m sure that it would piss those amoebas off across the park.
What do yer think?
Oooohhhhh psychology OR WHAT!!
Why not? It?s a massively better song and I?m sure that it would piss those amoebas off across the park.
What do yer think?
Oooohhhhh psychology OR WHAT!!
In this household YNWA is referred to as "the naffness anthem".
Has anyone noticed to similarity between
YNWA and YMCA ?
Perhaps next time we are confronted with them singing it, we could all do the arm gestures.
YNWA and YMCA ?
Perhaps next time we are confronted with them singing it, we could all do the arm gestures.
We Blues in SA have a long standing tradition of ’leaving the room’ whenever that fucking song comes on. Irrespective of where you are when it happens..... weddings, even a funeral once (I was accused of insensitivity, but they were insensitive by playing it IMO)..... my brother even stormed out of his work Christmas function once.... past the table with all the bank execs. An incident that has gone down in legend at the bank where he used to work.
Anyone else do this?
Anyone else do this?
Dave?s brother = top boy.
The correct response to YNWA in a pub / wedding reception / whatever is to unplug the PA system and tell the DJ / landlord / whatever to stop besmirching the name of Merseyside by glorifying the Scum of Europe.
The correct response to YNWA in a pub / wedding reception / whatever is to unplug the PA system and tell the DJ / landlord / whatever to stop besmirching the name of Merseyside by glorifying the Scum of Europe.
You?ll Never Walk Alone was first performed at a football ground by a man on the pitch at Old Trafford when United played their first match after the Munich air disaster.
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1 Posted 08/02/2009 at 17:33:20
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I don?t mean to be rude John, but anything you read in there deserves very little credit. You might as well just look at the pictures.