Referee Watch 2026/27

Referee Watch 2026/27

I'm not sure we should get overly concerned, particularly with whataboutery and whether it gets overturned.

Just sit back, grab a beer and watch the entertainment from the chattering classes. 🍺 🍿 🤣
 

Referee Watch 2026/27

Old B said:
Thanks for replying. The one where the Spuds defender fell on and handled the ball, Palmer then “walked” in to him with his knee/thigh.

Violent? Brutal?
Completely subjective unfortunately but one where a “name” gets the benefit of the doubt.
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For me, it could be either way. I'd consider, even without a secondary 'kicking' movement, where the contact is made (to the head/face area) but without an actual "striking" action it's difficult to say this is definitely a red card.

A similar-ish incident around the same time had a secondary kicking motion, which is what tips it from 'orange' territory into 'red' I would suggest.
 

Referee Watch 2026/27

Untouchable said:
Darren England on Saturday. He was the VAR against Liverpool! Another referee with an obvious #Big6Bias so hopefully not an issue against the Marinakis Moobs.

Brentford v Nottingham Forest
Referee: Darren England.
Assistants: Scott Ledger, Mat Wilkes.
Fourth official: Farai Hallam.
VAR: Andrew Kitchen.
Assistant VAR: Tom Nield
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Mr England
No Red Cards so far this season !
Low on bookings (22 in 6 games)
Reffed our end of season game at Liverpool last season.
All Time Record 9 wins, 5 draws and 8 defeats in his 22 games in the middle for us.
Once sent off Shandon Baptiste in a win at Wolves.
 

Referee Watch 2026/27

England was inconsequential to the result today. However, the issue with him, and many refs this season, is that you have little idea of what the threshold for a foul actually is.

Two similar actions can result in diametrically opposite outcomes. Several occasions today he didn’t give the second foul (which was) because the first action might have been a foul (it wasn’t).

Re-writing the laws of the game based on immediate circumstance / context. Very annoying to watch, must be infuriating to play in.
 

Referee Watch 2026/27

He seemed to take a long time to make some decisions which was a bit odd.
 

Referee Watch 2026/27

Simon Hooper reffed the Coventry game today, I thought he'd retired?
 

Referee Watch 2026/27

Les Beeavinu said:
Simon Hooper reffed the Coventry game today, I thought he'd retired?
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How sh*t were Sunderland.

Didn't make those kind of mistakes on Wewdnesday.
 

Referee Watch 2026/27

Probably the best ref so far to be honest albeit the bar is low - not card happy and I thought he got most decisions right. 7/10
 

Referee Watch 2026/27

North London Bee said:
He didn’t spoil the game and let it flow but dithered to a ridiculous length that played into Forest’s hands as the level of holding and tripping on Thiago and Schade was ridiculous
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Made the game enjoyable in my eyes as he was quite consistent in what he let go
 

Referee Watch 2026/27

I thought Darren England was terrible for both teams and also highlighted what the PL refs have done to the game in this country in the last couple of years. It's now such a battle of attrition with the refs letting defenders pick up Thiago by the shirt and chuck him on the ground repeatedly. There's also the still image of Schade being rugby tackled at a corner which is now acceptable in the PL (unless you're KLP against Sunderland). The Chelsea pen v Man Utd only got given by VAR despite the ref looking straight at the incident from the corner in that game.

Any time we looked to make a quick break v Forest they fouled us (and us to them to be fair). The lack of bookings and tolerance of such physical defending means there just isn't as much attacking play to enjoy (hence the low xG and lack of shots on target). I'd also like to see the Schade pull again as he would have been clean through but as with every moment in the game it was shirt pulling and dragging down constantly but hardly any bookings or decisions. I'm certain Darren England let the Schade one go as he might have to show a red card and refs are hiding behind VAR on those (which is then designed to back them).

He also didn't play the full injury time in either half - don't think it made a difference and it benefited us both times but more inconsistency.
 

Referee Watch 2026/27

Not the worst by any means.
Thought he was OK and tried to not be too involved.
Yes Igor wasn’t given anything until the last 2 minutes, but it wasn’t a dirty game.
The only incident that really annoyed me was when KLP got “done” in front of N126 in the second half. Their bloke definitely put one on him, and I was expecting a card.
 

Referee Watch 2026/27

Banana said:
What do you mean?
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First half he blew up with a few seconds of the minute to play (ball was in the centre circle so can understand it). Second half there was a stoppage as the board went up and play didn't restart until 91.00. He then blew the whistle at 94.00 exactly despite the minimum being four minutes. As I said, it didn't really have any impact on the game and benefited us but another example of inconsistency.

The foul on KLP mentioned above was another good example of a poor miss - it was right in front of the lino but no decision. Jensen also left a nasty one on Gibbs-White in the second half but the ref completely missed it. No bias or conspiracy, just inconsistent and at times incompetent.
 

Referee Watch 2026/27

Will Bee said:
Second half there was a stoppage as the board went up and play didn't restart until 91.00. He then blew the whistle at 94.00 exactly despite the minimum being four minutes.
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It's not a stopping clock once you get past 90 minutes. It's an extra 4 minutes including the normal stoppages for goal kicks, "ceremonial" free kicks etc.
 

Referee Watch 2026/27

Thought England had a performance beyond expectation (aside from the constant fouling on Igor which is an issue for all referees). Was pretty consistent with what he gave and let go.
 

Referee Watch 2026/27

Having witnessed ref in Liverpool v Arsenal game shout out to "Alex" Mcallister, and seen numerous other occasions where Big 6 players are on first name terms with officials, was wondering has anyone ever seen a ref communicate with one of our players by their first name?
 

Referee Watch 2026/27

badgerbee said:
Having witnessed ref in Liverpool v Arsenal game shout out to "Alex" Mcallister, and seen numerous other occasions where Big 6 players are on first name terms with officials, was wondering has anyone ever seen a ref communicate with one of our players by their first name?
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No. We've seen this before is VAR comms. It's always "Brentford Number 27" etc.
 

Referee Watch 2026/27

Holysmit said:
How is Madueke. Not sent off for exactly the same thing as Yarmo?

Referees want us to respect them but they need to respect the game and be consistent for that to happen.
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Yes, agree.

It’s exactly the same as Yarmo.

Not only the ref checked this by Madueke on a lean forward head butt on Mac Allister, but also it went to VAR, who found nothing wrong.

Amazing inconsistency with the Yarmo incident that was exactly the same.

Madueke was already on a yellow - should have been sent off.

Likewise MacAllister should have had a red, for feigning/cheating being knocked over as if hit by a steamroller!

Big clubs - ref and VAR bottle it!!!
 

Referee Watch 2026/27

Oceanbee said:
Yes, agree.

It’s exactly the same as Yarmo.

Not only the ref checked this by Madueke on a lean forward head butt on Mac Allister, but also it went to VAR, who found nothing wrong.

Amazing inconsistency with the Yarmo incident that was exactly the same.

Madueke was already on a yellow - should have been sent off.

Likewise MacAllister should have had a red, for feigning/cheating being knocked over as if hit by a steamroller!

Big clubs - ref and VAR bottle it!!!
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Perfectly legitimate “coming to” with a cheating Argie if you ask me … the threshold for making decisions in favour of Argentinian / Uruguayan players (and Jacquet) should be several times higher than it is for “normal” players
 

Referee Watch 2026/27

Jezybee said:
This is not good. Referees, however inept, should not be subject to threats of physical violence. Oldham feel conspired against by this ref who has sent off 5 Oldham players since they returned to the EFL.

View: https://x.com/awaydayslads/status/2116583459577811084?a=n9HTjmy5vJhE1AZRFec&s=46
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No excuses...
But you hwve to wonder if there is anything going on with him...
This is his recent games....
30 yellows and 3 reds in his last 4 games dont look good.
Screenshot_20261101_195806_Chrome.jpg
Of Oldhams 7 red cards in their last 59 games, this ref has issued 5 of them.

This calendar year alone, he sent off Oldham player in penultimate match of last season. Later rescinded.
 
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Referee Watch 2026/27

Oh, ha! Funnily enough i just posted the incidents in the red card thread. Verrry dubious...
 

Referee Watch 2026/27

ladbroke said:
No excuses...
But you hwve to wonder if there is anything going on with him...
This is his recent games....
30 yellows and 3 reds in his last 4 games dont look good.
View attachment 70104
Of Oldhams 7 red cards in their last 59 games, this ref has issued 5 of them.

This calendar year alone, he sent off Oldham player in penultimate match of last season. Later rescinded.
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Have only just read this, having already posted about referees/retrospective action been taken to eradicate cheating on the PL thread.

I don't know this ref, nor what the yellows or reds were for. However, it perfectly demonstrates my point. If refs try and take a stand against dissent and cheating, there will be LOTS of cards for a while. It's just possible this ref is clamping down on this kind of thing and the result is bucket loads of abuse.
 

Referee Watch 2026/27

Hippobee said:
Have only just read this, having already posted about referees/retrospective action been taken to eradicate cheating on the PL thread.

I don't know this ref, nor what the yellows or reds were for. However, it perfectly demonstrates my point. If refs try and take a stand against dissent and cheating, there will be LOTS of cards for a while. It's just possible this ref is clamping down on this kind of thing and the result is bucket loads of abuse.
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On the evidence of yesterday, he is simply a ref incapable of telling the difference between a fair tackle and a bad tackle.
And when players lose confidence in a referee, the dissent gets worse (such as Vitaly against Liverpool)
 

Referee Watch 2026/27

Hippobee said:
Have only just read this, having already posted about referees/retrospective action been taken to eradicate cheating on the PL thread.

I don't know this ref, nor what the yellows or reds were for. However, it perfectly demonstrates my point. If refs try and take a stand against dissent and cheating, there will be LOTS of cards for a while. It's just possible this ref is clamping down on this kind of thing and the result is bucket loads of abuse.
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Thing is, if that was truly the case then great.
But you need ALL referees on the same page.
A phrase you hear a lot in refereeing circles, especially in pre match briefs, is something like "dont be the reason players say "last weeks ref"".
Basically saying well last weeks ref allowed us to do this and that or last weeks ref penalised me for that (when you've let it go).
Some things are definitely in the opinion of and small scale but if you're punishing players too harshly in comparison to almost all other refs, you will get a name for yourself, you will create more work (and potential dissent) for yourself.

Think a lot of refs also use the term... "busy"..
Do the simple stuff right and you'll have an easy game.
 

Referee Watch 2026/27

Not sure what the purpose of this puff piece with Darren England (VAR who recommended the review of Yarmoliuk’s incident with Jacquet, after which Brooks then sent him off for an offence that he described using language that doesn’t appear in the laws) on the BBC Sport website.

Maybe most striking part of the article for me was:
England described how the VAR hub is a "high pressure" and sanitised environment, with "mental fatigue" taking its toll.

There is no match commentary, just the conversation of the officiating team through their headsets.

"You don't have the atmosphere of the crowd," England says. "You hear some of the crowd sometimes, but it's just a noise.

"When you've had a busy match, you're constantly checking everything. You can come out of the hub sometimes and mentally you're exhausted."

i) Comment about no commentary is weird - why would you want to hear the opinion of a commentator / summariser?
ii) Comment of no crowd noise is weird - why would you want the crowd, do they play a part in your decision making when refereeing in a stadium?
iii) Being “mentally exhausted” after concentrating for 90-100mins with a 15 minute break in the middle. Seems wholly unsuited to the role. Maybe ProRef should recruit people from careers (traders?) where they concentrate for over 8 hours a day, 5 days / week?

If the intention was to engender sympathy or admiration for England, suspect it has largely failed.
www.bbc.co.uk

Darren England: From Luis Diaz disaster to the Champions League

Referee Darren England shares how he has moved on from the VAR error that stalled his career to the FA Cup final and the Champions League.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk
 

Referee Watch 2026/27

Oliver on Sunday. Sigh. Attwell on VAR is a decent appointment though.

Brighton v Brentford
Referee: Michael Oliver.
Assistants: Stuart Burt, James Mainwaring.
Fourth official: Steve Martin.
VAR: Stuart Attwell.
Assistant VAR: Will Finnie.
 

Referee Watch 2026/27

Untouchable said:
Oliver on Sunday. Sigh. Attwell on VAR is a decent appointment though.

Brighton v Brentford
Referee: Michael Oliver.
Assistants: Stuart Burt, James Mainwaring.
Fourth official: Steve Martin.
VAR: Stuart Attwell.
Assistant VAR: Will Finnie.
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Happily take Oliver rather than some of the other clowns. Reffed the Spurs game impeccably
 

Referee Watch 2026/27

North London Bee said:
Reffed the Spurs game impeccably
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He did. But that’s been a high point after several disappointing performances.

With Anthony Taylor now retired the pressure is on Oliver to maintain his status as an elite official. Hopefully he’ll rise to it.
 

Referee Watch 2026/27

I’m interested to know if the majority of people do feel that the level of referee in the Prem has worsened over the past few seasons?

Is it simply that the presence of VAR makes it ‘easier’ to dissect a referee’s performance?

Whilst I never like coming away from games with the referees performance taking precedent over our own, especially if we’ve genuinely not been good, already there have been some shockers.

Or is it true that across a season some go for you, others against, evens itself out?

With all this talk now about the Isak shirt pull, was it wasn’t it a pen, I just feel we’re the furthest we’ve ever been from what constitutes a good referring performance nowadays
 

Referee Watch 2026/27

BuzzingBee95 said:
I’m interested to know if the majority of people do feel that the level of referee in the Prem has worsened over the past few seasons?

Is it simply that the presence of VAR makes it ‘easier’ to dissect a referee’s performance?

Whilst I never like coming away from games with the referees performance taking precedent over our own, especially if we’ve genuinely not been good, already there have been some shockers.

Or is it true that across a season some go for you, others against, evens itself out?

With all this talk now about the Isak shirt pull, was it wasn’t it a pen, I just feel we’re the furthest we’ve ever been from what constitutes a good referring performance nowadays
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I think the Prem has become more attritional this year.
More draws, less entertainment and LOTS more blatant cheating by players must make it hard for the officials.
Add in that they are trying to play on through a lot of "weak" fouls, meaning they are also having more players screaming at them
 

Referee Watch 2026/27

Les Beeavinu said:
Think there's merit in a true assistant referee active on the field who is only there to advise the referee.
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In most premier league games I see, there are 2 assistants involved, communicating constantly and advising the referee.
As well as some other guy near the dugouts in a tracksuit.

The truth is the game is now covered by so many cameras that subjective referee errors are now very easy to pick up. They were always there but now the stakes are much higher.
 

Referee Watch 2026/27

Untouchable said:
Oliver on Sunday. Sigh. Attwell on VAR is a decent appointment though.

Brighton v Brentford
Referee: Michael Oliver.
Assistants: Stuart Burt, James Mainwaring.
Fourth official: Steve Martin.
VAR: Stuart Attwell.
Assistant VAR: Will Finnie.
Click to expand...
Still got a comedian in the tracksuit though….
 
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