Referee Watch 2026/27

[badgerbee]

It’s already happened more than once this season… and they were given as red cards…

But sure it’s because the Brighton player cheated and nothing to do with Thiago swinging his forearm where a head would likely be…

Jao Pedro's was a "swing" at Yarmo.
Thiago's today was a push.
HTH.

 

[Themepark]

Feels like they just bring through a ref even worse than the current lot

Everyone thinks the ref is against them, or worse than last week, or that XYZ decision is the worst one they’ve ever seen.

Until next week, when they say all the same things again ‍

 

[A Real Mysteron]

Are the refs biased? No
do the “ big” teams get away with things? Yes
Does Var forensically examine things for the “ big” teams ? Yes
Do the refs have any consistency ? No
Are the refs incompetent? Subjective !!
Is there any accountability for the refs? No

One way and another the above seems to sum up the position we have now arrived at. Between the refs and cheating players the game is no longer enjoyable and getting worse week on week

Your last paragraph is particularly spot on.
It really isn’t enjoyable anymore for me.
I’m going at the moment more out of habit, and to be with the old man.

 

[Themepark]

Jao Pedro's was a "swing" at Yarmo.
Thiago's today was a push.
HTH.

I don’t know of the Jao Pedro incident I’m afraid as I’ve not seen that - which game/when and I’ll have a nosey?

Thiago was a swing with the forearm in an upwards direction towards the face of an opponent with force that exceeded what was acceptable.

 

[hanworthbee]

Everyone thinks the ref is against them, or worse than last week, or that XYZ decision is the worst one they’ve ever seen.

Until next week, when they say all the same things again ‍

Yep. Win and a red card for the oppo = good ref

Red card for us or a defeat or both = bad ref

 

[BFC1997]

Intent isn't in Law.

Is he unlucky? I'd argue you put yourself into danger the moment you throw your forearm like that like an absolute muppet.

Refereeing with common sense isn't allowed anymore sadly due to how the modern game is

Intent isn’t in law? Apart from the bit where it specifically mentions violent conduct being deliberate?

“a player who, when not challenging for the ball, deliberately strikes an opponent or any other person on the head or face with the hand or arm, is guilty of violent conduct unless the force used was negligible.”

 

[mattbee]

Everyone thinks the ref is against them, or worse than last week, or that XYZ decision is the worst one they’ve ever seen.

Until next week, when they say all the same things again ‍

I don't actually have a problem with Oliver today or think he was against us but the sort of decisions him and the VAR team made were not bring made when Liverpool played Arsenal

 

[BFC1997]

Yep. Win and a red card for the oppo = good ref

Red card for us or a defeat or both = bad ref

The refs have been sh*t in games we’ve won, lost and drawn all season. It’s been pony

 

[hanworthbee]

Everyone moans about the refs every week all the time it's so tedious

 

[BFC1997]

Everyone moans about the refs all the time it's so tedious

They’ve been sh*t

 

[badgerbee]

I don’t know of the Jao Pedro incident I’m afraid as I’ve not seen that - which game/when and I’ll have a nosey?

Thiago was a swing with the forearm in an upwards direction towards the face of an opponent with force that exceeded what was acceptable.

Google Search

Ref Watch: Brighton forward Joao Pedro 'astonishingly' escapes red card for elbow against Brentford

Ex-Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher analyses the controversial incidents from the festive action including Joao Pedros red-card escape for an elbow against Brentford, Bournemouth midfielder Ryan Christie avoiding a red against Fulham and Motherwells disallowed goal against Rangers

www.skysports.com

And still maintain Thiago was pushing BHA defender away. Not swinging his arm.

 

[Themepark]

Intent isn’t in law? Apart from the bit where it specifically mentions violent conduct being deliberate?

“a player who, when not challenging for the ball, deliberately strikes an opponent or any other person on the head or face with the hand or arm, is guilty of violent conduct unless the force used was negligible.”

You’ve missed the point.

This whole thing of “he didn’t intend to hurt anyone” isn’t a mitigation.

Has he endangered a player’s safety by deliberately throwing his arm up where a face is most likely going to be?



Yes

 

[Themepark]

Google Search

Ref Watch: Brighton forward Joao Pedro 'astonishingly' escapes red card for elbow against Brentford

Ex-Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher analyses the controversial incidents from the festive action including Joao Pedros red-card escape for an elbow against Brentford, Bournemouth midfielder Ryan Christie avoiding a red against Fulham and Motherwells disallowed goal against Rangers

www.skysports.com

And still maintain Thiago was pushing BHA defender away. Not swinging his arm.

Ah yes I recall the one now. I said at the time this should’ve been a red card.

 

[badgerbee]

Ah yes I recall the one now. I said at the time this should’ve been a red card.

That was a "swing".
Thiago's today wasn't.

 

[BFC1997]

You’ve missed the point.

This whole thing of “he didn’t intend to hurt anyone” isn’t a mitigation.

Has he endangered a player’s safety by deliberately throwing his arm up where a face is most likely going to be?

View attachment 70201

Yes

He didn’t “deliberately strike” him for me, no

The force is also negligible for me, he’s not trying to hit him but rather shrug someone off pushing him. Maybe clumsy but a red and three game ban is not right

 

[Themepark]

That was a "swing".
Thiago's today wasn't.

Doesn’t matter. He’s still forearmed someone in the boat.

It’s a red

 

[aawharris]

Everyone thinks the ref is against them, or worse than last week, or that XYZ decision is the worst one they’ve ever seen.

Until next week, when they say all the same things again ‍

What is worrying is when both sets of players, officials and fans say the refs are poor.
Thats happened more this season than any other

 

[badgerbee]

Doesn’t matter. He’s still forearmed someone in the boat.

It’s a red

You said he'd swung his arm.
I disagreed.
And I still feel the force was negligible.
But, as we won't agree, let's leave it there.

 

[ChessingtonBee]

I will play the whataboutery card. Big clubs get away with more.

We regularly see poor decisions at home games. Even the linesmen cannot get the simple stuff correct - not offside, but ball in or out of play.

 

[Themepark]

He didn’t “deliberately strike” him for me, no

The force is also negligible for me, he’s not trying to hit him but rather shrug someone off pushing him. Maybe clumsy but a red and three game ban is not right

I agree the force isn’t what you’d call ‘violent’ - but the other consideration is where he’s hit him. If he gets him in the chest, then I would almost certainly say it’d be a yellow.

The problem is the old adage - play stupid games, win stupid prizes. There’s no excuse for the actions, he ran the risk and lost.

 

[Themepark]

You said he'd swung his arm.
I disagreed.
And I still feel the force was negligible.
But, as we won't agree, let's leave it there.

Fine. Instead of ‘swung’ - thrown, flailed, shoved.

Force isn’t the only consideration. Contact point comes into play: Face. If he hits chest, it’ll be a yellow guaranteed. But he didn’t. He got him right on the boat.

Instantly more danger and that does change what levels of force can be accepted.

In the same way contact threshold with lower shin is going to be different to the knee etc. Lower shin can take a bit more than the knee bone/tendon etc. so you’ll more likely see red on the knee than you will the lower shin etc.

 

[hanworthbee]

It's a blatant red, raise your hands to the face your off. We won't appeal as we have zero hope of success

 

[mattbee]

The Ajer yellow is never being given like that when two big teams are playing each other, games are refereed completely differently.

 

[Themepark]

View: https://x.com/Nowfootball/status/2119451315768344876?s=19


Think it’s horrendous this clear SFP was missed this morning to be honest

 

[Holysmit]

It’s already happened more than once this season… and they were given as red cards…

But sure it’s because the Brighton player cheated and nothing to do with Thiago swinging his forearm where a head would likely be…

This view depresses me on every level.

 

[Holysmit]

I agree the force isn’t what you’d call ‘violent’ - but the other consideration is where he’s hit him. If he gets him in the chest, then I would almost certainly say it’d be a yellow.

The problem is the old adage - play stupid games, win stupid prizes. There’s no excuse for the actions, he ran the risk and lost.

Then why post the picture at a time when it looks far worse then it is. It isnt a red and its so depressing to see you defend something that is wrong.

 

[JosephBFC]

The Ajer yellow is never being given like that when two big teams are playing each other, games are refereed completely differently.

It was 100% a yellow. As well as the shirt pull Ajer treads on the back of his foot/achilles. Accidental but nasty

 

[Themepark]

Then why post the picture at a time when it looks far worse then it is. It isnt a red and its so depressing to see you defend something that is wrong.

Because it shows the contact point very clearly… thus confirming why this is a red and not yellow.

It’s so depressing when people only read half the point you’re making

 

[BURFORD BEE]

I don't actually have a problem with Oliver today or think he was against us but the sort of decisions him and the VAR team made were not bring made when Liverpool played Arsenal

True, but we're not Liverpool or Arsenal. It's not a level playing field. We know that and presumably so does Andrews.
So tell the players not to give refs and VAR an excuse to send them off. If it happens in open play that's life, happens but responding to being provoked is plain stupid. That's 2 games we've lost by stupidity.

 

[westendbee]

It was 100% a yellow. As well as the shirt pull Ajer treads on the back of his foot/achilles. Accidental but nasty

It’s the inconsistency … in the first 20 minutes, whenever we passed the ball forward the player making the pass was cleaned out by a Brighton player so he couldn’t join with the attack, and Oliver completely ignored these incidents

 

[Themepark]

Going back through every comment I’ve made about this is actually one of the most childish things I’ve ever seen.

I’m so here for it. Bravo. Elite pettiness

 

[Les Beeavinu]

Think I'm more annoyed with the Ajer yellow card, was Oliver putting down some kind of marker? That's not his job.

 

[North London Bee]

Think I'm more annoyed with the Ajer yellow card, was Oliver putting down some kind of marker? That's not his job.

I thought it was a surefire yellow Les. Trip plus shirt pull. Sorry.

 

[badgerbee]

I thought it was a surefire yellow Les. Trip plus shirt pull. Sorry.

Yep.
Actually thought VAR might get involved in that one.

 

[Les Beeavinu]

I thought it was a surefire yellow Les. Trip plus shirt pull. Sorry.

It was just a foul.

 

[westendbee]

It was 100% a yellow. As well as the shirt pull Ajer treads on the back of his foot/achilles. Accidental but nasty

Again, would Gabriel or Jacquet have received a yellow for a similar challenge in the first 5 minutes … I would suggest not

 

[North London Bee]

It was just a foul.

We can agree to differ.

I thought he might get away with it because of how early it was in the game

 

[Themepark]

It was just a foul.

What’s the minute? I’ll have a look for it when I can sit with the catch up and see if I can find any logic for it..!

 

[mattbee]

What’s the minute? I’ll have a look for it when I can sit with the catch up and see if I can find any logic for it..!

Only the 5th minute, its justifiable but not every centre back is receiving a yellow for that.

 

[Jezybee]

Fine. Instead of ‘swung’ - thrown, flailed, shoved.

Force isn’t the only consideration. Contact point comes into play: Face. If he hits chest, it’ll be a yellow guaranteed. But he didn’t. He got him right on the boat.

Instantly more danger and that does change what levels of force can be accepted.

In the same way contact threshold with lower shin is going to be different to the knee etc. Lower shin can take a bit more than the knee bone/tendon etc. so you’ll more likely see red on the knee than you will the lower shin etc.

Would you point to the laws that substantiate your interpretations in this post. Otherwise you have a promising career as a Premier League referee, applying the laws of the game based on your perceived view of natural justice.

 

[Holysmit]

Would you point to the laws that substantiate your interpretations in this post. Otherwise you have a promising career as a Premier League referee, applying the laws of the game based on your perceived view of natural justice.

Hes talking absoulte sh*te. Because he wants to stick by the ref community

 

[Themepark]

Would you point to the laws that substantiate your interpretations in this post. Otherwise you have a promising career as a Premier League referee, applying the laws of the game based on your perceived view of natural justice.

Law 12

 

[Themepark]

Hes talking absoulte sh*te. Because he wants to stick by the ref community

Bless

 

[Holysmit]

Bless

And this is why no one takes officals seriously.

 

[Holysmit]

Law 12

Next time you quote this to a player. Dont be suprised when they are incredulous.

 

[Kingston Bee]

It’s already happened more than once this season… and they were given as red cards…

But sure it’s because the Brighton player cheated and nothing to do with Thiago swinging his forearm where a head would likely be…

Why then was Madueke not even booked when he went head to head with MaCallister last week?

 

[BFC1997]

This is also a pretty bad penalty call IMO


View: https://x.com/xabiholic/status/2119439787660636501?a=jCDrEVN14mKve10aylc&s=46

 

[Kingston Bee]

I thought it was a surefire yellow Les. Trip plus shirt pull. Sorry.

His first foul after just 4 minutes? Then to be consistent Oliver has to book everyone for their first foul?

 

[Holysmit]

Why then was Madueke not even booked when he went head to head with MaCallister last week?

Or why Palmer wasnt sent off when he ran up and raised his knee against Spurs?

 

[Themepark]

And this is why no one takes officals seriously.

And this is why we seldom bother trying to explain anything as we get met with petulant attitudes/behaviours back.

God forbid we give anything similar back though… else no one takes us seriously