Column Why We Always Lose the Referee Coin-Toss John Cummings 06/11/2007 21comments | Jump to last I?ve seen many fine comments from fans in this forum. And for my point here those comments concern decisions from referees. It is not difficult to say that we as Everton Football Club have received more than our fair share of losing 50-50 referee calls. What I mean here is that in any physical transaction between two opposing players can result in a referee?s decision that can be either fair or biased. And what our fan base opinion clearly shows is that we seem to receive biased referee opinions as opposed to what might be called the true or fair decision way more often than not. We only need go back to the most recent derby game to see this point in clear perspective. A two-footed aerial lunge with no dismissal? Is that for real? Yes ? it?s for real. The further back in time we can we see untold occasions where all the honest Evertonian can say is, ?Why?? I?m going to add three thoughts on this just for the purpose of debate and argument. I?m not at all pleased to state things this way but I think there is some truth in it. 1) England, dominated as it is by London, will never come to grips with Liverpool as a city, with its very different history and culture. 2) Everton as a football club inherits much of this London colonial xenophobia simply because we do not ?fit the mould? of an ?English? club, or perhaps do not ?play the game?. 3) The EPL has way too much revenue for there not to be ?fixing? of results, whether through vested influence or outright fraud. In this environment, outsider clubs like Everton in an English league can never really expect too much. This comes to the fore when you consider the 50-50 coin toss of referee decisions. And to complete my point, this is perhaps why in the end we receive a great deal of calling heads but getting tails way too often. One positive point here though is our disciplinary record. This seems a great way to avoid those biased calls. If the referee has nothing to confer a biased opinion on, then a game?s result could actually be decided on the actual football and not some bullshit penalty-box ?infringement? that once again goes the wrong way! Reader Comments Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer Danny Gorman 1 Posted 06/11/2007 at 08:55:34 Report abuse I’m not sure I agree with the entirety of this article - as it contains more than the odd element of the sensational.However, I do agree that the EPL consciously or sub-conciously protect their biggest exportable assest i.e the clubs that make all the money.Liverpool, Man U, Chelsea and Arsenal.However these four teams also make all of the money for the rest of the league could you imagine where Everton would be if we had to bargain for our own T.V. rights? John Lloyd 2 Posted 06/11/2007 at 09:10:34 Report abuse I dont agree with what your points, and I live in Liverpool & support Everton.I agree basically with what Mr Gorman says, but not for the same reasoning. I think its because of awe, familiarity of players & fear of various things (players &managers reactions, crowds, bad press etc etc) that the big 4 get the rub of the green more often than not & if one day we break back into the elite, where we belong, then we will also get the rub against lesser opposition.......not the shite though, they are the devils club after all. Nick Entwistle 3 Posted 06/11/2007 at 09:05:37 Report abuse "England, dominated as it is by London, will never come to grips with Liverpool as a city, with its very different history and culture."Liverpool sure is a different city to many in the UK, but this just slides towards what Borris Johnston said as ’wallowing in victim status’.Infact London is rounded on in society in many ways due to its preferential status, not only in the country but the world, and its comparitively la-di-da lifestyle of the rich.... so its a bit of a cop out to blame the capital IMHO... and besides, Liverpool FC don’t do too badly from being in the city that they bare the name of.However, the FA do have a vested interest in the big four, and (in an artical I am currently drawring up) possibly have the way refs interperate certain things to benefit the top four and keep them there as it’s money in the pocket. Chri s Lumb 4 Posted 06/11/2007 at 09:21:09 Report abuse Just a note on the tv rights. Please note that the reason why the English Premiership gets so much is because its sells its rights together (live and exclusive is the key too). The rest of Europe do not and thus do not get as much revenue. How many people would subscribe to Sky Sports at £25 per month if they only had Man Utd and Arsenal games ever week. There are 16 other teams in the Premiership and their supporters subscriptions are vital to sky too... Nick Entwistle 5 Posted 06/11/2007 at 09:35:18 Report abuse I was watching that awful Gabby Logan BBC one sports chat debacle a few weeks ago and the whole 3pm Saturday kick off thing came up. The balding boxing mouthperson was saying the Prem need to kick off at 12pm and 5:15pm etc for the Asian markets so we can all have the best players.Personally I think that’s crap. We’d still have the players, only they’d be paid less. Oh, and the FA would be out of pocket too... Tony Kenrick 6 Posted 06/11/2007 at 10:50:15 Report abuse The Coin toss, its David Moyes? fault ! Its because he?s so negative. He should be more creative with his choice of captain !!!Can you BELIEVE he has only won 4 games on the trot. We should have won 16 on the trot by now but NOOOO, not under Moyes !! We?ll never win the World Cup OR the Olympics under that man. Teddy Draper 7 Posted 06/11/2007 at 13:12:29 Report abuse Absolutly spot on Tony k. How can these people blame the E.P.L, the F.A. the refs, the supporters, the f.....g corner flags, of course its MR. MOYES fault, only for him we (EVERTON F.C.) would be the holders of the champions cup, the premiereship, F.A. cup, UEFA cup, and that was only last season, grow up you load of tossers. Mark Cook 8 Posted 06/11/2007 at 14:24:26 Report abuse I don’t understand this constant swiping certain people have towards David Moyes. We have to remember that it wasn’t so long ago that season on season it was a battle against relegation, with a squad of below par players. DM has slowly put together a pretty decent squad. We haven’t got pots of money from a rich overseas benefactor, but piece by piece he has picked up quality players. He has also taken a punt on one or two who have turned out to be excellent buys for peanuts in todays market, Lescott, Arteta and Cahill spring to mind, he’s brought in the likes of Yobo, Howard, Neville, Yakubu, AJ, Pienaar and Baines all of whom have their own qualities. We are playing in Europe, we are expecting to finish around the top 6 year on year. Ok, at times he makes mistakes with tactics or selections, but he must be doing something right. I remember going through the times when I was almost embarrassed to say I was an Evertonian, that certainly isn’t the case now. John Lloyd 9 Posted 06/11/2007 at 14:42:35 Report abuse I’m sensing some quality toffeeweb sarcasm here.Just on a related note I won £12 off my mates playing odds & evens the other night. Should I toss the coin for us? george brooks 10 Posted 06/11/2007 at 14:46:42 Report abuse Some good responses to what is an unusual post i think.I think that like most of us,we know its nothing to do with biased referees or television company’s,its the rub of the green(as we’ve already ascertained)and the rub of the green goes both way’s,yes we’ve had some bad decisions lately,but i’d be willing to bet we have also had some for us aswell.DM "HAS" put together a tidy squad,we are doing better than recent years,so lay off the fella and lets progress,with the addition of a class right back and an out and out winger(AVDM?)i really think we will make the next step.Just a note to Mark cook,you know as well as ALL of us mate that even if EVERTON got relegated to the conference league,you would "NEVER EVER" say you were "Embarrassed" to be an EVERTONIAN.Also i agree with John,lets have a special presentation to him at the kick off of every home game as the "OFFICIAL" toss caller.Lets have a ballot,i’m first to nominate John Lloyd. Mike Hunt 11 Posted 06/11/2007 at 15:50:16 Report abuse Do we really need another ’tosser’ on the pitch at kick off? The refs are surely some of the bigget and ’best’ tossers on the planet. John Lloyd 12 Posted 06/11/2007 at 16:08:18 Report abuse Touche Mike Hunt, many men have been killed for less but I laughed, so you live!! ha ha george brooks 13 Posted 06/11/2007 at 17:27:23 Report abuse Tsk tsk mike hunt (is that your real name or just a joke for the immature amongst us)you have to admit,if johns pretty good at odds and evens,then i’m sure even stubbsy would welcome him to the centre circle,is it me or do all teams know we play better playing to the gladys st in the 2nd half,we do don’t we? John Lloyd 14 Posted 06/11/2007 at 18:30:34 Report abuse Appreciate the support George my old mucker, but I’ve heard Stubbs is the odds & evens champion of Kirkby, so I know his game!! ha ha george brooks 15 Posted 06/11/2007 at 18:43:41 Report abuse Yeh but john,since the old DOVCOT has gone,he’s not so good anymore Jon Woods 16 Posted 06/11/2007 at 23:08:04 Report abuse @Danny Gorman: You ask where would be without the revenues generated by the Big 4’s exposure. My reply is where would they be without the rest of the clubs? Playing each other every week? Clubs like Everton, Villa, Newcastle, Man City, Sunderland, Spurs, etc, all have a much stronger card to play in this than they perhaps think. But until they actually play this card, football will remain an uncompetitive slugging match between the same old line up of clubs, year after year after year, while the rest of us simply exist to furnish them with glory and players at our expense. Rob Hollis 17 Posted 06/11/2007 at 23:52:30 Report abuse Why will London never understand us?Understand what? The miserable moans of another harshly treated resident of Liverpool.You don’t happen to work for the council do you or the local Labour Party? It has taken years for the city to finally stop taking and take part instead. This attitude which is also typical of the ’no to Kirby’ lobby holds the entire city back as it tries to make up for the years Manchester gained on it.Good luck to everyone still living there. I gave up and left years ago due to the attitude of people like the author. By the way, people in London are too busy trying to pay the mortgage if they are lucky or a house share which is the reality for a great many to waste time ’understanding Liverpool’. Is it only people in Liverpool have a hard time? Matt Traynor 18 Posted 07/11/2007 at 01:41:52 Report abuse Nick Entwistle, have to pick you up on your Asian market point.The fact is that ESPN STAR Sports (and now also TEN Sports and Goal TV for Singapore and Thailand) collectively cover 24 countries and 400 million subscribers to cable TV. The Barclays Premier League is THE league in these countries.That’s why the Asian rights for the latest TV deal alone went for something like GPB 625 million. The BPL is now a global sport, like it or not. That means that kick off times will get mucked around to cater for these markets. But it’s not all one way. Next year the first ever night F1 GP race will be held in Singapore - to cater for the European viewers so you don’t have to get up too early to watch it.Swings and roundabouts.COYB tonight in Germany. Mark Stone 19 Posted 07/11/2007 at 12:16:38 Report abuse It’s tomorrow Matt! Danny Beats 20 Posted 07/11/2007 at 17:32:33 Report abuse This post has made me think of the bias that referees had against big Dunc. Now we all know about his record on and off the field and there is no doubt that the man sometimes "reacted without thinking" (or thought about leathering defenders who annoyed him perhaps). However, in countless matches he would be pulled up for challenging for headers in a fair way just because he won them in situations that seemed impossible. Many a time I felt that his reputation preceded him and I think that the point made above about Everton getting bad calls from refs is based on a similar type of bias rather than some direct collusion and fraud. Matt Traynor 21 Posted 07/11/2007 at 18:06:22 Report abuse Mark Stone - we’re 8 hours ahead fella! (7 hours Germany time!) Matt Traynor 22 Posted 07/11/2007 at 18:09:07 Report abuse Addendum to Mark - I was also referrring to our fans who’ll have been there since yesterday - with or without tickets - and I know they will be a credit to the club and the city. Wish I was there with them! © ToffeeWeb