The Nick Armitage Column
Columnist: Nick Armitage

Spineless
30 September 2005

In this age of political correctness, we are not allowed to say that the French are cowards and the Romanians are sly.  Despite what centuries of history have shown us, you are just not allowed to state the blindingly obvious.

Laurent Duhamel, the French referee, was a shithouse from the kick-off to the final whistle.  Not only was he a shithouse, he was an incompetent shithouse.  He was also a coward.  That’s not a good combination of attributes for a top-level referee, but only God knows how he ever got anywhere near to the top.  How a man so near to the action could get so many decisions wrong was beyond me. 

The useless French arsehole’s incompetence did however allow Ferguson to stay on the pitch.  Whatever Ferguson turned around and smacked their centre half for was in all probability fully justified; considering the treatment that was dished out, I am surprised that Duncan stayed so calm.  I sincerely hope that punch hurt.  Duncan normally smacks or strangles someone once a season but for once he got away with it, the television cameras didn’t appear to pick it up and the linesman who was in line with it also missed it, quelle surprise but what else could we have expected from another incompetent French arsehole?

The physical assaults that were perpetrated by the Romanian low-life last night were far worse than anything I have ever seen on a football pitch — and that includes Sunday League where some fellas turn up only to inflict pain on people. 

I had never seen the like of Mihaiti Plessan’s assault on Mikel Arteta; it was as sickening as it was despicable.  His lack of remorse typified the behaviour of the whole team.

Almost as bad was the old Italian centre-halves trick of a head-butt in the back of the head.  James McFadden was the unlucky recipient of that one, again right in front of the referee, and quelle surprise our incompetent French arsehole of a referee didn’t even give a free kick.  I could go on and on but scum like that aren’t worth raising the blood pressure over; I have wiped better off my shoe.

If that is what is involved in European football then I’d rather not watch it.  Uefa should take action but the chances of that happening are the same as Chelsea coming third in the Premiership.  Uefa don’t care about cheating or referees that ruin the game, as long as the money keeps coming in the football authorities will continue to turn a blind eye to the welfare and safety of players and the integrity of the game.

The Everton players left the pitch with their heads held high, they gave it all but on the night a four-goal deficit against a team of cheating cowards and a poor, weak referee was just too much to overcome.  If it counts for anything I was proud of that Everton team last night.

Nick Armitage

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