Shrimpsvoices

I thought yesterday's referee Trevor Kettle was extremely poor and very one-sided. He ignored a blatant handball in the Tranmere box and at least two of the Tranmere goals seemed to have fouls on Morecambe players in the build up. Nothing seems to be done about poor officials. The referee we had a couple of seasons ago against Cheltenham was truly awful. What has happened to him? Nothing, he is still officiating in the league and no doubt causing mayhem on his way! Probably destined for the Premiership in a few seasons time! It seems quite wrong in a professional sport that some games and I include yesterday are decided by the referee rather than the professional players! Surely we need to rethink how we recruit and train referees? The present system has failed and a decent referee is the exception rather than the rule. Things need to change if football is to be seen as a fair sport in which talent and ability excel. At the moment some teams gain points not because of the skill of the team but because of a referees incompetence!

As an interesting addition to this non-debate (as I assume we are pretty much in agreement with fullwoodshrimp's assessment of Kettle), the BBC stats show us as committing 4 fouls to 22 from Tranmere, with 1-3 on the card count. Clearly the latter's wrong as Mullin should have had cards for throwing the ball away and diving, but as well as just how poor Kettle was and lost us the game, it shows how dirty Tranmere were. Play like that deserves nothing less than relegation in my mind.

Phil Anderer wrote:As an interesting addition to this non-debate (as I assume we are pretty much in agreement with fullwoodshrimp's assessment of Kettle), the BBC stats show us as committing 4 fouls to 22 from Tranmere, with 1-3 on the card count. Clearly the latter's wrong as Mullin should have had cards for throwing the ball away and diving, but as well as just how poor Kettle was and lost us the game, it shows how dirty Tranmere were. Play like that deserves nothing less than relegation in my mind.

I wish we were as strong in the tackle as Tranmere. We need a hard man in central midfield to act as an out and out destroyer as we appear to be too soft and hardly ever win the 50 50 challenges. You can be hard but not physical but a determination to win the ball is something for me, lacking at the moment in our game.

redrobo wrote:

Phil Anderer wrote:As an interesting addition to this non-debate (as I assume we are pretty much in agreement with fullwoodshrimp's assessment of Kettle), the BBC stats show us as committing 4 fouls to 22 from Tranmere, with 1-3 on the card count. Clearly the latter's wrong as Mullin should have had cards for throwing the ball away and diving, but as well as just how poor Kettle was and lost us the game, it shows how dirty Tranmere were. Play like that deserves nothing less than relegation in my mind.

I wish we were as strong in the tackle as Tranmere. We need a hard man in central midfield to act as an out and out destroyer as we appear to be too soft and hardly ever win the 50 50 challenges. You can be hard but not physical but a determination to win the ball is something for me, lacking at the moment in our game.

Correct me if I'm wrong Neil, but you seem to be condoning Tranmere's downright dirty, and far from fair, tactics. If not, I can't see the point of your post in the context of this thread.

Not condoning their tactics or downright dirty play one minute, but just wish we could be a bit more aggressive in our tackles without resorting to dirty play. One can win the ball cleanly and fairly without the need for over the top and injury threatening play. If it appears that I'm condoning their play then I apologise but I detest their and others who resort to unfair means to win the ball at any price.

Grimshaw used to be our midfield destroyer but hardly ever resorted to unfair means to win the ball. Oh how i wish we had someone like him in our team.

He was really poor. Inconsistent decisions. Numerous challenges with no intention by the player to get the ball allowed to be let go.

What also got me was the chosen actions by Mr Kettle, as I'm not sure what laws of the game he was using. Mullin throwing the ball away was a clear yellow card in the laws of the game, but the ref decides to give him a talking to instead? Oates goes down under a challenge in the penalty area (didn't look like the defender got anywhere near the ball) no penalty was given, so why no yellow card given to Oates for simulation when he was quite clearly appealing for a penalty?

A number of the incidents (and just to be fair I do mean for both sides) were due to his attention being elsewhere. I'm not a qualified match official, but I'm pretty sure the assistants are there to help with matters off the ball. There were so many times when Kettle was looking at players elsewhere on the pitch (usually nothing happening there anyway) whilst the player on the ball gets pushed/shoved/charged/elbowed/taken out and therefore nothing given.

I have to say though, a number of the decisions referred to above should have been picked up by the assistants who I thought were equally poor.

I sometimes wonder if referees tell their assistants that they (the referee) is in charge and that he or she will decided about matters on the field thereby ignoring their assistants help.

I thought that Conlan's shoulder charge on the Tranmere player that resulted in their second goal from the free kick was fair and didn't warrant a free kick, yet Kettle judged otherwise. We've all seen far worse shoulder charges go unpunished. Other more unfair challenges that went unpunished throughout the game could have been awarded if the assistants had indicated a foul.

However the arrogance of Kettle throughout the match was totally in keeping with his previous handling of matches involving our club...and others if reports are to believed. Surely their has to be some avenue that clubs can report his miss handling of games.

Ntini wrote:What also got me was the chosen actions by Mr Kettle, as I'm not sure what laws of the game he was using. Mullin throwing the ball away was a clear yellow card in the laws of the game, but the ref decides to give him a talking to instead?

Not only that, but he didn't add any further time on for the time he spent talking to Mullen! He actually wasted more time than the original throwing the ball away. Mullin must have been laughing his head off at half time, getting the ref to waste the time for you, without getting carded.

redrobo wrote:I thought that Conlan's shoulder charge on the Tranmere player that resulted in their second goal from the free kick was fair and didn't warrant a free kick

To be fair, I thought that was the correct decision. Conlon wasn't even looking at the ball, only there player, then he barged him over. However, the foul on our player that did not get a free kick, directly before they scored their third (I think) was even more clear cut & right in-front of the linesman, in almost the same position.

The handball, where he gave a corner, even their own fans said they "got lucky". I think they got lucky as soon as Kettle was given this match.

He also nearly missed a stonewall pen last Saturday at Colchester but his liner saved him,
How is he still been given games

Oh so unfair. Poor Trevor Kettle.

He has his good moments too.

https://youtu.be/BLMryvh4wLQ

P.S. Seriously. Consistently the worst referee for well over a decade now.

I spoke to Mr Allison last week and requested he never send Mr Kettle our way ever again. He just laughed.