Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

After listening to Peter 'please don't chip me' Schmeichel waxing lyrical about how Howard Webb is the best ref in Britain, and then seeing the handball from the Swansea defender last night that denied Newcastle a certain goal, and a 10 man opposition, I thought I'd get the great man's opinion on some other football incidents................. from the professional, best ref in the world, perspective



Webbs verdict.......... ball struck the hand. Suarez was unlucky to be sent off, and Ghana missing the erroneously awarded penalty was 'natural justice'



Webbs verdict.......... Red card for Ivanovic, and a penalty for Liverpool. Rarely has there been a clearer case of the defender taking out the attacker with a cynical 'clothes line'

Webbs verdict........... good goal. the ball clearly crossed the line, and the fact that it didn't cross the line between the goal posts is besides the point

Webbs verdict....... Goal! After watching endless replays of this incident, and after meeting Maradona... who bought me a coffee and signed an autograph for the little fella, and called me 'Sir' a lot, I don't believe that such a nice chap would stoop so low as score with his hand and dupe the official. Lord, he's brilliant isn't he? a true gent. I feel so privileged to have spent some time with him

Webbs verdict........ Penalty and a red card for the defender. Clear contact on Pederson by......... the defenders lace grazing the grass, which caused a chaos theory reaction leading to another blade of grass grazing the outside of Pederson's lace. If there's contact, it must be a pen!
Last defender.......... has to go!

Webbs verdict.......... No goal! Ball is clearly the wrong side of the post when it crosses the line. If the ball had been 2 feet past the outside of the post, when it crossed the line, it would have been a great goal

Webbs verdict......... good strong shoulder charge by schumacher. "well played keeper"

Webbs verdict........ Penalty! there was definitely contact on Pederson before he went down.

Tom who?

does he play for Man U?

will Sir Alex be cross with me if I send him off?

can I train with him later............... and is he likely to buy me a cup of coffee, sign me some autographs and call me 'Sir'?

Howard Webb is indeed the best referee in England, he was spot on in the Bradford v Aston Villa League Cup semi-final 1st leg.

HA HA HA.....

Howard Webb not awarding Luis Suarez a penalty in the FA Cup game against Arsenal is probably the funniest thing i've seen in football.

Alviro Patterson wrote:Howard Webb not awarding Luis Suarez a penalty in Cup game against Arsenal is probably the funniest thing i've seen in football.

It was a bit of a surreal moment. He was stood six or seven yards away and clearly saw Suarez nick the ball past Oxlade Chamberlain and then get clatteted by the same player.

He must have been thinking I can't give Suarez two penalties in the space of ten minutes, it would be like going from one extreme to another.

Terrible decision really. Reffing is a difficult job, but how did he miss that?

Gerrard should've been off for a second yellow as well. Think that was a ref making up for his earlier decision. Happens a lot.

Not just those two incidents.

Podolski should have been booked in the first half, for a late, heavy tackle on Flannigan. It was as clear a yellow card as the Chamberlain barge on Suarez was a penalty.

Sterling, at a bare minimum, should have been booked for arguing with Webb and then putting his hand on Webb's chest. Just wait until Sterling does that again now, now that he's got away with it once. Disgusting behaviour from Sterling, and Webb should not have let him get away with it.

Amazingly, none of those four incidents were particularly difficult to referee. All clear cut. And Webb got all four wrong.

I'm surprised Howard Webb didn't get out the handcuffs and arrest Sterling for assault.