The referee's a ..... 12:01 - Jan 17 with 2087 views | MungoJezza | I attended a conference yesterday where one of the keynote speakers was Matt Messias, former Premier League, EUFA and FIFA referee. Aside from proving to be a really top bloke (he did, of course, once infamously accidentally elbow Robbie Savage during a game!), what really struck me was the amount of preparation put in by refs and their assistants before each game. This involves meeting up days before the match to identify, amongst other things, which players are nearing suspension, which players have had a confrontation in the past with each other, and formulating all sorts of contingency plans for various 'what if' type scenarios. Not surprisingly, Matt is not a fan of VAR, or at least the version used in the Premiership, and would like to go back to the days when the vagaries of refereeing decisions, made without the aid of technology, were an accepted, if highly frustrating, part of the game. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The referee's a ..... on 13:31 - Jan 17 with 1956 views | QPR_John | "which players are nearing suspension, " Can only think the reason a referee would want to know that is to show more leniency to such a player. That is really not something a referee should worry about. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The referee's a ..... on 13:45 - Jan 17 with 1916 views | stevec |
The referee's a ..... on 13:31 - Jan 17 by QPR_John | "which players are nearing suspension, " Can only think the reason a referee would want to know that is to show more leniency to such a player. That is really not something a referee should worry about. |
and would have ruined one of Joel Lynch's sunshine holidays. | ![](/images/avatars/6823.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The referee's a ..... on 15:23 - Jan 17 with 1807 views | Boston | can’t quite get my head around the Messiah coming down to earth to ref a football match. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) |
| ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The referee's a ..... on 15:32 - Jan 17 with 1793 views | derbyhoop |
The referee's a ..... on 15:23 - Jan 17 by Boston | can’t quite get my head around the Messiah coming down to earth to ref a football match. |
Messias - and people say there's only 1 God | ![](/images/avatars/1276.gif) |
| Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the Earth all one’s lifetime. (Mark Twain)
Find me on twitter @derbyhoop |
| ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The referee's a ..... on 15:36 - Jan 17 with 1780 views | Boston |
The referee's a ..... on 15:32 - Jan 17 by derbyhoop | Messias - and people say there's only 1 God |
There is isn’t there, it’s just that those Johnny Foreigners call her by different names. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) |
| ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The referee's a ..... on 17:02 - Jan 17 with 1703 views | PinnerPaul | All the presentations I've been to by the top officials have been excellent. No surprise really, when you consider, whatever you think of them, they ARE, or were, at the very top of their profession. | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The referee's a ..... on 17:37 - Jan 17 with 1662 views | Juzzie | I think this is why ref's and linesmen went professional. For years they were bank managers, double glazing salesmen etc who reffed part time. They simply could not do all that type of preparation in the build up to a game and as the game was changing post Sky Sports they simply had to become full time. | ![](/images/avatars/1466.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
The referee's a ..... on 17:42 - Jan 17 with 1655 views | HantsR |
The referee's a ..... on 15:23 - Jan 17 by Boston | can’t quite get my head around the Messiah coming down to earth to ref a football match. |
He's not, he's just a very naughty boy! | ![](/images/avatars/1295.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
| |