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Referee Bias 11:55 - Dec 26 with 1960 views

Having just watched MOTD from last week & seeing Lee Mason's red card for Agbonlahor got me thinking about referees and their biases. Although I've never been a ref I presume most get into the game because they love it. With that logic I'm also making the assumption that as is the case with 99% of people who like football they also support a team.

With that in mind I was wondering do they have to tell the referees association where their loyalties lie or do they simply lie and say, "oh, I don't really follow anyone."

I remeber when Lee Mason (from Bolton, Greater Manchester) was the ref at Old Trafford for United Rangers and he managed to send off Derry and give away a pen at 0-0 when Ashley Young went flying from a brush of the mighty Derry hand. Now having spent plenty of time in Manchester (one of the pitfalls of working in TV/Film these days) I know that if you're from Bolton you either support Bolton or United, City is the team that's hated. Well, when I say I know I mean that's what I've gleamed from the fact that every store sells United shirts and absolutely no City ones. Anyway I digress a tad. Although I don't know Lee Mason personally I'd hazard a guess that either he's a big United fan, Ashley Young's protector or a horrendous ref. Either way I've concluded I never want to see him ref a QPR United game.

Merry Crimbo everyone

Referee Bias on 13:02 - Dec 26 with 1845 views

MancR

I thought he was very good in the playoff final at Wembley in may. He didn't give Derby a pen when Hughes dived and was spot on when sending off O'Neill.
It all worked out pretty well in the end :)

Referee Bias on 13:16 - Dec 26 with 1820 views

derbyhoop

Referee Bias on 13:02 - Dec 26 by MancR
I thought he was very good in the playoff final at Wembley in may. He didn't give Derby a pen when Hughes dived and was spot on when sending off O'Neill. It all worked out pretty well in the end :)

There was a lot of criticism from 5Live after the sending off of Agbonlahor. Quite rightly too, especially as the red card was rescinded. There was a suggestion that refs should give themselves a little bit of time before flashing a red card. Mason had the card out in an instant for Gabby and for Sean Derry at OT. But in the playoff final he took time to consult the assistant.

Maybe he only brandishes an instant red card when he gets the chance to send of one of Man United's opponents. Or is it a favour to Ashley Young (who has never dived).

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 oneâ€™s lifetime. (Mark Twain) Find me on twitter @derbyhoop

Referee Bias on 13:18 - Dec 26 with 1818 views

CHUBBS

Graham Poll is a Qpr fan yet still refereed some of our games.
I remember a game he done at LR where he seemed to give us everything.
Always like him as a ref.

Referee Bias on 13:30 - Dec 26 with 1795 views

runningman75

I would say home advantage affects referees. Also many referees have bottled it in the past at places such as Old Trafford when the opposition have been denied penalties especially when Alex Ferguson was manager. Though Man Untd always seemed to get referee bias especially when they had the extra time.

Referee Bias on 13:33 - Dec 26 with 1787 views

loftboy

Lee mason is a Bolton fan, his brother played for them, I emailed to the fa after the United game asking how someone was allowed to referee a game that directly affected the bearing on relegation of the team they supported. I got the usual bollocks reply about impartiality etc etc