The Jeff Winter Column 9/11

Each Thursday Jeff will voice his opinion on the week’s big talking points but you`re the one who sets the agenda. Whether you want to ask him about a dodgy refereeing decision, a question about Hartlepool United or football in general, you can!

To ask Jeff a question you can email hartlepool@vitalfootball.co.uk or leave an article comment and the questions will be put to him in the next column.

‘In the second half when Jamie McCunnie made what looked to me another very bad challenge again the fans went mental!!’ Sorry but I a better view than you in the town end…and your wrong on that. He got 10000% got the ball and made minimal contact with the player, who then play acted. I’m a 10000% certain of this.
DanielGaunt

Have to agree with DanielGaunt, McCunnie got a full touch on the ball, If anything it was a good tackle and a Brighton goal kick, I spotted you said ‘Bristol Rovers’ I’m sure it was Brighton we played last week and have to say the referee was poor last week, He let the Brighton players walk all over him and the Boland sending off was an accumulation of poor decisions by him!
stupoolie

Isn’t it about time you came out of the closet and admit that the standard of refereeing at all levels of the football league is abysmal and has been for quite a long time now.
And by the way we were playing Brighton last week
prodicalpoolie

Think that I will answer all these three questions at once, firstly must apologise I kept saying Bristol Rovers, I even did it on air with Adam. You will all get old one day, first your memeory goes, then you start wetting the bed, but enough of my problems !!!!

I will bow to your better judgement and better view on one aspect of the Jamie McCunnie challenge, you say he played the ball first and not the man. Ok, but you have probably been misled by the so called experts on tv, who cry out ‘ He played the ball’, that actually does not matter. If a player makes a challenge and in a reckless manner that in so doing makes contact with the ball and the man then he has committed an offence, if that challenge also is excessive and endangers the safety of the opponent then it is a red card offence. Now don’t shoot the messenger, that is what the law says and that is what Refs have to stick to. Jamies challenge looked reckless to me and even if he did play the ball he was still guilty of a foul and therefore the yellow card was warranted. I don’t expect you to agree but that is the laws.

I don’t know what you mean prodical about me coming out of the closet, that is one thing I am not guilty of !!!!! But your main point is that the standard of refereeing is abysmal. Sorry mate, but I don’t agree, yeah sure some are better than others and some Refs do have bad games, I think I had once 1984 it was ( joke). However to say the standard is abysmal is a bit harsh in my opinion. I certainly think that there are not as many really top Refs around as there used to be and that they are too interested in trying to keep assessors happy but abysmal no. The problem I have is when fans who are unqualified to judge, criticise without knowing the facts and really are looking at it totally through rose coloured specs. I am realistic to know that some fans are just interested in their side and every decision given against them is a bad one. There is this guy who sits near the Press box at Pools and he just spends every game berating the Ref, every decision against Pools is accompanied by a ‘ Referee’ shout and some sarcastic comment. The number of fans who scream ‘Offside’ without fully understanding the law amazes me.

But hey, I don’t want to come on the site as Mr.Perfect and everybody is entitled to their opinion, lets hope that in future weeks we are taliking positively about Pools performances rather than Refs. I am however always prepared to answer your queries, just don’t get upset if you don’t get the answer you want.

Jeff, why are Pools so inconsistent? We seem to have one great, one average and one awful game in every 3.
Dan

That’s football Dan. The League is very tight, most teams capable of beating any other on any day. I think that in the main this season Pools have played some very good stuff and as at Leeds away, did not get out of the game what they deserved. The recent tradgedy has had a terrible effect on a very close knit squad and I don’t think you should be too critical. I am still confident of a good League finish and am still dreaming on a Wembley visit in the JPT.

If you want to ask Jeff Winter anything, refereeing related or not, you can email hartlepool@vitalfootball.co.uk with your question or leave an article comment and they’ll be put to him in the next column. They don`t necessarily need to be related to Hartlepool United either. Remember to visit Jeff’s official site over at www.jeffwinter.co.uk and to listen to him each Saturday on 96.6 TFM.