Need I say any more?  Well OK then.  British Football was always about mans football, we might not have had the fancy skills of the foreigners but we more than made up for it with passion and “physicality”.  The English game is renowned for being faced paced and all action.  Not any more.

Last night I was watching the Champions League and something strange happened.  I found myself enjoying the game far more than I did the Premier League action I watched over the weekend.  I don’t think it’s as fast, but I do know for sure that it flows a hell of a lot better.  And the difference is?  The referees of course!  Something has got fucked up in the world when a Portuguese referee lets more challenges go than an English ref but that’s about the level we’re at for the moment.   English referees actually believe their own hype, they THINK they are celebrities and that people are coming to watch them.  Even ex referees seem determined to have their say in the papers, more often than not defending some piss poor decision from one of their muppet mates.  Turning professional hasn’t improved the quality of our refs, it’s just made them big headed ego centric twats that more often than not spoil the enjoyment for the players and fans alike.

The champions league has become a breath of fresh air, tackles without a whistle.  It’s like music to my ears.  I don’t know if the foreign referees are paid as professionals or not (that’s the sort of research that the real media is for) but I do know that it’s got to the stage where I’d much rather watch a game being refereed by Mr European ref than Mr “Look, look it’s me, look at my cards, aren’t I great!!!” British ref.  I know what I’d do with them, they are paid a more than good wage to do a good job, if they can’t handle it then sack them.  Treat it as an open job market, I’m sure there are plenty of amateurs who’d fancy their chances.  The current crop of useless wankers are spoiling the British game and something needs to be done about it.

Recent Stuff About Premier League Refs

• Referee apologises for Manchester United penalty error – “He has written to (referees’ chief) Keith Hackett and said that in the video he’s made a mistake and he wants to apologise for it“, former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher told Sky Sports News. “He’s held his hand up, …
• Styles apology to Bolton – Match official Rob Styles has retained his status as a Premier League referee despite admitting he mistakenly awarded a penalty to Manchester United on Saturday.Styles made private contact with Bolton on Monday to apologise for giving a …
• Guide To 2008/2009 Premier League Referees – Premier League referee since 1999. Age 47. Bennett was involved in some controversy when he refereed the Manchester United versus Liverpool Premier League encounter on March 23, 2008. He sent off Liverpool’s Argentine Midfielder Javier …
• Watford denied replay after ´phantom´ goal – But Dermot Gallagher, another former Premier League referee, said the that while had made a “massive mistake”, the incident should not mark the end of his career as a football official. “What we need to do is counsel him,” Gallagher …
• Straight Red Card » Blog Archive » English Premier League … – This week in the English Premier League, there were no straight red cards but plenty of cautions.   There were also a couple of missed calls.   The most blatant was at Stamford Bridge where Deco deserved a yellow card for his poor tackle.