sumrit

It’s been an oft-stated notion that Captain Fergie and his bands of devious buccaneers have been plundering ill-gotten points and silver since the dawn of the Premier League, mainly with the help of a multitude of Dread Pirate Referees. This widely-held belief gained further momentum this week when Michael “One-Eye” Oliver failed to award a penalty against Man Utd in the final minutes of the game against Fulham at Old Trafford. The collective rolling of eyes and resigned sighs from all football fans could be felt across the country as yet another controversial decision went United’s way. Had Oliver lost his bottle at the crucial moment? Did Captain Fergie tempt him with a flagon of the finest Demerara Rum in his quarters below deck afterwards?
Whatever the case may be, such incidents only reinforce the conception that United keep an assortment of particular referees in their back pockets thus ensuring they maintain their prolonged period of dominance at the summit of the English game. There may be truth in the ramblings of football’s conspiracy theorists. As the old saying goes, just because you think they’re out to get you, doesn’t mean they aren’t. At any rate, it keeps the forums and blogs highly-charged with impartial banter and vitriol which is what makes football the game that is is. Without the constant howls of bias, paranoia and rage, football would diminish in it’s position as the game of the people.

Yet it is worth considering that United have conceded more penalties at Old Trafford (9) since 2006 than Chelsea (6), Liverpool (7), Spurs (8) and Fulham (8) have at their own grounds. Of the “big” teams, only Man City (10) and Arsenal (11) have had more awards against them at home. Admittedly all stats have their place and need viewing in context. Can the number of penalty awards be apportioned to the ineptitude of a particular defence of the corresponding period of time? Blackburn (18) and Wigan (16) may well be prime examples of this, although it could also be said that, if a team sets out to “park the bus” and has little attacking intent, then they may have brought these awards onto themselves. It could well be argued that, as United attack the opposition more often than they are pinned down in their own penalty area, the ratio of penalties for and against, especially home, is naturally well in their favour. Hence the reason why they have been awarded 26 penalties at Old Trafford over the same period. In contrast, Arsenal were the beneficiary of 30 spot-kicks at home since 2006 but rarely are there cries of refereeing manipulation towards Wenger’s kindergarten XI.
Where’s the fun in that though? The counter-argument to all this would be what about the ones that weren’t given? Every supporter of every team who has played at Old Trafford will have a tale of refereeing robbery to pass onto their grandchildren in future years. Likewise when a Manc has travelled to an away game, he too will have felt a serious sense of injustice at some point. Swings and roundabouts; ups and downs. Those are the pains a fan must suffer in order to follow his or her team. Although I have a few questions which may or may not stir the pot a little more than is necessary.
Are we all, referees and supporters alike, victims of the cult of success and celebrity? All men may be equal, but in this modern era of wall-to-wall television coverage of anything and everything, do we perceive some to be more equal than others? Whilst we as normal human beings worship or mock those in media-elevated positions (deservedly or not), do we also harbour sneaking admiration or envy for them also. Are we inclined to be more lenient or harsh towards their actions based on our feelings towards them? Quite understandably referees should be unbiased and impartial, the nature of their job demands it. However, do they fall victim to the same failings we do from time to time when making difficult, almost controversial decisions affecting our peers or supposed “betters”? Or, being human like the rest of us, they are prone to making mistakes occasionally when under pressure?

carmine, on 2012-04-21 09:15:12, said:

Two dives this season that i can recall. Have there been others? Perhaps, but nothing particularly blatant.

Show me a player who hasn't dived twice in one season.

I hate diving as much as anyone, but don't pretend Young or United are somehow especially different from other players and other teams. The only reason you do is our position in the league. That's what your problem is, and that has nothing to do with cheating.

carmine, on 2012-04-21 08:23:44, said:

Talking about fairness, aside from the two rather silly Young dives in the last two games, this United team has played pretty darn fairly throughout the whole season. With Nani being out for much of it (and Nani doesn't do the cheating like he used to anyway, thank g@d), the team generally stays on its feet - as much as any other team anyway - and in terms of reckless tacklers, we don't have much of an issue there either.

Now if you want to look at ref's decisions, problem here is you only ever focus on those that go United's way, because those are the ones that get under your skins. If you weren't so one-sided, you'd also recognise the decisions that go against us. Take the game against Wigan. Yeah there is no way their first goal should have been disallowed, but then they get a goal from a corner that never was, and then we don't get a clear hand ball. Had all that been the other way round, you guys would be straight in there with the "yeah another Man United victory that never should have been". But as it was Wigan beating United, it warrants no comment.

As for Mancini now turning around and putting down their struggles to ref's decisions... on yer bike son... like City have had no decisions go in their favour this season. Of course they have. Be one thing if we were talking about a cup competition. We're not. We are talking about a league in which every team plays 38 games. Of course decisions for and against won't even themselves exactly equally, but it must be pretty darn close, and if Mancini can't use all those riches at his disposal to counter any marginal minuscule misfortune with the refs, well then the problem is with him. Man up and accept your "struggles" this season have been 99.9% down to you, your team and some of the twunts that play in it.

alfieconn, on 2012-04-18 16:18:28, said:

Simple

Lovely post Sumrit.

Sumrit they don't listen to us mate.

They are in a state of shock because they thought the league was won at xmas

mrbojangles, on 2012-04-16 20:21:18, said:

I think you should take off your bitter Bertie Magoo specs off and then you would of seen that Young was actually tripped.....the way he went down was dramatic but it was a penalty no doubt,end of.

I offer no opinion on the rights or wrongs of this matter. I do not know the full facts and my guess is that nobody else here does either. Reason enough to keep fingers off the keyboard?

However compare this to the situation inThailand where children are farmed out to grandparents without apparently too deleterious an effect. My brother in law who lives and works in BKK was left caring for two young children after his wife took off with a farang. I am happy to say that six months later the farang booted her out and she sought to return to the family home. But things had moved along meanwhile. BIL brought the children to my wife in Pattaya who was a stranger to them, and these frightened babes wouldn't stop crying to the point that my wife could not cope. I returned from a trip to find a distraught wife and two hysterical kids. Immediately the children, their meagre belongings and my wife bundled into my truck and we took off to her sister's place in Lomsak. Her sister could not, it was thought at the time, bear children and over the past eight years has proved to be a wonderful mother. The kids are healthy, strong and proving to be very intelligent and doing very well at school. To all intents and purposes the children's aunt IS their mother and the change in their circumstances has been an unqualified success and of benefit to them. Their father contributes as best he can to their support and visits them regularly as well as speaking to them on the telephone. My wife and I take care that they do not lack any of life's essentials indeed that they have one or two deserved and earned luxuries. I now find myself to my delight their favourite uncle. BTW BIL's wife was told to 'go forth and multiply' and has made no further contact with her ex-husband, nor does she know where the children now are.

Simillarly in South Africa the native children live in extended families and my unmaried Zulu maid had borne three children with different fathers but told me that the children now had, as most of the other kids in her village have, several fathers viz uncles and other family members. They seem to grow up without psychological problems.

If this American father has acted in the best interests of his child and that this can be demonstrated, I hope that the Judge will show some compassion and a large degree of sympathy to him. I hope that the decision to award custody to the mother be reviewed and that how the mother has conducted herself for the past 8 years will be a salient factor in any deliberation of the matter. No sentient person can believe other that the child's best interests and happiness are of paramount importance.

Unfortunately all too often in this mad World, doing the right thing is seldom rewarded. One has only to see the results of 'whistleblowing' bestowed on good  and honest people.