Stuart Attwell

[rhroyal]

This was the man who gave our "Ghost Goal" at Watford. He then not long later, robbed Derby of a win against Forest with two shocking last minute decisions (penalty instead of advantage and goal. Penalty saved, header in from resultant corner ruled out for nobody knows what).

I was amazed when he was promoted to the Premiership, as he is still only 27 now and will gain more experience. Now he has made a poor decision at Liverpool to give them the lead. What is he doing at the top level?

[Royal Rother]

Is that a poor decision? He'd blown the whistle, why should he disallow it?

[Stranded]

Saw the goal a while ago online. Turner placed the ball, then knocked it back toward the keeper. Torres ran on retrieved it and passed to Kuyt to score. Perfectly legal and an absolute howler by the defender.

Not that it seems to have hurt Sunderland too much.

[handbags_harris]

Stuart Attwell's name is never far away from the headlines when it comes to poor decisions. To a certain degree he is a victim of the FA's own policies, fast-tracking referees through when they're younger than some of the players themselves. And I bet he's never played the game to any standard whatsoever.

First idea - referee's should be progressively promoted based on whether the clubs they have refereed in the previous season think they can make a step up.

Second (long-term) idea - any academy scholar who is offered a professional contract should be made to go on a referee's course. They should then be sent on their way with more of an understanding of the rules of the game rather than going into the professional game with only their own interpretation of the rules.

Third idea - referees should be made to train periodically with professional clubs so that there is am utual understanding of the game, rather than keeping the two separate.

[Royal Rother]

Yeah, that's all fine and dandy but Attwell didn't actually make a mistake on this occasion did he?

[PEARCEY]

Saw the goal a while ago online. Turner placed the ball, then knocked it back toward the keeper. Torres ran on retrieved it and passed to Kuyt to score. Perfectly legal and an absolute howler by the defender.

Not that it seems to have hurt Sunderland too much.

It cost them two points.

[paultheroyal]

Stuart Attwell's name is never far away from the headlines when it comes to poor decisions. To a certain degree he is a victim of the FA's own policies, fast-tracking referees through when they're younger than some of the players themselves. And I bet he's never played the game to any standard whatsoever.

First idea - referee's should be progressively promoted based on whether the clubs they have refereed in the previous season think they can make a step up.

Second (long-term) idea - any academy scholar who is offered a professional contract should be made to go on a referee's course. They should then be sent on their way with more of an understanding of the rules of the game rather than going into the professional game with only their own interpretation of the rules.

Third idea - referees should be made to train periodically with professional clubs so that there is am utual understanding of the game, rather than keeping the two separate.

Excellent post.

[paultheroyal]

Yeah, that's all fine and dandy but Attwell didn't actually make a mistake on this occasion did he?

Had yet another shocker RR, that type of incident goes on and on each game, he got it wrong, common sense should of been applied, he had the ability to call it back, but failed on all counts.

This referee has been promoted well above his refereeing abilities. A 27 year old or however young he is should be not refereeing at this age, well out of his depth. Particularly with what has followed him in the past. Old boys network, family connections, arse licking sees yet another referee makes his way to top.

No surprise to see Probert at the game also.

[3 veesinarow]

Struggling to see anything wrong with this, either. Watch it back and note where the actual foul takes place, then ignore everything else up to the point Turner kicks the ball - the free-kick is almost exactly on the blade of grass where the foul happened, so no controversy there. Although Atwell is highlighted to have his back to the ball when it is played by Turner, he is then seen to look across to his linesman who allows play to continue as he has seen nothing wrong either. Smart thinking by Torres when he sees the ball roll short to the keeper, but as Atwell has already indicated that the free-kick is to be taken by moving upfield after calling it back from the first attempt, then its just LOL at Turner for not either striking it firmly back to the keeper or better still playing it forward to avoid any such possibility of looking like a clown.

Goodnight.

[Jerry St Clair]

Had yet another shocker RR, that type of incident goes on and on each game, he got it wrong, common sense should of been applied, he had the ability to call it back, but failed on all counts.

So, if you'd blown the whistle for play to restart, as Atwell did, and a player took the kick, you would make a massive assumption that the player was passing the ball to a teammate, and would call the play back if the opposing team gained an advantage?

[Row Z Royal]

Second (long-term) idea - any academy scholar who is offered a professional contract should be made to go on a referee's course. They should then be sent on their way with more of an understanding of the rules of the game rather than going into the professional game with only their own interpretation of the rules.

Like this very much. Write to the FA. It's not like there isn't the money in the game to afford it at all levels.

[pea]

To be fair, football is supposed to be entertaining and the look on Mignolets face as Torres ran towards him was well worth the decision.

[Barry the bird boggler]

Let's all pick on Attwell as, after all, all other Premiership referees are absolutely perfect with no blemishes in their past

[Royal Rother]

Yeah, that's all fine and dandy but Attwell didn't actually make a mistake on this occasion did he?

Had yet another shocker RR, that type of incident goes on and on each game, he got it wrong, common sense should of been applied, he had the ability to call it back, but failed on all counts.

I've seen it now and he got it absolutely right. Turner made a complete balls-up. He has taken the free-kick once in too advanced a position. Atwell called it back and showed him where it should be taken from. Turner gives a silly little backheel to the 'keeper which he mis-hits, and Torres sneaks in and creates the goal.

There was absolutely no reason for Turner to tap the ball back for the keeper to take the free kick from another new / different position. He took the free-kick but fcuked it up. He will never ever admit it of course because Steve Bruce would have his testacles roasted for Sunday Lunch.

[readingbedding]

So you know the truth and Steve Bruce is in the dark?

[soggy biscuit]

I was amazed when he was promoted to the Premiership, as he is still only 27 now and will gain more experience. Now he has made a poor decision at Liverpool to give them the lead. What is he doing at the top level?

You do realise how officials get promoted don't you? They are not just randomly selected for it.

[Chillitsphil]

Why isn't there more of a link between player's playing careers ending and a direct route for them into refereeing?

[soggy biscuit]

Why isn't there more of a link between player's playing careers ending and a direct route for them into refereeing?

Agree that it may be a positive thing but it does usually take years to reach the top level so if that is what you are referring to then i think it would be almost impossible. Attwell is quite unusual in making it to the top in 10 years.

Making it to the football league usually takes longer than that and a player retiring at 35 doesn't have time on his side

[Royal Rother]

So you know the truth and Steve Bruce is in the dark?

Yep. I even know how to spell testicles if I put my mind to it.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Yeah, that's all fine and dandy but Attwell didn't actually make a mistake on this occasion did he?

Had yet another shocker RR, that type of incident goes on and on each game, he got it wrong, common sense should of been applied, he had the ability to call it back, but failed on all counts.

I've seen it now and he got it absolutely right. Turner made a complete balls-up. He has taken the free-kick once in too advanced a position. Atwell called it back and showed him where it should be taken from. Turner gives a silly little backheel to the 'keeper which he mis-hits, and Torres sneaks in and creates the goal.

There was absolutely no reason for Turner to tap the ball back for the keeper to take the free kick from another new / different position. He took the free-kick but fcuked it up. He will never ever admit it of course because Steve Bruce would have his testacles roasted for Sunday Lunch.

If he'd taken the free-kick and just miskicked it it would have been obvious. You'd have seen him and the other defenders scrambling back in an effort to stop the goal. As it was they just stood there wondering wtf was Torres doing. It's blatantly obvious that the kick back was just a tap back, not the free-kick itself.


To an extent, you can't blame Attwell for anything other than not watching play. It was the linesman who said it was OK.

As for the legality of the goal, that's more difficult. I'm not sure if there is anything in the rules to differentiate between an actual free kick and a ball being tapped to a team-mate for them to take.

Had to laugh at Roy Hodgson making a big effort to make the "bad decision" Torres' disallowed goal, even though replays showed it was right to be ruled out. I was equally amused by the commentator's criticism thay "you could almost say he was level", as if getting a close decision correct is bad because it was nearly wrong.