What is it with Phil Dowd?

[SoccerHQ]

Who was that ref in the mid 90s who openly supported us (was in one edition of claret and blue) and he kept on giving Chelsea dodgy 90 minute penalties in the cup?

[TheSandman]

I hated Uriah Rennie

I loved him for sending off Sheila against us. The expressions on our player's faces were priceless.

[lovejoy]

Who was that ref in the mid 90s who openly supported us (was in one edition of claret and blue) and he kept on giving Chelsea dodgy 90 minute penalties in the cup?

Mike Reed? Gave Chelsea a pen vs Leicester which got Danny Baker the sack because he went off on one on 5live after. The same year Ellerey missed Chesterfield hit one off the bar and over the line vs Boro to go 3-1 up. In the end they lost the replay and Chelsea beat Boro in the final.

[davevillan]

Paul, have you done a refs course and reffed any games??
That comment about refs not knowing the game but the Laws always makes me laugh..Why dont players play as per the Laws..
If a ex player did become a ref, he would soon realise he doesnt know as much as he thinks!! Dont you think they will also give decisions which countless tv replays will show to be wrong, and thats the problem...Every game has tv cameras all over the ground and every important decision is forensically examined before they say the ref got it wrong!! The ref gets one view, and has to make a split second judgement call based on what he sees', and then apply the laws of the game based on his decision..When you listen to these so called experts on tv/radio etc, they may have played the game, but trust me, when they open their mouths, they soon prove they have very little knowledge of the Laws!!

Of course players won't play exactly as per the laws, if they can get away with stuff that gives them an advantage why wouldn't they do it?  Shirt pulling happens every game at virtually every corner because there's not a lot you can do to stop it but it's not within the laws.

I've not done a refs course in football, I am a qualified ref and coach in rugby though, both of which were significantly easier to get due to the fact that I'd been playing at a decent standard for 6-7 years before I did them.

I know full well how difficult it can be to manage a game, and I understand that you don't have the benefit of hindsight but there's an unwillingness to improve the standards, which suggests that the referees are happy with how big a part they play in the season.  Most players want the game to flow be entertaining, just that would help greatly, most of the refs that don't get threads like this are the ones that don't try to have a big influence on things.  Dowd in particular seems to enjoy being the centre of attention.

The refs are more professional now then ever, and to suggest they dont have a willingness to improve is well wide of the mark.
The select group refs at meetings are aways looking at ways to improve, fitness/positioning etc to make sure they make the correct decision which ultimately is what every one wants...They wont always get every decision correct, but what they aim to do, is to get the big game changing decisions correct, which sometimes they dont. Its human error, the same way a striker misses an open goal, or a defender scores an oggie. Yet if a ref gets a decision wrong, he is slaughtered..ie Halsey for the pen last week..From his angle he would have seen it as a pen, hence why he gave it, yet he got pelters for it..Our defenders didnt get the same abuse for the rank bad defending which led to the pen, nor our strikers for the chances missed..

I don't think it's wide of the mark at all.  They may talk about improving but have the performances of refs actually improved in the last 10 years?  Are they getting less major decisions wrong?  Are they investigating ways to improve their chances of getting things right?  If they are, are these being put into practice?

If you believe they are doing nothing then thats your opinion, but its a wrong opinion..Ive been to enough meetings in my time, met and done games with National List refs and A/R's to know what is expected of them and the pressure they are under..Every decison today is looked ar from all angles close up/far away. in real time/in slo-mo, and then the 'experts' say the ref got it right or wrong..The ref has one view in real time and will at times make mistakes..To blame our defeat on Halsey giving the pen last week is an easy way out, how many mistakes from our players gave the saints player the chance in the first place? Mistakes happen in football, its part n parcel of the game, yet as supporters if one of our players makes a mistake, we get behind him and try and boost his confidence up...A ref makes a mistake, and suddenly he is vilfied and has a witch hunt against him...Food for thought maybe??

[ozzjim]

Paul, have you done a refs course and reffed any games??
That comment about refs not knowing the game but the Laws always makes me laugh..Why dont players play as per the Laws..
If a ex player did become a ref, he would soon realise he doesnt know as much as he thinks!! Dont you think they will also give decisions which countless tv replays will show to be wrong, and thats the problem...Every game has tv cameras all over the ground and every important decision is forensically examined before they say the ref got it wrong!! The ref gets one view, and has to make a split second judgement call based on what he sees', and then apply the laws of the game based on his decision..When you listen to these so called experts on tv/radio etc, they may have played the game, but trust me, when they open their mouths, they soon prove they have very little knowledge of the Laws!!

Of course players won't play exactly as per the laws, if they can get away with stuff that gives them an advantage why wouldn't they do it?  Shirt pulling happens every game at virtually every corner because there's not a lot you can do to stop it but it's not within the laws.

I've not done a refs course in football, I am a qualified ref and coach in rugby though, both of which were significantly easier to get due to the fact that I'd been playing at a decent standard for 6-7 years before I did them.

I know full well how difficult it can be to manage a game, and I understand that you don't have the benefit of hindsight but there's an unwillingness to improve the standards, which suggests that the referees are happy with how big a part they play in the season.  Most players want the game to flow be entertaining, just that would help greatly, most of the refs that don't get threads like this are the ones that don't try to have a big influence on things.  Dowd in particular seems to enjoy being the centre of attention.

The refs are more professional now then ever, and to suggest they dont have a willingness to improve is well wide of the mark.
The select group refs at meetings are aways looking at ways to improve, fitness/positioning etc to make sure they make the correct decision which ultimately is what every one wants...They wont always get every decision correct, but what they aim to do, is to get the big game changing decisions correct, which sometimes they dont. Its human error, the same way a striker misses an open goal, or a defender scores an oggie. Yet if a ref gets a decision wrong, he is slaughtered..ie Halsey for the pen last week..From his angle he would have seen it as a pen, hence why he gave it, yet he got pelters for it..Our defenders didnt get the same abuse for the rank bad defending which led to the pen, nor our strikers for the chances missed..

I don't think it's wide of the mark at all.  They may talk about improving but have the performances of refs actually improved in the last 10 years?  Are they getting less major decisions wrong?  Are they investigating ways to improve their chances of getting things right?  If they are, are these being put into practice?

If you believe they are doing nothing then thats your opinion, but its a wrong opinion..Ive been to enough meetings in my time, met and done games with National List refs and A/R's to know what is expected of them and the pressure they are under..Every decison today is looked ar from all angles close up/far away. in real time/in slo-mo, and then the 'experts' say the ref got it right or wrong..The ref has one view in real time and will at times make mistakes..To blame our defeat on Halsey giving the pen last week is an easy way out, how many mistakes from our players gave the saints player the chance in the first place? Mistakes happen in football, its part n parcel of the game, yet as supporters if one of our players makes a mistake, we get behind him and try and boost his confidence up...A ref makes a mistake, and suddenly he is vilfied and has a witch hunt against him...Food for thought maybe??

I accept the premise, but Halsey seems to make a hell of a lot of "mistakes" against the Villa. He is as biased as they come, and Dowd is just as bad.

[Mortimer's Bear]

Back in day always thought Keith Cooper was a good ref, more recently Alan Wiley was always anonymous and even more recently I hope Michael Oliver continues to develop as he seems competent.

Dowd & Halsey both seem to misunderstand that we dont pay the money to watch them & being sooo slow they make too many decisions via guesswork (not a knock as last Sat because I called pen as well, cheating like that needs to be dealt with after & in that case difficult to fault the ref).   

Was Keith Cooper the ref who sent Kanchelskis off at Wembley in 1994?

[knowsleyvillain]

Ref for Bradford game the one & only Phil Dowd, Can hear the chant already shit refs we only get shit refs!

[rob_bridge]

Who was that ref in the mid 90s who openly supported us (was in one edition of claret and blue) and he kept on giving Chelsea dodgy 90 minute penalties in the cup?

Mike Reed? Gave Chelsea a pen vs Leicester which got Danny Baker the sack because he went off on one on 5live after. The same year Ellerey missed Chesterfield hit one off the bar and over the line vs Boro to go 3-1 up. In the end they lost the replay and Chelsea beat Boro in the final.

Reed was my mate's estate agent and told him (my mate) that he was a Blues fan.

I remember when the Hammers played the bin dippers in the FA Cup and they originally selected Mike Dean (From Merseyside) to ref the final. You couldn't make it up.

Is that story about Dowd's kids true or is it an urban myth

[Gareth]

Back in day always thought Keith Cooper was a good ref, more recently Alan Wiley was always anonymous and even more recently I hope Michael Oliver continues to develop as he seems competent.

Dowd & Halsey both seem to misunderstand that we dont pay the money to watch them & being sooo slow they make too many decisions via guesswork (not a knock as last Sat because I called pen as well, cheating like that needs to be dealt with after & in that case difficult to fault the ref).   

Was Keith Cooper the ref who sent Kanchelskis off at Wembley in 1994?

Pretty sure it was

[Chipsticks]

He just looks like a bit of a dick. If he was a character in a kid's TV show he'd be evil.

[Mortimer's Bear]

He just looks like a bit of a dick. If he was a character in a kid's TV show he'd be evil.

Herd should have nutted him.

[philcwo35]

Who was that ref in the mid 90s who openly supported us (was in one edition of claret and blue) and he kept on giving Chelsea dodgy 90 minute penalties in the cup?

Mike Reed? Gave Chelsea a pen vs Leicester which got Danny Baker the sack because he went off on one on 5live after. The same year Ellerey missed Chesterfield hit one off the bar and over the line vs Boro to go 3-1 up. In the end they lost the replay and Chelsea beat Boro in the final.

Reed was my mate's estate agent and told him (my mate) that he was a Blues fan.

I remember when the Hammers played the bin dippers in the FA Cup and they originally selected Mike Dean (From Merseyside) to ref the final. You couldn't make it up.

Is that story about Dowd's kids true or is it an urban myth

I can guarantee you that Mike Reed is a Villa fan.  He is the brother-in-law of my brother, and I've met and talked with him on many occasions.
There is no way he is a blue nose.

[Mortimer's Bear]

[frank black]

You know what gets on my tits about refs. It's not the occasional dodgy decision. It's when the are obviously courting attention with elaborate brandishing of the cards, puffed out chests and finger pointing. Like some kind of Panto baddy.

I was chatting to a ref and he was telling me that linesmen get marked on the decisions they make rather than do not make (apart from offside). So that's why the ref gets little help from the line, they're too scared to make decisions in case they get a bad assessment. If they do not see it they can't be negatively marked, that's why most linesman are like Arsene Wenger.

[Legion]