Arsenal also charged for this "not conducting in an orderly fashion" thing. The FA must just sit there each summer thinking up knew things to charge teams (us) for.

9 hours ago, Davey Baby said:

As for their goal, I was at the game, had a great view, and it was impossible to see a foul in real time, it just looked like one big collision, and nobody around me complained at the ref for that one.

 

Just following on from this, I've now watched their goal for the first time on video, and the fans around me at the time were right. They weren't slagging the ref, rather they were slagging the keeper. It's rank bad goalkeeping, from a very dodgy keeper. The striker gets there first, he gets his foot to the ball, Caballero is sprinting out and clatters into him, upon impact the striker turns his back instinctively to protect himself from serious injury and Caballero goes hurtling into the air, but it was Caballero who mistimed the challenge, not the striker. It's a perfectly good goal. I've read a lot of posters on here saying the striker clatters into the keeper. Nothing could be further from the truth. That's a very one-eyed perspective in my view.

 

As I said previously, I've seen some woeful refereeing performances against us, plenty of them, and I'm convinced we get a raw deal compared to other clubs, on account of the fact we're generally despised and as such the media usually turn a blind eye, whereas they're all over it if we ever get the rub of the green. This influences refs, I have no doubt about that. However this was not one of those performances by Mason, and I think he's getting unduly criticised for this game, whereas the fault lies with us and principally our manager.

 

Yes, they time-wasted, but I've seen far worse. They feigned injury and the goalie took his time over free-kicks. I've seen many teams do that at the Bridge, Pulis sides being by far the worst. 8 minutes added on was fair and more than we'd usually get. The trouble is we didn't win, so many have chosen to direct their ire at the referee, mistakenly in my book. I don't think he did a lot wrong. Many other refs would have booked a player or two of ours over our protests.

The non allowance of our corner at the end of the first half is very puzzling.  No ref does that.

On 11/05/2018 at 23:54, Davey Baby said:

 

Just following on from this, I've now watched their goal for the first time on video, and the fans around me at the time were right. They weren't slagging the ref, rather they were slagging the keeper. It's rank bad goalkeeping, from a very dodgy keeper. The striker gets there first, he gets his foot to the ball, Caballero is sprinting out and clatters into him, upon impact the striker turns his back instinctively to protect himself from serious injury and Caballero goes hurtling into the air, but it was Caballero who mistimed the challenge, not the striker. It's a perfectly good goal. I've read a lot of posters on here saying the striker clatters into the keeper. Nothing could be further from the truth. That's a very one-eyed perspective in my view.

 

As I said previously, I've seen some woeful refereeing performances against us, plenty of them, and I'm convinced we get a raw deal compared to other clubs, on account of the fact we're generally despised and as such the media usually turn a blind eye, whereas they're all over it if we ever get the rub of the green. This influences refs, I have no doubt about that. However this was not one of those performances by Mason, and I think he's getting unduly criticised for this game, whereas the fault lies with us and principally our manager.

 

Yes, they time-wasted, but I've seen far worse. They feigned injury and the goalie took his time over free-kicks. I've seen many teams do that at the Bridge, Pulis sides being by far the worst. 8 minutes added on was fair and more than we'd usually get. The trouble is we didn't win, so many have chosen to direct their ire at the referee, mistakenly in my book. I don't think he did a lot wrong. Many other refs would have booked a player or two of ours over our protests.

All fair points, well made @Davey Baby - I must be honest and say that I thought both the original tackle on Willian and the lout running through the goalkeeper were fouls, but then I haven't gone back and re-watched, so I will take your word for it.

However, can you possibly imagine that goal would have stood if the striker had been Costa, and the keeper A.N.Other muppet?  Because I can't, not under any circumstances.

 

 

On 12/05/2018 at 14:04, Phillip said:

The non allowance of our corner at the end of the first half is very puzzling.  No ref does that.

That smacked of bitterness to me, like you say, it never happens.

48 minutes ago, yorkleyblue said:

However, can you possibly imagine that goal would have stood if the striker had been Costa, and the keeper A.N.Other muppet?  Because I can't, not under any circumstances.

 

Me neither yorkley.

On 12/05/2018 at 14:04, Phillip said:

The non allowance of our corner at the end of the first half is very puzzling.  No ref does that.

Clive Thomas blew the whistle whilst the ball was in mid air following a corner kick in a world cup game.

So we got fined £20,000 for something you see other teams do but get away with...it was ever thus...don't forget we got a bigger fine than Spurs for 'that' 2016 game even though they were guilty of most of the incidents and clattenburg later admitted he intentionally set out not to send their players off..it beggars belief, it really does

Its dictatorship and corruption all in one.....the sh*t is starring right at you, yet so many refuse to believe that just maybe the Wind blows the way they want it to be.