Not Cricket
Sports have rules. It is how we define them and what gives them meaning. For example, in football it is not possible to score points by picking the ball up and running the length of the pitch holding it in your hand, whereas in rugby that is a legitimate way to score points. When we change the rules of a game, it ceases to be the same game.
If two football teams were playing football and the referee allowed one team to run the length of the pitch holding the ball and score a goal at the end of such a run, we would all recognise this as unfair, not only on the opposition, but on every team who had been playing in the league under a different set of rules.
What Michael Oliver did today was as close to the above scenario as you will see. He gave Myles Lewis-Skelly a red card for an offence that is not a red card under the rules of football. It never has been in the past and it still isn’t today. If you see or read anyone claiming the decision was correct then you know immediately that they are either corrupt, moronic or dishonest. Or a combination of the three.
There is no way for anyone to claim that is a correct decision and maintain a scrap of integrity in the footballing world. There was indeed serious foul play perpetrated on the pitch today, and Michael Oliver was its author.
A few years back, Formula One allowed its rules to be egregiously misapplied in the final race of the season in a decision that cost Lewis Hamilton the title. For those not in the know, it was the footballing equivalent of Hamilton being fouled in the box in the last minute of a drawn game and the referee awarding the other team a goal. Just a nonsense, without even a passing resemblance to the rules.
Since that day, I have not watched a single minute of Formula 1 for the simple reason that without rules a competition is meaningless. If the people enforcing the rules can arbitrarily change them at any time, then the game has no value, no meaning.
Premier League Football is fast going that way. Some think it has already completed the journey.
If so, we might as well give out the league title based on a good, old-fashioned game of Numberwang.
In a new world where the truth is fast becoming whatever lie is shouted loudest, there will again be a lot of gaslighting claiming this decision is something other than a travesty.
If this is what football has become, why bother watching?
The Arsenal
Frankly, I was minded to leave this report there.
Writing about tactics and players and everything else that makes up a football match seems in somewhat bad taste given that the spectacle today did not adhere to the rules of football. Who cares what formation we lined up in when we cannot be sure that Michael Oliver would not have let Wolves start with twelve men, such was his willingness to remake the laws of the game?
However, in answer to my own question, the reason we bother watching is because we are The Arsenal, and today every single one of our players, MLS included, gave everything they had and did us proud. They deserve to be lauded for their skill and efforts, and just for once this season, we actually got the points we deserved. Despite everything, we won the match.
Without our captain (flu) and Merino (knock?), with two goalkeepers making up the numbers on the bench, with the officials, the media, opposition fans up and down the country, and every other man, woman and their respective dogs baying for blood and lining up to take shots at us, we, The Arsenal, did that most unforgiveable thing – we defied their unified opposition and won a football match.
I am not going to go through all the events of the game. You’ll be able to find that somewhere else if you want to. Havertz got in some great positions but couldn’t quite head us in front. We had lots of possession and were the only team in it, although Wolves looked to play on the counter and fashioned a couple of quick breakaways of their own. Ait-Nouri remains an excellent player at this level and Cunha was their other top performer.
By the way, I can’t see him signing for us after witnessing what Oliver did today – why sign for a team who are given red cards for things no other team is? Why play for the most hated team in the country? That takes a certain mindset, like Rice has, and I’m not sure Cunha is the type of guy to put himself in the crosshairs that Arsenal players face every week.
The card changed the game somewhat, but even with ten men we created decent chances and the match looked about level. With twenty minutes left, Michael Oliver gave Gomes a second yellow for a foul that was much worse than the one he gave MLS a straight red for. The same ref who gave Martinelli two yellows in the same passage of play (still the only time that has ever been done) decided not to issue a straight red for a player already on a yellow. That VAR did not ask him to look again would only have been a surprise to anyone who had not seen them clear the blatantly wrong decision to send MLS off for serious foul play for a trip.
At this point, the amazing away fans, who had been singing their hearts out (‘Michael Oliver, it’s all about you’ getting yet another airing) began a round of ‘One Nil to The Arsenal’ that raised the hairs on my neck. To everyone who was there today, you did your club as proud as your team did you. My heartfelt thanks and appreciation.
On the pitch, despite wasting a few free kicks and Trossard unforgivably hitting the first man with two consecutive corners (sorry to mention it, Leandro, but that really is schoolboy stuff!) we were galvanised when the numbers were evened up and we went on to win it when a Martinelli cross (very effective this week, keep them coming) was headed out as far as Calafiori (on for the sacrificed Ethan Nwaneri) who whipped a left-footed half volley past Havertz and Sa into the far corner.
After that we held on, Kieran Tierney adding steel and energy to a group who, by rights, should have been dead on their feet but found the guts and will to keep going from somewhere. No names, no special praise, they were all heroes.
Make no mistake, this is a very special group. I wonder if today might be the day. This might galvanise the club and the players. Our backs were to the wall and we did not give in, we won.
Let us hope that today is the day that Gooners everywhere remember that every non-Arsenal fan in football is rooting for us to lose, and we cannot afford to fight amongst ourselves.
It is time for siege mentality. Time to go to the mattresses. Time to win.
Cannons out.
Until next time, ‘holics.
Awesome, GSD. Just awesome. Much like our players in that near travesty of a football match.
That is a great report GSD. I got home from the game just before 8pm and have since demolished a steak cooked by my beautiful wife, and am on my second Guinness. A single malt will follow, probably a Glenmorangie as I have a bottle open from Christmas.
I may add some more technical thoughts tomorrow when I have seen some highlights. All I’d like to say is that this was an extraordinary match to be at. The travelling faithful had no bloody idea what MLS had been sent off for. We assumed it was for preventing a clear goal scoring opportunity, but then gradually realised (by messages sent by mates) that it was for serious foul play. I have not been so baffled since seeing three VAR calls in a row whilst in the Gods at Newcastle, all of which failed to overturn a goal against us.
Similarly we had no idea why Gomes had been given a second yellow. Hell we only pay to attend these games we don’t deserve explanations!
Wolves is not a great singing ground, as instead of getting an end we get a lower tier side, only 20 rows deep, but 100 yards in length, which, makes coherent singing difficult. But the common enemy of Michael Oliver led to some heartfelt chanting (it’s all about you) and then when Calafiori tucked in his goal, unconfined joy, leading to me waving my red walking pole in utter delight.
I utterly concur with our correspondent’s view of the team performance.
This was a huge game. It was an emotional wringer to be there. Thankfully we pulled off the win and are still in the game.
Bravo, GSD. The match report the game deserved.
The commentator on the stream I was watching said that VAR was ‘clarifying’ that, as the contact was above the ankle, it was serious foul play by the letter of the law, and not only had Oliver not made a clear and obvious error, but also that he had ‘no choice’ but to give MLS a straight red. (I assume the broadcasters have backchannel communications to VAR denied to the paying public.) Firstly, that is a law of which I doubt many, if any, have heard, and secondly, if that is the case and it is enforced consistently every match (or even in the same match; Exhibit A: Gomes’s yellow), then every PL game is going to be abandoned for lack of players left on the pitch.
Also, I second what you said about the crowd. The travelling faithful were the 12th man from the get-go and then stepped up to be the 11th man when they were called upon.
Outstanding.
Merits immediate inclusion in the Goonerholic/Goonerholics Forever Hall of Fame.
Some Oliver stats from the games he refs against the top PL clubs:
On average, he has issued a second yellow against Man Utd every 9.4 games, Arsenal every 15.5 games, the neighbours every 16.67 games, Chelsea every 54 games, Man City every 60 games and Liverpool every 64 games.
He has issued a straight red against Arsenal every 15.5 games, the neighbours every 25 games, Chelsea every 27 games, Man City every 60 games, Liverpool and Man Utd, never.
He has awarded a penalty to Liverpool every 3.76 games, to Man City every 5.45 games, to Man Utd every 5.88 games, Chelsea every 6.75 games, the neighbours every 8.33 games, and Arsenal every 12.4 games.
Oops, I left out the combined second yellow and straight red counts:
On average, Michael Oliver has sent off an Arsenal player every 7.75 games, a Man Utd player every 9.4 games, a Sp*rz player every 10 games, a Man City player every 30 games and a Liverpool player every 64 games.
Ned @5, if those stats aren’t grounds for (i) investigation & potential censure and (ii) the club demanding that he never referees another Arsenal game, as I believe that other big clubs have successfully done with other referees, then I’m a Dutchman.
Yeah, Trossard’s corners were poor, but it was his weaker foot to be fair, with our two first choice RH corner takers unavailable. Not easy. Should have taken outswingers with his right or short corners.
Great report. Personally coming very close to giving up on football. What’s the point? And then the boys dig deep and give you something to cheer …. But the sport is rotten
Thanks GSD, great report and as you say it was just nonsense.
Our response on the other hand was outstanding, a great win
and just strengthening the togetherness of the team. I love
our attitude, even when the shit is flying we are up for it.
And a quick word for Calafiori – great finish
Thanks GSD for a great post – calling out what’s rotten in our beautiful game – the PGMOL.
Kudus to the team ( squad ) for 100% endeavours in every match despite the never ending issues of injuries and refereeing performances. The magnificent away support backing them up all the way.
We are 2cnd in the league and in a great position in the Champions League – all to play for.
Same ref that didn’t send off Kovavic (already on a yellow) for that foul on Rice last year because he didn’t want to ruin the game. Asswipe.
@42 TTG in the last drinks, & 7 Bath
Certainly agree we should appeal the red card and also we have enough to say we don’t want Oliver to referee any more of our matches. Given his open support for the barcodes and his side jobs I would have thought that any sensible person would not have assigned him to any Arsenal (or for that matter Liverpool to be fair) matches anyway. It is an obvious conflict of interest to start with and now it’s come to this farcical pass.
If Webb has the “scrap of integrity” that GSD refers to then he will take action. I expect nothing but we’ll see.
Great write up, GSD. In a game wholly overshadowed by yet another decision requiring more Jesuitical faux explanation from the usual parties, there was no point in reporting on the match itself.
Wheedling talk of serious foul play is self serving nonsense. If so, why was Gomes not given a straight red for his far more dangerous assault on Timber? Fernandinho made a career of this kind of tackle. Rodri continues to do so.
We are clearly refereed differently. Were the studs into Tomiyasu face against Everton a few years back not serious foul play? Why has nobody else been sent off for 2 minor offences in the same phase of play, as Martinelli was 2 years ago at the same ground, by the same referee? Why was at least one Wolves player allowed to kick the ball away a considerably greater distance than Rice vs Brighton and not receive a card? I don’t want decisions going in our favour. All I want is for rules to be applied fairly and consistently. Rules , as GSD points out, govern the game. So why do they become simply loose guidelines when Oliver, Kavanagh, Dean and their ilk referee Arsenal games?
The whole thing stinks. We are let down by officials as well as people who hold positions of authority and power in football -Commentators, presenters, pundits, journalists. The vast majority of whom go along with the increasingly contrived, nonsensical and downright obviously incorrect decisions being handed down. If these decisions had occurred in Italy, for example, there would be uproar. Of course, there can be nothing sinister behind them, as this is England. No, the unfortunate truth is now that the Premier league is now a banana republic. Best league in the world? Don’t make me laugh.
Terrific report GSD concentrating on exactly the right things. I went out to dinner with my family just after the game and listened with incredulity as Jamie O’ Hara and Adrian Durham who would vie for the title of men who hate Arsenal the most , were united in obvious passion ( as was Tim Sherwood ) on Sky , that the decision was the worst red card they’d ever seen . When there is that union of opinion it underlines how manipulative and inconsistent Oliver was. The PGMOL explanation will be fascinating . There is only one thing they can do in all conscience , but will they ?
Our team and fans were magnificent
Masterful, GSD. Thank you !
Will be very interesting if it is rescinded to see how they then justify that because during the game they (commentators) were already quoting the law which made it obligatory – “if the tackle is made with the studs above ankle height it must be a red card”. VAR reportedly verified it but every man and his dog has since rubbished the decision and there are plenty of worse examples where only yellows were given – and by Oliver himself.
They’ve painted themselves into a corner even Dean and Gallagher are going to struggle to worm their way out of.
They are a self supporting hegemony and no doubt will support the red card decision with all sorts of bullshit. In a weeks time there will be new horrendous decisions to mull over and this will blur into oblivion – apart from those of us who have very long memories. Until there is a root & branch shake up of PGMOL this will be a continuous episode of ineptitude.
I’ve finally seen more than the MotD highlights of this game with the 30 minutes highlights broadcast by Sky overnight. The red card is an outrageous decision but I do not believe that it will be overturned and, like Uply, I expect PGMOL to double down in defence of the decisions by Oliver and by England. This will of course impair our performances against Cheaty and the Codes which was of course the intended outcome for certain people.
What did not come across so well on MotD but was obvious on the Sky highlights was the superb efforts of the traveling Gooners to maintain the morale and spirited response of the ten men. Well done, all.
Indeed Bath. PGMOL have issued a statement to client journalists in which they not only defend Oliver’s decision, but complain about the abuse he is getting on social media (they could have added virtually all pundits).
Nevertheless I do hope that we appeal.
Splendid report, GSD, bang on the money (not changing hands).
(Minor objection, you mentioning Trossard not clearing the first man from a corner reminded me that Rice didn’t clear the first man from a corner, leading to the near-fatal Oliver rule-change three seconds later. In fact, while I think Rice has come back to great form recently, as well as Leo in fact, his set-pieces were not particularly great the past few matches).
bath@18: BBC Sport is based in Manchester. Just saying.
Great report as usual. There is nothing I can add that’s not been said regarding our latest injustice, but I do need to mention that the Numberwang reference is genius! Good darts!
CER would say always trust an Italian
I would not hold any hope that the MLS decision will be overturned or that the three-match ban will be reduced. PGMOL is circling the wagons.
Love it, C100 @23.
PGMOL might well be circling the wagons but disciplinary cases are heard by the FA, I believe. Not sure that’s a great reason for hope though ……
Your pessimism is justified, Trev. There be backchannels there of which we know little. The days of David Dein’s leverage are long gone.
Nice one C100 @ 23
Trev@26: You are right that disciplinary appeals are heard by an FA panel. You are also right that that offers little cause for optimism.
The FA rules on disciplinary hearings set a high bar for overturning a referee’s decision to send off a player with a straight red. Short of being able to establish mistaken identity, the rules allow a player only two defences: the referee made an obvious error, and the standard punishment is excessive because of exceptional circumstances.
PGMOL saying Oliver had not made an obvious error puts a large impediment in the way of the first defence, and the second one contains a Catch-22 in that it is about the sanction, not the offence, and the rules instruct appeals panels to take a narrow view of what counts as exceptional circumstances.
The relevant rules are laid out in The FA Disciplinary Regulations, Part E: Fast Track Regulations, On-Field Regulations, Section One. Good luck finding them on the FA’s web site, but you should be able to turn them up using a search engine.
Anyone got a stream for the Spurs match?
Cheers all, I’m glad the piece went down well.
Here’s another one from Le Grove that someone sent me elsewhere. It’s excellent and well worth a read.
https://www.le-grove.co.uk/p/pgmol-must-be-dismantled
Spurs lost again, at home to Leicester.
Surely he can’t survive this?
Mate. Spurs now 23 points behind us.
Jamie O’Hara on Sports Sunday
Cry in a minute!
He’s gonna cry in a minute!
Certainties
I made myself exactly that sort of reflection, C100. Well, they get battered at home too.
Against Leicester? Even I couldn’t believe it. I mean, I could, but…
I find the PGMOL response unsurprising but indefensible . They claim they have a ‘ new angle ‘ but the film showing on the Sky Sports website showed exactly what we saw yesterday . We should certainly appeal the decision because the incident needs to be scrutinised closely .
The Le Grove article underlines many things . The one I resent most is the preponderance of Northern referees ( one from the South- East, none from London. It’s a chummy cartel…of incompetents
C100
Please don’t push for Ange to be sacked . Where else would we get this much fun…Mate !
When was the earliest St Totteringham’s day in the Premier League
Answer courtesy of Orbinho on BlueSky
In terms of games, Spurs still had 11 games to play in 2003-04 when Arsenal went 36 points clear with a win against Blackburn in mid March.
In terms of dates 9th March which was in 2008 when Spurs still had 10 games to play.
Can you imagine how they felt in 2004 ! Sol decamps to Arsenal, Arsenal go unbeaten the whole season and St Totteringham arrives in early March
Seriously how must that have felt ? 🤩
It’s great to see new posters in the bar. You are all very welcome, and, as is tradition, there is a drink of your choosing on the bar (unfortunately it’s a virtual drink, not a real one!)
Of course, to anyone else who reads the blog and the drinks (comments) you are also very welcome to join in and post your thoughts. We hope to be a welcoming place for Arsenal chatter, and the only requirement is that you stick to the Guvnor’s rules, as listed in the tab at the top of the page.
Apart from that… the more the merrier.
Also, you regulars ain’t half bad, either!
Cheers all.
Ned @29, your information should temper any hope that we can spare MLS the consequences of Oliver’s and England’s rash and frankly totally wrong decisions.
The observation that PGMOL have spared no effort in supporting this error through the media, claim to possess another angle of the incident and have issued a three line whip to drive their media whores into line suggests that it is unlikely that they have restrained themselves from applying covert pressure on the FA to support their muppets.
While I’m sure a lot of brainless morons have abused Oliver and his nearest and dearest online the Premier League will shift the agenda so that online abuse from Arsenal fans becomes the issue not the competence/ potential bias of one of our key officials . This is classic OR deflection and for those with an anti Arsenal agenda it provides a new furrow to plough
GSD@31: Le Grove’s schema to reform PL refereeing would make sense in a sensible world. However, as we have seen with the separation of powers doctrine to which he frequently refers in a US context, the checks and balances inherent in the doctrine end up being just for the little people once the oligarchs take charge. Football has become an oligarchy, with government of the wealthy, by the wealthy, for the wealthy.
Quite separately, I echo your welcome @39 to the new posters in the bar and salute your honour to tradition with a drink on the bar for each and every one.
TTG@41: PGMOL has beaten the PL to it.
https://apnews.com/article/michael-oliver-referee-abuse-arsenal-pgmol-wolverhampton-88dbf56334ae9a673d5a81d471e4b965
Yes, indeed, Ned @42, let’s not lose sight of the fact that Oliver is the victim in all this, not football, or the fans or the millions who pay subscriptions to tv channels and other media in the hope of watching/ reading about out the beautiful game.
In the superb, aforelinked article on Le Grove, Pedro sums up in a nutshell the phenomenon we are seeing far too frequently this season:
“What we are witnessing is not incompetence, it’s a god complex that is out of control. These decisions aren’t incompetence, they are a show of power. You have to want to make decisions this bad. We are not looking at marginal calls, we are looking at horrendous acts of decision-making violence designed to send a message.”
It’s about POWER! “Disrespect us at your peril”, says PGMOL.
The GHF Predictathon leaderboard for Match Week 23 and the latest form guide has been posted. There will be joy in Boston.
You know where to find it, the leaderboard, not Bean Town, obviously…
CER@45: We don’t want to upset little Mikey.
It was integrity be damned for Webb then, pretty much as expected.
An absurd defence followed by switching the blame.
A few weeks ago I read a Grauniad piece saying only the “wilder fringes”
among Arsenal supporters on social media were blaming the PGMOL for
costing us points this season. There will be more planted pieces this week
I imagine. Anyone, who wants to claim GHF is on the wilder fringes really
does need to get our more in the goonerverse.
Thanks Ned@46, it’s tight at the top but I’m afraid there is still no joy in Osaka 😄
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏👏👏👏
Every word, GSD.
👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
gsd, a prime joint above. fucking excellent, one might say.
everyone else has said as much, or more, than i can come up with as to why this is wrong, and why we hope *something* changes. i can only hope the team plays the rest of our 15 or so games with the same intensity and grinta as after mls was sent off yesterday.
and welcome to a couple new drinkers, and one ancient relick of dave’s bar hiding in plain sight up there @9. welcome back, dr. c!! hope you brought your key to the medicine cupboard aboard the happy train…
drinks for everyone on the bar, and just in case he shows up some of california’s finest for h2h is on the back bar…
Well in for the half-ton, bt8.
Scruz@51: H2H is not a name I’ve heard in many a year. His indeed would be a most welcome return.
Shall we ever see the Speedos and Jimmy Choos again?
well in for the half, bt8. i was hoping to forge the assist.
ned, one can only hope. i *can* say h2h is alive and well and doing his thang…. any of the old holicbar regulars that haven’t visited are always welcome…
I’m thinking of resigning from The GhF predictions league over so many appalling decisions going against me. Anyone else feeling cheated?
Impressive half-ton, bt8.
Did PGMOL claim they have found a new image that justifies the decision?
That would be another incredible admission (not to mention the fact that it’s wrong, but keeping on the theoretical level) : ‘we got it right but we didn’t know we got it right at the time we made the decision’. Yeah, so what would be the excuse for VAR’s decision at the time then, eh?
I haven’t seen it but it seems Dermot Gallagher has done the dirty on Michael Oliver and said on Sky that he believes the red was wrong.
I need a lie down.
C100 @57, I’m shocked! Shocked, I tell you!
Is this the end of civilisation as we know it?
Or is it, the first rat to distance himself from that rancid crew because he sees they’ve gone too far?
Does anyone. Know if we have appealed the red card? We have until 1pm to do so.
No mention of that on arse.con, so either they are being very careful with the public wording of it and need more time to spell it to us, or it’s not happened.
C100 @is 59, according to Kevin Whicher on Twitter, the deadline for an appeal is 5pm on Tuesday.
Ah thanks Bath. I saw 1pm Monday yesterday but was clearly misled.
I do hope we appeal.
Micah Richard’s doesn’t think it was the right call
https://bsky.app/profile/afcmhr.bsky.social/post/3lgq4vjo4ik2q
The FA has various deadlines for disciplinary proceedings according to the type of case, which may explain the confusion.
MLS’s appeal would most likely fall into what the FA Disciplinary Regulations designate as a Fast Track 4, Category 1 case (obvious error by official) or a Fast Track 5, Category 1 (excessive punishment in exceptional circumstances). For either, the Club or Player has to e-mail the FA by Ipm on the first business day following the incident (i.e., Monday in this case) of their intention to contest the charge. They then have until 1 pm on the second business day to furnish the evidence for their defence (i.e. Tuesday). This must include “video footage showing the incident from all available angles”.
The hearing, which is not in person, has to be held before the first game that any suspension would apply, but as a general rule, on Thursday. The decision is final and binding, with no further right of appeal. The Club and player have to be informed of the decision on the same day that it is made.
Ned, I do not know what we would do without you and the monks.
Here’s an excellent analysis of the mess that the PL has got itself into (£):
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6090960/2025/01/27/referees-arsenal-pgmol-decisions/
C100@65: We read so you don’t have to. 🙂
Spuds statz from the Athletic: “They’ve taken one point from the last 21 available. They’ve lost over half (13 out of 23) of their league games. They’re only a point above Everton. The three promoted teams have won eight games between them this season and two were at Tottenham.”
That’s why we love Ange. Supreme entertainment value.
Were you to construct a table of the sendings off (second yellows plus straight reds) of all 12 clubs that have been in the Premier League for this and the preceding four seasons (175 games in total, one less for Liverpool and Everton, a decent sample size), it would look like the one below.
I suppose some club has to be at the top, but what a coincidence.
Club Sendings off Games per sending off
Arsenal 15 11.67
Everton 12 14.50
BHA 12 14.58
Chelsea 12 14.58
West Ham 12 14.58
Aston Villa 11 15.91
Tottenham 11 15.91
Crystal Palace 9 19.44
Liverpool 8 21.75
Manchester United 8 21.88
Newcastle United 8 21.88
Manchester City 7 25.00
Given the mean is around fifteen and two-thirds games, perhaps what this shows is bias in favour of C115y rather than against us.
Thanks Ned, that is interesting reading.
Basically, the Northern clubs with the exception of Everton are getting sent off at a far lower rate than the Southern clubs with the exception of Palace. If only we knew where most of the referees are from then we could deduce even further….oh wait a second
Unconscious bias or corruption or a bit of both?
Or not at all unconscious bias.
Very good point, CER @ 71.
I’ve been mulling over the observation that football is riven with tribalism and the analogy that referees are to the football tribe what witch doctor/priests were to primitive human tribes – those individuals from within the tribe who had acquired authority through some arcane process, were believed by some tribe members to be infallible and even to talk with God(s) and whose wisdom and judgements were widely promoted as just. it comes as a profound shock to the faithful of the primitive tribe when it emerges that a witch doctor/priest has, despite the powers that he has been believed to possess, succumbed to an incurable disease that ‘usually’ affects ordinary tribe members who would normally go to him for a ‘cure’.
To discover that a football referee is merely a fan with a whistle, influenced by personal biases and tribal antipathies accumulated over years of involvement in the game, in his case aggravated by personal interactions with confrontational coaches and players of clubs other than that which he has supported from childhood should not come as a surprise. Given how we as Arsenal-affiliated individuals feel about other clubs and how easy it usually is for any of us to choose a side when two clubs that we do not support are in conflict we should understand these instincts and how they are acquired. His training as a referee will not rid him of these biases and our position at the top of the offenders league is unsurprising given the regional origins of the current crop of PGMOL officials.
There is a risk that any subgroup of individuals with an entry ‘rite’, a ‘special interest’ and authority over others becomes a conspiracy against the laity – for examples in the UK just look at the Post Office scandal or the SNP in Edinburgh. PGMOL clearly consider themselves akin to a priesthood, with authority and secret processes that they fear to share with ‘ordinary people’ for fear of losing that mystique which once lost, may lead to dissipation of their powers. Share it, through VAR, with an independent group of specialists? Perish the thought.
Just musing.
Muse on, Bath.
Extremely well postulated musings, I should say, if musings be postulations.
So we have appealed. Alleluia.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cg4525y2rg1o
baff @73, so they must be speaking latin, that’s why they don’t want to let us hear the var feed!
Indeed scruz @76, indeed. Preserving services and scriptures in Latin was a clever way to keep the mysteries of the priesthood from the general populace in European churches until only a few centuries ago – it persisted in Ireland for a very long time. In the middle of the last millennium the established church’s leaders fought like tigers to prevent the scriptures being printed in national languages that people could read for themselves. The medical profession used Latin to the same ends for a long time. If you want to perpetuate a cartel you must do everything possible to preserve its mystery.
The appeal has been made I am happy to say.
The conversation may have gone thus:
Oliver: “Volo hastardorum navalium cudere haec. Ah occasio! Hic tu, sic tu, charma rubram habes!”
England: “Prorsus assentior, domine. Dicemus, domine, gravem turpitudinem?”
Oliver: “Bona idea, puer! Qui hic eos ostendet qui bulla est!”
Course I could of read that info @75 from C100 a couple of hours earlier.
I was so pleased I didn’t read back first!
Bath @79, I get the sense. A few uncommon words and “bulla” is not that kind of boss but nice work!
CER@81, I was going to add an apology to you for the likely errors which would jangle your classical nerve endings. All down to Google translate, of course.
Great news on MLS’ appeal – interestingly it was almost an instant positive response!
MLS appeal upheld
https://www.arsenal.com/news/fa-statement-myles-lewis-skelly-red-card
Yet again, beaten to the punch by Bath.
Scruz@76: Latin won’t get them very far in this fine establishment, given our classically educated doyens.
Bath@79: ‘Bona idea’? Is Oliver speaking Polari?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>