TheH

Poppy and Pint, excellent beer.

The commentators said VAR were looking at offside in the build up, but it was clearly and very obviously onside without any need of lines and the time taken. There was a possible handball that the commentators initially mentioned, then later went on about offside. I would suggest the prolonged delay, after VAR had quickly decided Lyanco's handball was handball was to get good angles on the handball by the Grimsby lad on their right wing.

So it takes forever for VAR to award the first penalty. They decide fairly early on that Lyanco's arm that is in a natural position if you stoop to head the ball in the direction he was running was not in a natural position. Presumably the inordinate amount of time to confirm the penalty was that they couldn't work out if it was a handball in the build up. Why does the on-pitch referee get the chance to look at the Lyanco handball, but not the one in the build up, that VAR agonised over for ever? Bizarre.

First things first, Caleta-Car was daft to touch the player in the box after the ball was gone........though he was pushed by the Grimsby lad first.........after the ball had gone. How that is a foul when you compare the violence with which KWP was flattened by a shoulder charge in the first half, or Pope's poleaxing of Djenepo in the EFL Cup semi 1st leg and no foul is given? Mockery of common sense. You can book a player for 'simulating' a foul. Why don't referees book players for 'simulating' a foul when they are touched lightly by another player and throw themselves to the floor? McCoist on the commentary doesn't help with his, 'he has a right to go down' bullexcrement.

I refereed my son's football and rugby teams. Saturday morning footie had a whole different feel to it than Sunday morning rugby. At U9s, one match in the first half a centre forward was f/ing and blinding constantly at my boy at centre back. I asked the ref to do something about it at half time and he replied that he couldn't do anything as it wasn't directed at him! Nat gave him a couple of good kicks (on my advice) to put a stop to it second half. Saturday morning some of the rugby boys would get a slight tap on the ankle and come off and not want to go back on (too injured). Next morning at rugby they'd get battered to pieces and you couldn't drag them off. Ever a better example of youngsters emulating the pros? Whenever my lad broke a finger (often) we would strap it to another and send him back on (Orthopaedic surgeon parent present and approved!) I will add that parent behaviour isn't always better at football. I gave up refereeing the footie when I was criticised for my refereeing by one of our own parents, "I feel like I'm back at school," he said. My reply, "I teach in the poor end of the most deprived area in the country and referee rugby on a Sunday, and you want me to lower my standards on a Saturday. I quit."

I see a man going through a breakdown. He is not a 'quitter' and therefore will not solve his predicament himself. Someone else (SR) needs to make that decision for him. His employer has a 'duty of care'.

CylonKing, maybe we should form a NottsSaints group? My lad and I get to several away matches a season (Leicester, Villa, Wolves etc).