Referees that support Saints

[Stripey McStripe Shirt]

Are there any that have openly declared a love (or hatred?) of Saints and are therefore not allowed to referee our games?

Any particular ones in the past? I have a vague recollection that Paul Durkin from a few years back was decent but was from the area so didn't officiate us, though may have dreamt that. 

[West Dean FC Legend]

I know for a fact Roger East supported Saints and his family did too. I've been to the Dell with him and played on a same football team as him.

In his ref's bio he says he doesn't support a team, and he was 'useless as a player'.  Both of which aren't true. He definitely went to the Dell with us lads and his uncles and he wasn't a bad footballer either, just a local league defender, but he wasn't bad, I was his goalkeeper.

The very first game he refereed was at Whiteparish and my team, with many of the local villagers and team mates turned up to watch the game after our match was postponed. He walked on the pitch and just about everybody he knew from football was stood on the touchline to watch!

Edited 14 November, 2024 by West Dean FC Legend

[ant]

Rob Stiles is from Waterlooville and lives in Denmead - or at least did around the time my brother was dating his daughter!

But I suspect that means he's more likely to be blue than red...

[Draino76]

James Linnington is a big Saints fan.  He was ref for us a few times in the championship last year.

 

I don't recall any favours from him tho.

 

https://www.whoscored.com/Referees/145/Show/James-Linington

[bugenhagen]

4 hours ago, ant said:

Rob Stiles is from Waterlooville and lives in Denmead - or at least did around the time my brother was dating his daughter!

But I suspect that means he's more likely to be blue than red...

Not cool, but sounds probable😉

[david in sweden]

Referee Dean wrongly punished Saints on numerous occasions in the past, but now that he has (thankfully) retired,

he seems to have relented and has actually defended Saints several times in the recent VAR debates that we have suffered. 

[FarehamSaintJames]

5 hours ago, ant said:

Rob Stiles is from Waterlooville and lives in Denmead - or at least did around the time my brother was dating his daughter!

But I suspect that means he's more likely to be blue than red...

Rob is a Pompey fan. Always has been. He was never a referee for us for those reasons.

[SotonianWill]

8 hours ago, West Dean FC Legend said:

I know for a fact Roger East supported Saints and his family did too. I've been to the Dell with him and played on a same football team as him.

In his ref's bio he says he doesn't support a team, and he was 'useless as a player'.  Both of which aren't true. He definitely went to the Dell with us lads and his uncles and he wasn't a bad footballer either, just a local league defender, but he wasn't bad, I was his goalkeeper.

The very first game he refereed was at Whiteparish and my team, with many of the local villagers and team mates turned up to watch the game after our match was postponed. He walked on the pitch and just about everybody he knew from football was stood on the touchline to watch!

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/15828991.referee-roger-east-victim-watfords-handball-goal-cost-southampton/

 

[West Dean FC Legend]

Always thought the EPL was one step too far for him to be fair. Every game he seemed to be involved in some 'controversy' even my missus noticed on the TV when they said the ref had made a contentious decision, she'd say 'Is that Roger East again?'

[Charlie Wayman]

22 hours ago, david in sweden said:

Referee Dean wrongly punished Saints on numerous occasions in the past, but now that he has (thankfully) retired,

he seems to have relented and has actually defended Saints several times in the recent VAR debates that we have suffered. 

I find it hard to believe that referees are corrupt in any way. For sure they can can make bad decisions just like the rest of us but it is remarkable how often they get tight decsions right (confirmed by slo-mo) when most spectators miss incidents altogether.

Nobody likes decisons taken against against their own team but it's important always to be fair minded.

[SaintsBarry74]

Mike Dean loves a bit of Saints.

[david in sweden]

14 hours ago, Charlie Wayman said:

I find it hard to believe that referees are corrupt in any way. For sure they can can make bad decisions just like the rest of us but it is remarkable how often they get tight decsions right (confirmed by slo-mo) when most spectators miss incidents altogether.

Nobody likes decisions taken against against their own team but it's important always to be fair minded.

....don't think I used the word corrupt - did I ?..., but clearly there are some individuals whose name is enough to anger fans and managers alike

and clearly back in the day (you will remember) refs. often endured shouts of  " you don't know what you are doing " along with those who 

had their parentage brought into question.  Such behaviour does nothing to endear refs. to return to such venues and be continually abused,

although some have their " favourite clubs" and one was seen to blush with pride - (famous photo) when Alex Ferguson deemed to smile at him.

 

Some fans in the North of England are (historically) particularly aggressive towards some refs. and vent their anger after wards.

I recall the story from the 1960's of the brave ref. who awarded a penalty against the home side - only to find that when he returned to the 

car park after the game.... there were no wheels on his car !  

 

I believe there are a number of clubs who have openly " banned " various referees because of previously " contentious decisions ". 

Certainly we rarely had any favours from referee Dean, and one or two of his decisions caused us some embarrassing results in the past.

" Favouritism ? " ...difficult to quantify, but I felt distinctly unimpressed whilst watching the Wolves game to see several home players 

- laughing and joking with the referee -  during one of the " injury breaks " . Maybe they drank at the same pub on occasions - who knows? 

but we certainly got no favours on that day. 

[Whitey Grandad]

2 hours ago, david in sweden said:

....don't think I used the word corrupt - did I ?..., but clearly there are some individuals whose name is enough to anger fans and managers alike

and clearly back in the day (you will remember) refs. often endured shouts of  " you don't know what you are doing " along with those who 

had their parentage brought into question.  Such behaviour does nothing to endear refs. to return to such venues and be continually abused,

although some have their " favourite clubs" and one was seen to blush with pride - (famous photo) when Alex Ferguson deemed to smile at him.

 

Some fans in the North of England are (historically) particularly aggressive towards some refs. and vent their anger after wards.

I recall the story from the 1960's of the brave ref. who awarded a penalty against the home side - only to find that when he returned to the 

car park after the game.... there were no wheels on his car !  

 

I believe there are a number of clubs who have openly " banned " various referees because of previously " contentious decisions ". 

Certainly we rarely had any favours from referee Dean, and one or two of his decisions caused us some embarrassing results in the past.

" Favouritism ? " ...difficult to quantify, but I felt distinctly unimpressed whilst watching the Wolves game to see several home players 

- laughing and joking with the referee -  during one of the " injury breaks " . Maybe they drank at the same pub on occasions - who knows? 

but we certainly got no favours on that day. 

I though that was normal in some parts of the country.

[Matthew Le God]

On 14/11/2024 at 11:42, West Dean FC Legend said:

I know for a fact Roger East supported Saints and his family did too. I've been to the Dell with him and played on a same football team as him.

He has been the ref in Saints games, so would mean he lied to the governing bodies.

[West Dean FC Legend]

I suppose he could say 'I've been to games but I'm not a supporter/fan' but I thought that at the time 'How is he reffing Saints games?'

[SotonianWill]

5 hours ago, Matthew Le God said:

He has been the ref in Saints games, so would mean he lied to the governing bodies.

Lock him up and throw away the key