By Tony Attwood
If there is a moment that we might one day eventually look back to, as being the time when we achieved a breakthrough in Untold’s constant highlighting of referee problems in the Premier League, it could just be Arsenal v Wigan 14 May 2013.
Of course there is nothing so sad as seeing the newspapers pretend that the referees’ issue does not exist. It reminds me of the way in which both the English and Scottish media chose to ignore events at Rangers, even though on the internet you could hardly move for the story of the club’s imminent collapse. When ultimately the papers could ignore it no longer they somehow pretended that “legal considerations” had stopped them doing anything other that towing the official line up to that point. I don’t think anyone was fooled; the only good that came out of it was that the newspapers’ reputation in terms of football reporting went through the floor.
So it is with the referees. Regularly BBC Radio 5 has commentators complaining about referee errors, and yet they refrain from (or are ordered not to) talk about WHY referees make these errors. Meanwhile in the press there is no comment.
Last night at the Ems the referee was booed onto the pitch – a clear indication that many in the crowd knew what was coming. As the game progressed he crowd got very agitated at the refs failings. He was booed off the pitch at half time and back on in the second half. Mention of it in the papers? Well in those I saw this morning, there was not a sausage.
But there are two more factors: it appears that Sky did actually made mention of the crowd being on the ref’s case, and Walter has told us that the Belgian media has noted the issue of the ref.
Meanwhile www.refereedecisions.co.uk is gaining visitors month by month – over 32,000 a month (which is huge for such a specialist site) and of course Untold chugs along at half a million plus a month.
So the story is out there: that there may be something very wrong with refereeing in the Premier League.
But is the similar to the issue that has been faced in Italy?
I can’t say that it is, because I don’t have access to the phone taps of private conversations between refs, the media and clubs, that were used to expose the corruption in Italy. But we do have enough issues lurking around that demand investigation and explanation. Issues such as:
1. Why is it that some clubs find it virtually impossible to win a game under certain referees?
2. Why are there so few referees that certain clubs get the same ref half a dozen times or more in a season? Surely, a basic system set up to ensure that corruption never got a foot in the door would require that there are enough refs around so that no club gets the same ref more than twice a season. That is just a simple basic precaution. So why is it not implemented?
3. Why was the PGMOL web site shut down after we started investigating the issues surrounding PGMOL and referees?
4. Why, when we have seen corruption in other countries and when there is a constant level of concern relating to the issue of match fixing across Europe, is point two not implemented? Even if there is not the slightest trace of match fixing in the Premier League now, why is the number of referees used by PGMOL not increased to make it harder for criminals to fix matches in the future?
5. Why, given the above, do programmes such as Match of the Day or Panorama not start to mention that there are concerns expressed in some quarters, and start investigations? We know that in Italy part of the match-fixing arrangement was made to work by “encouraging” TV companies not to show certain “contraversial” decisions on their programmes – and so we start to get suspicious about the fact that no one in the media which broadcast football on TV is talking about this issue.
6. Why, even if every other point is rejected, does BBC Radio 5 not take up the point so often made by Alan Green in his commentaries that the referee seems to be getting an awful lot wrong? If that is so, as Mr Green has said, why does no one ask “why?”
7. Why do radio and TV stations continue to persist (if pressed) with the view that wrong decisions by referees “always balance out in the end” without the slightest bit of statistical evidence to support this – not least when such evidence as there is suggests exactly the opposite.
8. Why do some referees have to do two games in a week, and why are the referees not announced further in advance?
The pressure from ourselves will continue, the questions will continue to be asked, and slowly, step by step, the press and TV stations that refuse to acknowledge that there is an issue to be investigated will look more and more odd and more and more isolated for ignoring the issue.
All in all, if I had to put it down to one point it would be this – why are there so few refs available when having more would help stop corruption should anyone ever try to fix the system as happened in Italy? Why is such a simple anti-corruption procedure not being implemented?
It’s a simple question – but answer comes there none.
———————————
The most detailed study of Premier League Refs ever:The referees 2013.
——————————–
Its alright Tony, referees were scared of Sir Voldemort but now that he has gone it might become more transparent.
http://www.football-league.co.uk/page/ListofOfficials/0,,10794~2104695,00.html
Link to all National list officials, just to show how many we have.
A problem I have is; Most teams that are in the Championship have at some stage been in the Premiership and many referee’s outside the select group have taken games between ex-premiership sides the season after relegation, now, surely, if these officials are good enough to officiate over these sides whilst in the Championship then surely they are good enough to over-see premiership games involving these same sides.
The current set-up smacks of manipulation.
http://www.football-league.co.uk/page/ListofOfficials/0,,10794~2104695,00.html
It wont allow the link sorry.
Big John Harton or his fellow co-comentator (not sure which of the two) on BBC Radio 5 Live mentioned the Mike Dean stat regarding our win percentage under him last night on air. I thought of this website when it was said (think it was during half time after the Wigan goal).
Big John Harton or his fellow co-comentator (not sure which of the two) on BBC Radio 5 Live mentioned the Mike Dean stat regarding our win percentage under him last night on air. I thought of this website when it was said (think it was during half time after the Wigan goal).
It is critical that the media press on and ‘expose’ such ungentlemenly behavior or more bluntly refs. who have just got no conscience and no B**LS! to give correct and unbiased decisions!
Some are just obvious blatant decisions!!
If this continues the EPL Refs. will be openly chastised by all and sundry in the Football Fraternity World wide…. not to mention in the UK Especially!!
Come on guys where is the English fairness …. in the gutter!!
He is supposedly a DEAN?? Ha! quite a laugh!!
I wanted to see Lord Voldermort caught. looks like him and his powermeister Gill has got out. Efore it gets too hot in the kitchen.
I really hope some day that it is proven that Refs are making the difference to many of their titles.
Truth is for the so called number one Club they have a very average record in the CL. They seem to get byes into the latter rounds anyway then when faced with a big team they fail.
His record is not that impressive in Europe compared with other Managers. Yes he got them to these latter stages but they are the so called biggest bestest Club in the world.
Like Jimmy Saville and many after him I am waiting for the day he and his mates get exposed for what they are.
why is it that we will never believe that our game is not in some way corrupt. Like everything in life corruption exists where such large sums of money are involved. Mike Dean last night seemed incapable of giving anything he was not forced into giving. I don’t blame him for some of our results, Blackburn we just played very badly and deserved to lose, but you could see last night that he was looking to get Wigan back into the game. His dismissal of the assaults on Santi Cazorla were unbelievable!!
Just to add that when I found out about the Referee for the Wigan match I emailed Talksport and gave them the stats published last week and the link to this site and asked why we get the same ref so many times, no reply of course.
I was at the match last night and it certainly seemed to myself and those around me that Mr Dean was doing his best to assist Wigan where he could do so subtly without too much notice being taken. Pity for him he was so blatant when it came to the free kick that gave them their goal! Fortunately that free kick alone may (hopefully) start the questions being asked about referees.
And as to the booing Dean was also booed off the pitch at the end of the match accompanied by some not too flattering chants of Mike Dean You’re still a c***.
I think Mike Riley is so sick of Mike Deans failure of last night that he still was not able to randomly appoint the random referee appointing for next week
“it appears that Sky did actually made mention of the crowd being on the ref’s case, and Walter has told us that the Belgian media has noted the issue of the ref.”
Amen. Yes, it’s surely a good sign that a Sky commentator, last night, noted that fans were upset and giving voice to it. (I’d love to see the transcript.) But, alas, it’s hardly ‘Sky’s breaking ranks’ as the headline above suggests. It’s a good thing, but too soon to suggest (as the headline does) that there’s anything institutional (Sky-wide)about Sky changing course when it comes to whistle-blowing on refshite.
Imo, the event is more a tribute to fans helping break the reprehensible media silence that you indicate. (Maybe they were taken by surprise, since this type of outburst doesn’t happen here, now does it.) A good near future sign will be that those Sky commentator(s) (a) keep their jobs and/or (b) ever make the same observation(s) again.
I find it sad that the usually fine Cultured Left Foot blogster, Yogi, thinks the idea that Dean is biased (or more) is “preposterous,” and he gives no attention to the actual chants of “cheat! cheat! cheat!” that rose from the fanbase. I wonder how the rest of the blogosphere will have reacted today?
Refs do make mistakes like goalies and strikers but I was more concerned by the intimidation allowed/ignored by the FA refs and linesman alike from the Gobby jock.Many a point or 2 was gained by his aggressive manner.In the street he’d have got a smack before now.Still,how long will the Man u. board put up with his behavior.Time will tell.Not long for sure.
I think the “booing the ref” issue was mentioned in the mirror report
The Guardian had a paragraph on Dean’s record so it is getting out there.
mick,
Is there a link you could give so we could consider their coverage?
Keep up the good work. Eventually, we will have fairness. But only by keeping up the pressure on the FA and the other gnomes.
16:00 Newcastle v Arsenal Howard Webb M Mullarkey
D Cann K Friend
@El tel
Dean is a C**T but I wish people would stop saying bad things about Jimmy Saville, he was a nice man.
When I was 8yrs old he fixed it for me to milk a cow blindfolded…
This will be their tenth game together this season for the 3 main officials. Howard Webb, M Mullarkey, D Cann.
We haven’t lost under these and Newcastle haven’t won, both had two games apiece under these.
Tottenham v Sunderland Andre Marriner S Child S Long P Dowd
Andre Marriner, S Child, S Long, have not worked together this season in the prem.
Adam,
Mullarkey again. And the Webbmeister, where The Dean has failed. If the game within the game is Webb v Dean for the role of Micky R’s successor, we’d best be sending a massive away-contingent with A4 red cards, whistles and the fullest voice for no favors past from The Howard.
bob, I just find it odd that there are a few partnerships cropping up that none of us have really noticed, nothing wrong with officials trio-ing up, but it would be nice if there was lots of them instead of a “select” few?
Plus why are we getting these partnerships?
THe daily MIrror actually mentioned the stats and also said about him getting booed off at half time
As I recall, Webb’s record for Arsenal isn’t bad. If anything, Arsenal have a good record under Webb. But his reputation is that of being ManU’s helper. Coupled with his high profile appointments, in which he shows some quite atrocious refereeing, to me suggests that all Webb does is what he’s ‘asked’ to do. Dean might hate Arsenal. Webb doesn’t. Question is, what do Riley and his unnamed bosses, have in store for us?
I’m beginning to think they are mostly taking a back seat now that ManU’s title is won, and they’ve been getting some attention. I also think this taking a backseat will continue into next season. It’ll firstly solidify Ferguson’s brand and people will be led to believe their dominance was entirely down to Ferguson. It’ll also lead to a tighter league which’ll help subdue the threat of the Bundesliga. Within a year’s time, they’ll have restored their credibility entirely in the eyes of most, and then they can get back to business as usual. That’s only my feeling though.
It was good to hear thirty odd delusional football fans calling out the referee for what he is at HT, and this is the clincher, at FT too. We all know you can win the games with these ‘types’ (last seasons 5-2!), but having such partisan officials? It’s just not Cricket.
Any attempted defence of the performances of this official as seen by tens of thousands of people & more in select games is not the wise path to take. I expect more from the wise. Sporting history can guide us. That route will eventually lead to a ‘Shakoor Rana’ type incident. Officials who support one team taking revenge by taking the blatant mick for slights by other officials. Is that what football fans want to see? Really? No, I didn’t think so either.
No surprises, video ( & neutral umpires) were soon introduced to Cricket after the above mentioned affair with more aids for the officials added in increments since: to the betterment of the game.
Off topic:
Had a glimpse online of RVP on their victory barge celebration in Manchester, historic site of them dark satanic mills of the glorious industrial revolution. RVP was shown filming himself via his cell phone with a rictus grin of triumph, that he’d no doubt transmitted to his inner and outer circles of worshippers, to give generously give them a taste of his victory, that he got by leaving here. What a narcissist, staring into to the pond of his greater reflected glory. The problem, I must confess, is for those of us who prefer looking at the dark satanic mills.
bob
I see you’re not above borrowing the colourful language of those among the UK’s national press 🙂
The Daily Telegraph said Arsenal fans were suspicious of Dean after only one win in their previous 16 matches under him. The reporter said the free kick Wigan scored from looked soft but there was contact. He also reported that Dean was strongly booed going off at half time and coming on again afterwards.
Adam’s 2:41pm link (just in case)
I was just wondering if the PL and of course the PGMOL will try to arrange a play off game between Arsenal and Chelsea?
I can imagine them making some extra money from such a play off game…
Cheers Matt, I really should learn how to use a computer properly.
Yes Walter. I did have that thought. But it seems like a difficult thing to enforce with the goals scored also having to be exact.
I do think however, that not including the head-to-head record as a factor in deciding the teams’ positions, they were hoping to, by default, have the 39th match that they’d tried to somehow initiate a few years ago.
Now, this scenario of a play-off between us and the chavs, defines what a play-off is supposed to be, not the farce we see at the end of every season in the lower leagues.
Don’t mean to prolong the agony, but I wouldn’t turn down an extra game. Or am I being greedy?
The Telegraph article
…although the anti-big team bias is over-done it does stoop to mention a few bits and pieces regarding the ref. and the fans.
@Adam,
no worries – I’ve nothing useful to add, but thought that I could help in some small way.
this link is useful for learning how to do that stuff…
http://www.w3schools.com/tags/tag_a.asp
I think I’m going to watch the Arsenal ladies tonight at Lincoln. It is live on espn so should be able to get a stream I think.
My big criticism from Deans performance last night was where he was giving the free kicks and for what reason.
He gave us very little within 40 yards of their goal but Wigan had at least three from around our penalty area.
The fouls he gave to Wigans forwards were very similar to the ones he never gave to ours.
Ramsey got a free kick down our left in the first half after running thirty yards with a Wigan rucksack all over him.
He only gave the free kick when Ramsey ended up close to the touchline and after he eventually collapsed with the weight of said ruck sack.
The angle of free kicj was easier to defend and I am convinced he wouldn’t have given anything until Ramsey actually got hauled down.
Podolski was getting climbed on time after time and the Wigan forward who came on late in the game was not looking at the ball for any of his aerila challenges. He played the man every time. We got petty little nothing free kicks aroundmthe half way line but Dean was giving us nothing closer to the danger zone.
I am still wondering when it will be realised Mike Riley haa done us a massive service with a decision in our favour. You don’t know which game, do you?
Sir Alex Ferguson has possibly retired because he knew there was a pendinding clampdown on Ref crimes. As a secondary reason it was to get the granny shagger to change his mind about leaving the club. He has withdrawn his transfer request.
Well done so far Untold and keep it up, you guys are playing a blinder! This is getting out there, lots of visitors,to these sites, mentions of things in the media and in quite a few conversations I have heard. With the media, there are only green shoots at the moment, but if refs do not stop this crap, a tipping point will occur. According to the excellent link posted by I think Mahdain, the new Utd manager once openly questioned the head of the pgmol wanting an investigation as to whether he is a Utd supporter. Things will change, maybe fergies departure will accelerate things, or maybe not. Fairer refereeing will mean increased points for our team, and who knows,what that will lead to?
Fantastic work all at Untold.
Just to reiterate.; we don’t want referees to be biased in our favour. We just don’t want referees to be biased.
When I say biased, I mean quite obviously bent.
Credit also due to the home fans yesterday, fans actually backing the team does actually help! More will be needed from the fans going to Newcastle this weekend, do not believe a word that pardew and the team will roll over in their safe position, that teams manager and some players are on a sticky enough wicket as it is. Webb may not personally have it in for us, but maybe he could do the bidding for a man who does. But have faith in this team, wenger has really changed things, not always spectacular but becoming increasingly solid. Something happened after the spud game, wenger said no more!
Shard!
Yes, der riktus grin lives! RVP has now become Riktus van Grinner – Seriously, mate, you gotta see how he poses his toothy self before his own phone/camera and gives all posteriority that sterile all-purpose judas-smile of his. Turning the media’s phrase-mongering themselves, imo, is the way we should continue to roll. And who’s really good at this – our sometimes Rantetta!
p.s. sorry, I meant: “Turning the media’s phrase-mongering <> themselves.”
acch: AGAINST themselves…
Oh come on, bob, there’s no competition. You are, as Shard implied (and I agree) King of the colourful collation. You are the don of disembowelling and dissecting the dastardly doodling of those seemingly drunken dorks, who come with their derisory diatribes of which you’re rightly disdainful. (Including Dean the devil, **** that he undoubtedly is).
http://positivelyarsenal.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/dean.jpg
Who was it that wrote of the elevation of/to Lord Fungus XX, et al, for the last 2 years? Yes, you bob. And thank you, again.
I was truly heartened to hear the supporters at the Ems last night. I loved seeing our players gliding – Santi manipulating the ball, Arron busting his gut, and that ****ing goal -“He gave him the eyes”, then smashed the ball into the roof of the net. Take that Rupert Cock! Arteta ran off his calf, Gibbsy was dilligent and displaying responsibility. Sagna was in their face(s). Theo’d clearly decide Wigan’s left back was rubbish, and besides scoring, he put his oft battered shoulder into the left back – in Arsenal’s defence, FFS. (I haven’t seen him tackle successfully back there for a while).
Kossy6 (how d’yu spell it). ****ing hell, what can you say about him. No wonder Dean always tries to send him off, but then Dean tries to send all of Ars’s players off, innit?
Mike Dean – Mike Riley; Your boys took one hell of a beating last night (and serves you ****ing right).
TR7, you played advanced midfield. You chased those ****ers all night. You slid in, you nicked the ball, you’re wonderful. Sneezy 1 (how d’yu spell it). You were big and strong. You don’t know your own strength, as demonstrated by that throw that zipped out on the left touchline, but that’s not to critcise, no, that save from Kone, and others – you’re Arsenal’s goalkeeper, period! The BFG is simply coooool.
HT
“Cheat cheat cheat” chant the Arsenal fans at Mike Dean as he leaves the pitch” (from Arseblog Liveblog).
Did I mention LP 10? “He hasn’t scored for ? months”, clucked the clunderbuster. Wot yu sayin’ now?
TWO goals, FFS. But then Arsene had explained, clearly, with ‘alacratic articulation’ that the German players are used to mid season breaks, and that “he gets stronger”. (I heard that on the presser. Was it splashed as an exclusive? Was it ****.
So, it’s like this: I only had 2 hours sleep last night, and it’s bob’s fault I’m super-late to bed tonight, what with his bloomin’ teasing, nay – taunting – of my occasional name-sake-edness thingy. I read and love Untold, and with the sharpness and positivity of the replies, I don’t feel the need – to write. You all do a wonderful job (and probably get adequate sleep).
Oh, “but Sky breaks rank”? Steady on. Just prior to kick off they mentioned summat about not winning the last 4 (four) games with Dean. That doesn’t tell a tenth of the story. It may be a start but imagine if they talked about 2 not given penalties against Bradford, the dancing when he’s cheated Arsenal, the suspension for being involved in gambling the debacle at Birmingham… it goes on and on, and you can read it all here, @ Untold.
Forward, Arsenal.
Bedtime, Ranty.
Ranty,
nighty night, cap(tain)!
still my muse, 🙂
B
There was this snippet in the Guardian’s match report by David Hytner from Tuesday 14th May.
“Maloney won his second
free-kick from Mikel Arteta on the edge of the area. The
home support took out their anger on the referee Mike Dean
and it intensified when Maloney, following that straight-on,
stuttering run, bent the ball brilliantly beyond Wojciech
Szczesny.
Arsenal rarely win when Dean takes charge and there were
plenty of people in the stands muttering darkly about
conspiracy” .
Now if Mr Hytner had delved a bit deeper & asked why we might be muttering darkly about conspiracy when we rarely win when he is in charge…
We weren’t born with our tinfoil hats on.
Sadly ‘we’ don’t do referee intimidation like they do on the continent…
I’m not entirely sure whether the club can be fined for showing instant replays during the game (to highlight the referee’s bias) but I’m pretty certain that before the game and during half time there are no restrictions. In which case, I would have a loop running showing all the past injustices, to ‘entertain’ the crowd.
Basically every referee that shows up (since thanks to Walter’s data, they all seem to forget the rules) should be ‘introduced’ to the crowd in a manner designed to generate palpable hatred.
At the Emirates, the referee should be under the impression that his best interests are served by doing his job to the letter of the law and not someone else’s wishes.
Tony
Whilst I understand and applaud your hard work on the matter I think its important that you deter some arsenal fans from crying corruption for perceived mistakes of the club.
If you look at any league in the world covering any sport you will see fans who have issues.
Take the NFL forinstance, this is a league which has video for everythong and yet the refs are still deemed incompetent.
Dean didn’t have a bad game on Tuesday.I can completely see why he didn’t give the foul on Cazorla but gave it for Maloney. Both were cons but one was a better con.
What there needs to be more of in the prem is analysis of pretty much everything in a statistical sense. baseball and nfl are light years ahead.
Rather than hear pundits talk about the man marking over zoanl and why having a feel on the player is much better I want one of them to tell me statistically why teams are using zoanl. this would have been done years ago in america. Refs will always have a hard deal linesman much worse. Linesman have to look at 2 places at once to be able to do there job its ridiculous. if your watchong when and where the ball was played from how can you be looking perfectly along the line…..you cant.
This is more of an issue
@ Woolwich
Clubs are not allowed to show controversial decisions, they will show the penalty being taken but never the foul / handball that led up to it. Same goes for Free Kicks and they don’t show Red or Yellow cards either.
Against Everton last season (or season before) they scored from an off side goal. The goal was shown straight after and it was so blatantly offside the Ref and Asst Ref had a discussion about it. Given they had awarded the goal it stood. At half time the goal was shown from the camera behind the goal at the Clock End, although it was actually scored into the North Bank.
They didn’t show Mr Dean celebrating Tottenham’s goal against us last season either (not sure why!)
MissBlack,
My attempt to answer why: Because the notorious Arsenal-hater, Hytner was born minus the W at the start of his surname. He has a day-one animus to honestly asking and openly examining the question WHY when it comes to anything Arsenal. His performance two summers ago, in the summer of Cesc, after enjoying the Asia trip where he praised Arsenal like a true Juday, was to turn on Arsene with the rest of the wolfpack and do his best to hone his blinkered prose into AW’s back. A total stenographer to his string-pullers is selected and then self-selects not to ask the question WHY when it comes to Arsenal. And now to tar AFC’s publicly vocal fanbase – that has concluded (after so long) that there is enough stench from The Dean’s decisions to call him “cheat, cheat, cheat” – with muttering about dark conspiracies FULL STOP, is to fulfill the same ingrained incuriousity that pays a reporter’s rent and ensures his longevity at the hitherto notoriously anti-AFC Guardian Football Department. That he will survive and flourish and Amy Lawrence vanishes into the aether is tell-tale. I ask WHY about that. I would ask Hytner to say WHY. And, verily whether and WHY there seems to be a silent W in the spelling of his surname.
Mr. Attwood,
Having learned to ask these via Untold’s coverage, I’d ask you to ask PGMOL for specifics on:
Why they took down their website?
Why are southern referees so under-represented on the EPL pitch?
Why they don’t publish a post-match report?
Why they don’t mic their ref’s as rugby does?
Why is their stand on video replay one of silence?
Why is The Dean continued after having been once under suspension for his proximity, as was noted then in the press, to gambling interests?
Why and how did Mr. Riley (aka Micky R) get to lead the PGMOL in light of his clearly substandard performance in derailing AFC’s unbeaten streak at Old Toilet (in that well-remembered, if sometimes too painful to speak of controversy)? Was it a factor in his appointment? A hurdle to overcome? Was it even considered as a point of discussion that he could explain to those voting on his appointment? If so, why? If not why?
Bob- the lurch to the dark side by the graun has not gone unnoticed by me. I barely read anything on there anymore unless we have won convincingly & they have no room to boot us.
Also Hytner was in the stadium. Dean was booed of, on & off again. Airbrushed from history. or he’s deaf. Or a c u next tuesday with an agenda. I’ll go for the later. click whores the lot of them.
One of their junior subs, Simon Burnton, wrote a short piece about the furore engendered by City fans whining about the cost the away tickets. Burnton wrote the returned allocation was “snapped up by stupid Londoners.” Unbelievable. I was incensed by this. As were many others. Burnton didn’t apologise, , retract or explain to any of the complaints he received on twitter.
Very disappointing. Can you imagine the furore if he had referred to stupid northerners? I have had a gutful of the 4th estate when it comes to our club.
I’m grateful there are a few blogs out there including this one I can enjoy reading as that isn’t the case with the mainstream press any longer.
St John St Gooner,
I don’t think anyone is saying the use of video would all of a sudden make the refs competent. There will always be a certain level of incompetence (that is not a dig or insult by the way, more a truth that needs to be acknowledged), how can one man or woman be expected to keep up with 22 superfit athletes and not make a mistake.
Video is needed to eradicate injustices where the official was unable to keep up (as well as corruption) and make the game fair for all, in particular the fans.
MissBlack,
Simon Burnton has surely signaled his willingness to “play ball” as he slouches towards a place in the Guardian Football Department’s starting XI. It really creeps me out whenever two of their stenographers offer this online for pay tutorial every so often on how to write football/sports articles. I’d bet the farm that talking point one is bash the Arsenal. My thought is that besides having devolved as the former Manchester Guardian, they need to make money from the football pages to shore up their economic woes. I don’t wish them anything like a Titanic’s fate; but I do wish that they’d jettison that Football Department so they could straighten up and fly right.