The refs and Swansea, Fulham, Liverpool, Everton and Chelsea

By Walter Broeckx

Was there anything suspicious to see when the refs came to Swansea?

Swansea was a new team in the PL at the start of last season. And they played football in a rather nice way. Not kicking the ball just up field and starting the charge of the light brigade. No they tried to pass the ball around.

We will be able to see the results of such tactics.  Does it result in more fouls? Does it results in Swansea committing many fouls? Do refs allow a team like Swansea to play their game? Or do they just invite the other team to kick the shit out of them?

Do refs like to go shopping at the Fulham owners little shop?

We know that the owner of Fulham used to have a little shop somewhere in London – but he sold it. Okay that little is maybe a bit of an understatement. As I have been there once. Out of curiosity and I have wandered around a bit. Looked at the prices. Thought about my bank account and just kept on looking and wandering…and wondering.

A bit out my league most of the things over there. Just imagine if I would be a ref walking over there. Would I get a special discount if the owner of Fulham noticed me? And if I would be that ref, would I be thinking on the field: “oh well that was a nice discount I got. Penalty? What penalty?”

Does Anfield still scares the refs?

Nowadays Old Trafford is said to have its influence on the refs. But in the older days the same was said about Anfield and Liverpool. I have heard stories about all the penalties that Liverpool got in the last five minutes when attacking the Kop end.

As I was not able to see all the games in those days I can’t judge the past.   And it is true that some teams and their supporters make up stories, just to explain away their defeats.

But it has been that long ago that Liverpool won the league. That was in the days before foreign broadcasters gave live games from the PL. Well in my part of the world they didn’t.  But is the spirit of those days still present when a ref enters the home of Liverpool?  How do refs who have grown up under the dominance of Liverpool in the PL react to this club?

Or do they hate the neighbours from Everton more?

Or does Everton still have a few of those refs on their cards? Because some 25 years ago the title was very much a battle between the red and blue side of Liverpool. I remember Everton winning a few titles in those days. The European ban prevented Everton from further growth in a way and since those days they have gone backwards a bit.

So it could be interesting to see how older refs who have known those days of fierce rivalry at the top of the league react to Everton. If they felt sympathy for the reds in those days, does it still show in their games?

Do refs help the Russians from Chelsea?

Abramovich has bought the Champions League for Chelsea – or if you prefer Abramovich has bought the players who brought home the Champions League for Chelsea. But here again one could ask if he also went after the refs and bought them?

Money isn’t the issue at Chelsea. Is there anything to see in the behaviour of the refs when they go to Chelsea? Is there a difference between the way the refs do the games at home or away? We remember the two offside goals against Wigan that won them the game. But we also remember the dodgy penalties rewarded to United in the same stadium. Could it be that it evens out for Chelsea?

These are the questions a football supporters might ask of themselves at times. But where to find the answer? And not just to those questions but to many more questions when it comes to referees and your favourite or most hated football team.

For the answer to those questions you can come to Untold Arsenal in the next days or weeks.

At this blog we have started a search to find answers to those questions  for as many games as possible for all teams in the EPL.

We have a small team of referees who review as many games as possible each match day. And as a result we have reviewed 40% of all games in the PL last season. We are Arsenal related of course but our findings are based upon more than 75% of games that do not involve.  So what we will come up with will only very partial be influenced by any Arsenal bias.

And our reviewers have done the games from the first till the last second and review covering each incident that involves the ref. And we have judged each incident and gave points to the refs.

We now have a database of over 7000 decisions in the PL that we can link to the referees and the teams involved.

So why don’t you take a look in the next days and keep your eyes open to see if your  team has to blame the refs for their league position or have to be grateful to them.

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