The FA Cup Final – It’s Probert (which is bad), but the crowd can still swing it.

The FA Cup Final – Arsenal v Hull – The Match Officials

By Andrew Crawshaw

 

• Referee – Lee Probert (Wiltshire FA)
• Assistants – Jake Collin (Liverpool FA) and Mick McDonough (Northumberland FA)
• Fourth Official – Kevin Friend (Leicestershire and Rutland FA)
• Reserve Assistant Referee – Simon Bennett (Staffordshire FA)

 

A few things I didn’t know

1. A Referee only does the FA Cup Final once
2. This will complete a hat-trick of appearances at Wembley for Mr Probert, having previously refereed the 2010 FA Trophy Final and been Fourth Official in the 2011 FA Cup Final between Manchester City and Stoke.
3. The Officials are appointed by the FA Referees’ Committee (Maurice Armstrong, Peter Barnes, Ron Barston, Mark Collins, David Crick, David Elleray (C), David Horlick (VC), Eddie King, Ray Lewis and Roger Pawley, Co-opted Member Mike Riley – FIFA Referees’ Committee)
4. The appointment of Mr Probert was unanimous

A Potted Biography of Mr Probert

He is 41 years old, born on the Isle of Wight but now lives in Wiltshire.  He began his career in the Conference South before making the step up to the Football League in 1998.  He was an assistant referee for five years and was promoted referee in 2003.

He had a one-off trial in the Premier League when he took control of Sheffield United’s 1 – 1 draw with Portsmouth in January 2007.  He was elevated to the top flight for the start of the 2007/8 season and elevated again to the FIFA list in 2010.  In the Premier League he has refereed 138 matches, issuing 22 red and 346 yellow cards.  This season he has refereed 21 times; Arsenal four times but Hull have yet to see him.

How often have the various Officials been together this year?

• On 27 October Kevin Friend was fourth Official for Mr Probert in the North-east derby between Sunderland and Newcastle (2-1).  That is the only game this year with the two of them in tandem this year.
• Mr Bennett has not appeared with Mr Probert all season
• Mr McDonough has been Assistant to Mr Probert for his last three games

✴26 April – Man U v Norwich (4-0)

✴3 May – Everton v Man City (2 – 3)

✴11 May – West Brom v Stoke (1-2)

• Mr Collins also joined Mr McDonough for the game on 11 May

So Mr Probert has had a full run out with both Assistants recently and there shouldn’t be any excuses for failures of communication.

Mr Probert and Arsenal

Here is a tabular summary of Arsenal’s history with Mr Probert compared with our overall league averages with all referees

PL Games pre 2013/4	797	426 (53.4%)	212 (26.6)	159 (20.0)
PL Games 2013/4	38	24 (63.2)	7 (16.4)	7 (18.4)
All PL Games to date	835	450 (53.8)	219 (26.2)	167 (20.0)
Non-Probert Refereed	816	440 (53.9)	214 (26.2)	162 (19.9)
Probert Refereed	12	5 (41.7)	4 (33.3)	3 (25.0)

Mr Probert is not one of our better referees, we win significantly fewer games with the balance being distributed evenly between draws and losses.

Last year Mr Probert cemented his reputation of being one of our worse referees his bias against Arsenal was  a massive -36.5, only Mason (-40) Taylor (-42) and Swarbrick (-61) were worse.  In contrast, Kevin Friend was the best (least biased) Arsenal referee with a score of -4.5.

This year we have had him four times

19 October – Arsenal v Norwich (4-1)

Arsenal at our magnificent best – Goal of the season from Jack, two from Özil and a solo effort from Ramsey.  Fabulous support from a packed home ground and Probert didn’t do (wasn’t allowed by the crowd to do) anything seriously wrong.  He was his usual self in not awarding a free kick outside the Norwich penalty area and denying Arsenal a stone-wall penalty in extra time.  Untold also played its part with three articles prior to the game highlighting Mr Probert’s past misdemeanors in Arsenal Games.

29 December – Newcastle v Arsenal (0-1)

Probert back to his usual useless self, Tiote and Williamson for Newcastle, in particular, allowed to kick our players whenever and wherever they chose with no cards being issued, Arsenal players carded for the slightest infringements.  A second half header from Giroud for the only goal of the game and then Arsenal hanging on for dear life

18 January – Arsenal v Fulham (2-0)

Fulham trying very hard not to lose led to a very tense first half.  In the second half Arsenal pressure told in the end with two from Santi, the first an easy finish following a one-two with Wilshere, the second a solo effort from distance.  I can’t remember Mr Probert at all from this game so I guess he has a good one (for him at least).  It was a home game which always helps with him in charge though.

25 March – Arsenal v Swansea (2-2)

An early 11th minute header from Bony gave Swansea the lead.  Arsenal stepped things up in the second half with Podolski, on as a sub, volleying the equaliser in Minute 72 and he then set up a tap in for Giroud one minute later.  Arsenal held the lead until an unlucky accident at the death, Per made a block, Szcz on the ground kicks the ball which hits Flamini and rebounds into the net, the match ending in a draw.

Swansea on a break at the end as Probert blew for full time not happy and surrounded the officials after the final whistle.  The time on the clock on Arsenal Player showed 4 min and 38 seconds of added on time had been played with 4 minutes having been indicated.

I rewatched the game for this preview and Probert did very little wrong.  There was one bad foul which earned Bony a yellow card, one penalty shout at each end in the first half, both rightly turned down.  Possibly Santi was pushed in the box in Min 70 but there was no good replay to show one way or the other, so I’l go with a third correct non deciaion.  First fouls from both teams spotted and penalised which was good refereeing, as were the number of advantages allowing the game to flow.

In conclusion

1. Mr Probert is essentially a home referee, Arsenal supporters have to make enough noise to make him believe we are the home team
2. Mr Probert always tends to give more licence for opposition players to foul/kick the s..t out of Arsenal whilst penalising Arsenal for breathing on the opposition
3. It is unlikely that there will be a penalty to Arsenal during normal play.
4. If Mr Probert reproduces the kind of performance that he did in the Swansea game I will have no problems.

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