By Walter Broeckx
So there we have it… just as I predicted. I know it is getting a bit boring. But it is a fact that I predicted it would happen. And it happened again. Another player injured because of the PGMO referees not doing their job.
And as the media always tells that it is THE way to stop Arsenal and it is being hailed as some great tactic they can join in taking the blame.
Now let us draw a list of referees who were on the field when Arsenal players got seriously injured. A list of shame of course.
I think 2006 is a good year to start.
Diaby got a broken and dislocated ankle from a terrible tackle against Sunderland. Ref on the day has now retired and the player only got a yellow card. He completely ruined the career of Diaby who never has been the same since that day.
Wilshere got his first ankle injury in the Emirates cup in August. Ref of the day was Kevin Friend. What people tend to have forgotten was that there was a blatant foul on Wilshere in the penalty area early in the match. A defender stamped on his foot and it should have been a penalty for Arsenal. But PL refs don’t give penalties for Arsenal as we all know not even in pre season friendlies. Minutes later Wilshere came off and needed surgery and was out for a very very long time.
Eduardo got a broken leg when he was assaulted by a Birmingham player. He never really recovered. The date was 24/02/2008. I day I will never forget. It still makes me sick thinking of it. Oh, ref on the day… Mike Dean. To be fair he gave a red card for the offender but well after seeing that what else could any ref do.
On 27 February 2010 we saw the same sickening images when Aaron Ramsey got his leg broken by Shawcross from Stoke. Ref on the day was Peter Walton to whom I was shouting at my TV to do something about the kicking that was taken place before the Ramsey incident happened. He didn’t hear me and I think he wasn’t interested till it happened. I could see it coming, how come a seasoned PL ref couldn’t see it coming?
27 March 2010. Just one month after the broken leg of Ramsey Arsenal go to …. Birmingham. Final result? Another broken leg. This time Cesc Fabregas was the victim. I could see it in the match but referee Howard Webb who was the ref completely ignored the dangerous tackle that resulted in Cesc getting a hair line fracture. He was rubbish in the match after that but with a few days rest he then played against Barcelona and then his leg snapped completely. I know people say it was broken against Barcelona but even the injury league website tells as the date the match against Birmingham. The hair line fracture wasn’t spotted on the x-rays and that can happen from time to time. And if you don’t believe me check it yourself.
Let’s move on to 03 October 2011. We play at Tottenham and Sagna is being assaulted outside the lines of the field by a Tottenham player. Referee of the day… Mike Dean. He didn’t see anything wrong with it. Sagna leaves on a stretcher with a broken leg. Take note the second time that Mike Dean is there when an Arsenal player is getting seriously injured.
Having recovered from that broken leg we get Norwich at the Emirates on May 5th 2012. A Norwich player stamps on the leg of Sagna who was lying on the floor. The result…another broken leg. Ref on the day was Anthony Taylor who didn’t see anything wrong with that stamp.
That was only the list of broken legs or foots of course. Because we had other injuries from bad fouls on Arsenal players in between. Many of them.
A few weeks ago when we saw the unpunished assaults on Alexis I once again asked the PGMO to take action and to stop the kicking. Alas as usual the PGMO neglected my demands and let the kicking continue. The injury from Debuchy came after getting several kicks in the match against Man City. Ref Clattenburg letting it go without a yellow card each time.
Özil being assaulted unpunished against Tottenham just a few days before his knee injury came in the spotlight. Ref in that match was Michael Oliver. Again the red card remained in the pocket.
Alexis against Chelsea where Cahil attacked him and didn’t get a red card. Ref on the day was Martin Atkinson, Chelsea’s famous 12th man.
The warning signs were flashing at my part of the line. I told we would get seriously injuries to one or more of our players. Özil being out for 3-4 months. Debuchy also.
And now we can add another one to the list. Jack Wilshere. And who was the ref this time? Yes a familiar name by now in this article… Mike Dean.
So AGAIN Mike Dean doing the refereeing when an Arsenal player gets kicked out of the game for a long, long time. And again…. Mike Dean didn’t see anything wrong with the tackle. No foul, no yellow. Nothing.
This is so shocking. After writing and warning in several articles that these things were going to happen I have been proven right. Again. And believe me that I would have wanted to be proven wrong. I would have loved it if no Arsenal player was kicked out of the game and out of the season.
But this is the sad way things go for Arsenal players. The media tell other teams to kick us to pieces and some of their managers and players go for it. And then we get results like this. Like we have seen oh so many times in the last seasons. And then people ask questions about our injury records.
As I have shown so many times in some articles we are far above the rest when it comes to injuries from being kicked unpunished all over the place. And the only ones who can stop this are the referees. But do we really think that Mike Riley will do something about this? He never did anything about it and let his referees get on with letting us being kicked and getting seriously injured. So why will they change now?
It is a very sad state of affairs in the PGMO world. And from this list we can be sure of one thing. When Dean is around the chance of an Arsenal player being out for months is 3 times bigger than with any other ref. Arsenal should refuse to play another game with Dean in charge.
The books for the Arsenal fan with everything (except these books)
- Woolwich Arsenal: The club that changed football – Arsenal’s early years
- Making the Arsenal – how the modern Arsenal was born in 1910
- The Crowd at Woolwich Arsenal
Great job, very good post. Incontrovertible evidence of the evils done our club by the PGMO over the years. It’s a shame professionals do these things to fellow professionals in the name of winning. Something needs to be done and that urgently too. Short jail time might for offending players might do the trick.
It is not sad. It is disgraceful. The cheats that call themselves PGMO under the guidance of the FA in full sight of UK’s corrupt greedy media, letting foul play destroy The Beautiful Game.
May their evil souls rot in hell.
Straws and clutching spring to mind. It was an unfortunate tackle annd didn’t look malicious to me. I was at the game and no one in crowd reacted.
Good post, England league is one of the best league in the world, but England use thier ref to fix marches, these is whot is affecting their players in major competition
http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/8400000/Fred-Flintstone-the-flintstones-8444325-390-313.gif
My previous post is not directed at the author of course!!!
Walter – another excellent article BASED ON FACTS…its a crying shame our players and club have had to endure this for so many years!!! Really is!
I think the boss is planning to sign a player in January. I advice he should make it two signings-one beast of a CB and one beast of a DM. If Arsenal have 2 beast of defenders at the back and in the midfield that can break opponent players leg, the opposing players will be thinking twice before acting. The other clubs have taken us for granted because we don’t have the leg breakers at Arsenal. Would the boss be looking to sign Azuburke Egwuekwe? The 6ft 5” Nigerian Super Eagles center half back to understudy BFG or even be starting along side him. Beast-Egwuekwe 25 is already a ready made material that needs only some finishing touches at Arsenal. He plays for Warri Wolves, a professional Premeir League club side in the Nigerian League. If the boss agreed to sign him, which will be on the very cheap. One problem is off, remaining the beast of a CB for the boss to tackle.
@Fred, ah what brilliant logic. But did you ask yourself why the crowd didn’t react? Simple. ‘They’ were not at the receiving end of the tackle. You want an accurate reaction? Ask Jack.
@Fred, ah what brilliant logic. But did you ask yourself why the crowd didn’t react? Simple. ‘They’ were not at the receiving end of the tackle, neither were you. Want an accurate reaction? Ask Jack.
So unless the crowd reacts there is no harm done?? How does that work??
Ohhhhh I get it!!! The crowd didn’t react so the ref didn’t either – ref reacts to what the crowd indicate he should react to. Now that is something!!
I repeat, straws and clutching.
Malicious or not, it’s dangerous & incompetent from any ref to allow this sort of thing against any team, not just Afc. Even if Jack wasn’t injured last week, he probably should have sent off for the Fellani incident as that would have been by the rules. It’s almost as it he was kept on the pitch by the ref to deliberately risk getting hurt.
Also might want to add Theo’s knew injury to the list. Anyone remember the ref in that game?
I do hope your being sarcastic, the ref kept jack on so he could get injured. That is a leap and half.
@Fred
I suspect that remark was tongue in cheek unlike yours which was plain stupid.
What’s stupid about it, the article suggests that Dean was the reason jack got injured, I’m saying he had absolutely nothing to do with it. I repeat straws and clutching, it obviously touchs a nerve with some of you cats hey
A good article Walter, it is indeed sad that we can almost predict what will happen depending on who is the ref.
It seems that the managers and players of some teams know that with certain refs they can get away with more than the average thuggery when playing Arsenal.
The analysis in the article is very straightforward – sad that some (a new troll?) chose to misrepresent its meaning.
Not a new troll sir, been in here a few times before, some very good articles. If you do a bit of research you may find that Man U have very poor record when dean is ref. I repeat straws and clutching
@Fred
You obviously didn’t comprehend the article. The reason Dean is culpable is because he has, for a number of years, allowed such challenges to go largely unpunished so Jacks injury was an accident waiting to happen. He has allowed the opposing teams carte blanche to engage in dangerous tactics, thus he is complicit. It’s not difficult to understand Walters reasoning even if you disagree with it. As far as no-one in the ground reacting to it I beg to differ, the crowd round me were furious to a man. Just because it didn’t look malicious has nothing to do with it. It was a desperate lunge, out of control and mistimed, he led with his studs with no regard for the consequences of his actions. Dangerous play, foul and red card. The fact that Dean didn’t give it doesn’t make it OK.
I could have added Gibbs who had a broken foot a few years ago also…
Absolutely Mick, bad tackle, unintentional but late and dangerous. However the point of crowd reaction was that means those around me followed ball and didn’t even know jack was injured, granted I’m upstairs at other end but this conspiracy theory is absolute fantasy. Dean is a Cxxt but let’s live in reality, otherwise this sight becomes as deluded as just arsenal and le grove are brainless
Walter, please it’s getting embarrassing, sighting jacks injury in the emerates cup. JFK and UFOS
I don’t know what to say about this article.
The article is backed by concrete facts as you did several times.
Then you are angry that the media doesn’t say much.
Wenger his job is to prepare the players to play.
Question is what does club do or say about it ?
Nothing nada zero .
I don’t question the media nor PGMOL but the club. Me think.
Shame a couple people have missed the point. It’s quite simple really. Allowing teams to ‘get stuck in’ to Arsenal has very dangerous repercussions and the truth is that the laws of the game are black & white and do not allow for the ref to ignore anything that is outside of those laws. Whether that is because they want to ‘let the game flow’ or not. Simple.
Fred, the real embarrassment is that it all happens when PGMO refs are on the field.
And by using the word ‘unintentional’ you show that you are a dinosaur in the laws of the game. The word “intention” has been removed when dealing with fouls like that. As I said many times a ref has to look at ‘can it cause a serious injury’ or ‘did it cause a serious injury’.
If it was intended or not doesn’t matter.
Fred
“Not a new troll sir, been in here a few times before,” – therefore a troll returned?
@bjtgooner
November 29, 2014 at 12:33 am
hahahahahahahahahaha
Fred, I appreciate your simplicity. See, no one here is trying to justify our loss to Man Utd. That has been done in previous articles. What this article is bringing to the fore (with evidences) is that Arsenal players get injured more than any other club especially when the ref is a product of PGMOL. Most importantly, whenever M.Dean is the ref. Man Utd game is just another example of such incompetence.
Hope you get it! Peace.
Good post Walter. Maybe it’s down to the training methods? (being sarcastic in case someone missed the point). Those choosing to defend refs, can you tell me if anyone has been punished for the 3month lay offs our players have suffered due to bad tackles alone this season? (Ozil, Debuchy, Giroud, Wilshere…). Arteta and Ramsey have also taken a bettering.
It’s a miracle Sanchez is not in crutches…
I know you couldn’t list all the incidents Walter – far too many to mention I know; but just thought I’d addone from recent years – vlad chiriches’s stamp on Walcott which has ruled him out up to now….
As per usual the media were so concerned with Wilshire nuzzling Fellaini they completely missed the severity of the assault on jack. It makes me sick,1 week earlier jack was Englands Man of the match 2 games running the next week is back to normal being fouled constantly with no action taken.If for whatever reason Arsenal don’t say anything about the constant allowance of bad tackles on Arsenal players maybe Roy Hodgson could speak to Pgmol as this arsenal team nearly makes up half his players and injured players ate no good to him.
Re Fred and crowd at Emirates. Where I was there was a reaction by the crowd but the AAA were louder with their own agenda last week.
when people don’t say the truth, it hurts! those stupid refs did wat they know best and that is to allow physical intimidation from teams who can’t kick s–t to counter arsenal’s beautiful play. honestly, England’s ref association is RUBBISH!
Thanks for the list of shame, Walter. It makes my blood boil to read it.
I’ve just listened to Arsene Wenger’s pre-match press conference. Arsene talked about joint injuries this season, not muscular injuries. And he talked about the tackle on Jack and while he said the player did not intend to injure Jack, he said, look at it again, it was a very, very bad tackle. And I note Walter’s reminder that intention does not play a role in how a referee should regard a tackle.
Well, for me it couldn’t be clearer. Arsene Wenger is trying to point the press in the direction of considering that the injuries are the results of bad tackles. Of course he doesn’t mention the referees. For one, managers have already been punished this season for criticism of referees. For two, he knows as soon as he says something like that, the press will accuse him of whingeing and accuse our players of being wimps.
Again some press man tried to suggest that Wilshere was responsible for his own injury. Utterly sickening.
I personaly hate seeing mike Dean officiating for Arsenal.
Am pretty sure he receives bribe before arsenal game.
Or maybe he just hate arsenal.
England Officiate is the worst Officiate in Europe.
I personally feel Peter Walton gave Shawcross red card because he saw Sol Cambell was charging at him.
Fred
When you come here shouting the odds, learn the rules first then perhaps you wouldn’t look quite so stupid.
New Troll? Returning Troll? Not even a Troll.
Anyone who tries to defend the likes of Taylor and Shawcross etc., and of course the officials that allow them to behave in the reckless way they do, may not be a Troll but rather just a complete prick.
Let me ask you this Fred:
If your child got run over and seriously hurt by a motorist driving Dangerously/Recklessly down your street, would you be happy if he got away with it because the judge deemed
“HE DID’NT MEAN IT” ?
Honestly, are you really saying that is an excuse ???
Answer that, and explain your reasoning then maybe I’ll take your prehistoric attitude a bit more seriously !!
@Fred
So following your logic why exactly is Dean a C*** ? I would never call him this despite my views of him as a referee but you seem to have strong views why so?
I was at the game too. It was a clear foul. Your memory must be playing tricks with you because the crowd did react calling it a foul. I’m in block 18 so between the halfway line and the penalty box on the east side, nearer the away support. A side ways on view but quite a way away. Most around me called it as a foul. The referee is nearer than most in the crowd. No, not a malicious foul but it doesn’t have to be malicious to warrant a sending off. Should the player have been sent off? Yes!
Telling stats. Watch any game, wilshere is getting his ankles targeted. I know this may go against wengers much discussed principles but starting to think we really need an enforcer….who will sometimes take one for the team. Players committing these fouls need to know there will be repercussions, because let’s face it, our players are not going to be protected as long as Riley hangs on. We will get red cards with such a player, but we do anyway.
I wanna get in here and say that while I disagree with a decent amount of what Fred said, it doesn’t sit right with me to see everyone line up to give him a kicking.
I mean, if you react as badly to him challenging your views as that, what about the likes of the Stoke fans who to this day feel Shawcross didn’t do much wrong and, instead, remain focused on how hard done by they and their player were in the aftermath? These people harbour great anger towards…Ramsay. They are sick in the head and walk among us like normal-ish folk
I encountered one the other day on Twitter- he actually came up with a new one ,for me, apparently it wouldn’t have happened had Bendtner not pulled Shawcross’ shirt and so stopped him getting there in time (he must believe Shawcross has the fine motor skills of a defective JCB digger)- sadly just before I was trying to get to sleep with an early start in the morning.
They are the fellows to reserve your greatest anger for (not that it does any good), not for one of our own fans who, if you approach it right, there is a slight chance you can persuade to move closer to your own position/the light.
The problem with an enforcer for Arsenal is that he will be out for half the season due to red cards. If I thought the rules were being applied equally that might work, but as it is the rules are applied so much harsher against Arsenal players than anyone else.
Rich
Hardly ganging up on him is it.
He’s come on thread in total contradiction to the article. He has cited 2 things:
1)The author is clutching at straws
2)Un intentional = innocent.
He has been tackled on both those points with solid arguments and a question. Apart from me calling him a prick for effectively condoning thuggery everyone else has bee polite.
He has as yet failed to answer the question posed to him, or put forward a logical reason for defending his accusations.
If I went on La Grove with the core of this article don’t you think they’d be queuing up to have a go at me?
As I said yesterday, if you cant stand the heat keep out of the kitchen.
Jambug
Maybe. Probably just a thing I have where I don’t like seeing one against everyone else unless the one in question is a 24-carrot douche bag and abusive with it.
Trust me, though, if it were that Stoke fan from the other day I’d be bludgeoning him with the kitchen’s frying pan
Dean v Wilshere v the press:
http://instagram.com/p/v724UOCz8p/
Rich
I admire your benevolence my friend, but personally I wouldn’t waste it on the likes of Fred.
Rich
By the way, you may of noticed how Fred has suddenly disappeared once asked simply to explain his views.
As I said my friend, your benevolence is truly misguided.
FRED……where are you, you prick ??????
Fred,
Or can I take it you are quite happy to have your family injured by reckless motorists………. as long as they ‘didn’t mean it’ of course !!
Fred oh Fred where for ought thou Fred !!!!
@Rich
I wouldn’t label myself an AKB or an AAA (as @Tony knows I abhor both of those descriptions). I happen to have views that are on balance in support of Arsene Wenger and AFC.I think most fans are in favour of Arsene Wenger but are a largely silent majority. I replied to @Fred and was very polite about it. It isn’t ganging up at all. Why should we let these comments go?
I’m on twitter too. Twitter is a bear pit at the moment between Arsenal fans. This place by comparison is sweetness and light.