No game for Clattenburg

Referee will not officiate Premier League fixture

By Rob Parrish   Last updated: 23rd October 2007

No game for Clattenburg

Clattenburg: Display criticised

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Mark Clattenburg will not referee a Premier League match this weekend in the wake of his display in the Merseyside derby.

The Professional Game Match Board, who oversee referees and make appointments for top-flight games, confirmed that Clattenburg would not be involved in the latest round of fixtures.

Everton manager David Moyes was fiercely critical of the official's display at Goodison Park, where he awarded Liverpool two penalties and dismissed Tony Hibbert and Phil Neville.

Moyes was also unimpressed that Clattenburg only showed Dirk Kuyt a yellow card for a reckless two-footed lunge on Neville, and that Everton were denied a penalty in the closing seconds when Joleon Lescott appeared to be wrestled to the floor by Jamie Carragher.

Liverpool came from behind to win the match 2-1 with Kuyt converting both penalties after Sami Hyypia's own goal had given the home side the lead.

Comments (24)

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Mike Clark says...

Clattenburg is consistently poor with his refereeing performances, time and time again he is making high profile mistakes and none more so than at the weekend. For me as a neutral I think the first penalty was a difficult decision but as Jamie Carragher pointed out in his post match interview it's a mans game and Gerrard was equally as guilty for tugging on Hibberts shirt and going down too easily and for me wasn't a sendig off but I kinda agree it should be a penalty. The real issue is Gerrard's influence over the ref - who blatently took out the yellow card until Gerrard's intervention. This where the referee opens himself up to being critiqued so harshly. The 2nd penalty was stone walled and a great save by Neville :) but the 2 incidents involving Lescott were incredible. Both were penalties and both were only yards away from the referee, I agree with Moyles that if you cannot see and award those decisions you shouldn't be even refereeing sunday league games for school kids. Referee's get a bad press and they are only human but yo have to draw the line at incompetence.

Posted 08:55 23rd October 2007

Ian Taylor (Liverpool fan) says...

The only bad decision was the Everton penalty at the end.

Posted 07:42 23rd October 2007

Liam Young (Everton fan) says...

Clattenberg was a disgrace, there should be an investigation. Liverpool Fans - lets see if you talk about things equaling up over the season next time it goes wrong for you, how is that justice or even relevant to carragher wrestling, or kuyts terrible tackle. You reds are as biased as clattenberg, get real. I think there is a lot going on behind the scenes similar to the contreversy in italy.

Posted 01:24 23rd October 2007

Tim Skellon (Portsmouth fan) says...

The lad has one bad match and a whole season of competent and sensible refereeing is overlooked. If you punish referees this severely for making mistakes you won't erase the mistakes, you'll just have more referees making them. As for bias, I don't think there's any issue at all. Personally I think Lescott made far too much of the second incident (and I don't like Liverpool at all, to be honest). The first one probably should have been a penalty but that's tough. You get decisions for you and against you. If you're looking for the discrageful behaviour, perhaps Moyes and Benitez should stand up and be counted. In the red corner, blatantly stating that Lescott dived was fanning the flames, not dampening the issue as he has a responsibility to do. In the blue corner, refusing to accept an apology? What, is he a five-year-old? Football used to be played by men; we all know that it no longer is... but now it seems that extends to the managers as well. Grace, manners, conduct, dignity; all lost words in modern football sadly.

Posted 19:49 22nd October 2007

Robert Goodwin (Liverpool fan) says...

2 Points can cost millions? Like the 2 we were robbed of against Chelsea? Every team has to deal with it at some point.

Posted 18:45 22nd October 2007

Josh Smith (Manchester United fan) says...

Clattenburg was spot on with the two sendings-off. I'm not sure why he pulled the yellow on the first one, I'd be interested to hear his explanation. The foul by Kuyt could have gone either way, but it was certainly a yellow. He pulled out of the challenge early and it was certainly reckless, but I think a red would have been too much. I have no idea how that wasn't a penalty for Everton at the end though--that was a very, VERY poor decision!

Posted 18:00 22nd October 2007

Ally Macrae (Rangers fan) says...

Its good that the English FA are making referees pay for there bad displays as would happen in the case of a player. Everton should have had at least one maybe even two penalties, Kyut should have been sent off and the original foul for the Liverpool penalty was outside the box. Admittedly he got both sending offs correct eventually but he has clearly been influenced by Gerrard (which he should never have allowed)for the first or he would have got that decision wrong aswell.

Posted 17:43 22nd October 2007

Mark Robinson (Arsenal fan) says...

Everton were robbed by a disgraceful referee, it's a hard job but they were not hard decisions he got wrong, it's good to see some action taken but ultimate justice to Everton will never be given.

Posted 17:14 22nd October 2007

Gavin M (arsenal fan) (Arsenal fan) says...

The reason Moyes is so angry is because of the money at stake! It may be just a game of football but it is also a massive business, two points at the end of the season could cost a club millions. Clattenberg was awful and its such a shame as I thought he was the PL's best Ref!

Posted 16:59 22nd October 2007

Jamie Rauber (Liverpool fan) says...

Are we honestly talking about the two RED cards? They were spot on Mr. Clattenburg!

Posted 16:57 22nd October 2007

David Antrobus (Manchester United fan) says...

I accept the 'they're only human' argument, which perhaps without people knowing it, is stating even more reason for video replays to be introduced for game swinging decisions. ie (did it cross the line, was it a penalty, was it a red card?) Although every single englishman on saturday was less than chuffed at the try not being given, on bitter reflection, it was 'just about' the right decision by the letter of the law. Therefore, and rightly so, a massive game of sport in the world cup final was ended fairly and squarely! Contrary to the argument, it wouldnt hold up the game. Afterall youre talking maybe one a game at best!

Posted 16:48 22nd October 2007

Ian Gilding says...

Clattenberg is a disgrace,Lescott was mugged by Carragher and only a biased ref wouldnt give something so obvious,it was the most blatant penalty EVER and the ref cant even say he didnt see it properly,his positioning was excellent. There was something not right about his decision making on Sat and on that evidence he shouldnt be refereeing at all,if i was an Everton fan i'd want Clattenberg investigated.(QPR fan)

Posted 16:41 22nd October 2007

Mark M (Everton fan) says...

I agree that Mark Clattenberg should be punished for not doing his job correctly. Being punished for your mistakes will only help eliminate blatant mistakes like those witnessed on saturday!

Posted 16:39 22nd October 2007

Nicola Hinchliffe (Leeds United fan) says...

So that means that one of the lower leagues has to suffer his refereeing (if you can call it that). Cant believe he didn't give Everton at least one penalty!

Posted 16:21 22nd October 2007

Valentine Mbawa says...

Clattenburg is a top ref but he totally lost it on Saturday. It is great to see the board taking some action but this doesn't take the points away from Liverpool does it? The only solution to this problem will be to give more powers (video aided) to the fourth official (like in RFL) to challenge Referee's decision during the game. Each manager should have a limited number of challenge calls to make per game or per term and I am sure this can only lift up the standards of our lovely game

Posted 16:15 22nd October 2007

Rohini Denton (Everton fan) says...

He didn't just make one mistake, bad decisions were made throughout the match, all in Liverpool's favour. Moyes had every right to complain. Absolute disgrace!

Posted 16:12 22nd October 2007

Colin Kirby (Liverpool fan) says...

Perhaps its time to acknowledge that some refs may be/are biased and in the case of Mark Clattenburgs handling of the Everton v Liverpool game it may be the case that clubs on the receiving end of poor refereeing are awarded points to compensate them for the referee's misconduct. Interestingly Clattenburg is 'suspended' for next weeks fixtures which appears to be an admission by the FA or poor refereeing standards and if this is the case justice needs to be served. How many times does the so called top four clubs have to benefit from poor or biased refereeing before the authorities take action to address the situation. If Clattenburg did indeed travel or associated with Liverpool players during the far east trip then this answeres the many questions raised about his performance on Saturday and his clear bias to Liverpool FC. Action needs to be taken against Clattenburg but without some form of recompense to clubs who have suffered an injustice this will just continue, It is an absolutely travesty.

Posted 15:56 22nd October 2007

Stephen Tibber (Liverpool fan) says...

Swings and roundabouts! Liverpool were denied 2 points by a poor decision against Chelsea and possibly benefited this time against Everton. How nice it was to see the England rugby team management and players accept a controversial decision without insulting the officials or concluding there was a plot against them! Grow-up Moyes¿.it is just a game of football!

Posted 15:49 22nd October 2007

John Price says...

Clattenburg was right to give the first sending off. Why did he want to show Hibbert the yellow card anyway? But Everton's appeal for a last minute was a little dodgy. Look at the Cardiff game for example where Fowler was brought down the same way!

Posted 15:47 22nd October 2007

Dezz Houdini says...

after what is most likely to be the worst weekend for refs (or maybe best depending on who visited the bookies) is that Clattenburg is obviously being made a spectacle of to hide just how bad the other refs were, none more so than the man utd player refing the man utd villa game and the rangers player refing the celtic game (not literaly but close enough).

Posted 15:42 22nd October 2007
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