Neville demands best refs

Man Utd defender wants 'elite' officials to take charge of big games

By Richard Bailey   Last updated: 16th November 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Neville demands best refs

Neville: Refs still making big mistakes

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Gary Neville believes that only the 'elite' and most experienced referees should take charge of the biggest games.

The Manchester United defender wants the Football Association to create a pool of the best referees to officiate the Premier League's most testing matches as they do in the UEFA Champions League.

The refereeing debate had seemingly been put to bed after Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson was fined £20,000 and given a two-game touchline ban with a further two matches suspended until the end of next season just last week.

Having branded Alan Wiley 'unfit' Ferguson then questioned whether Andre Marriner was experienced enough to take charge of United's game with Liverpool last month.

Neville backed his manager at the time and has reaffirmed his belief with his comments likely to blow the debate wide open once more.

"Referees are having a tough time at the moment, but I must say that their decision making doesn't seem to be great in the big moments," he said.

"No one can deny it is very difficult to be a referee but they are supposed to be professionals.

"The big matches should be refereed by the best referees. [The former] Italian referee Pierluigi Collina always used to get the big Champions League matches because he rarely made mistakes.

Elite officials

"They should make it like that in England and use a few elite officials in the big games instead of trying to give all referees experience.

"These big games shouldn't be about giving refs experience. They should have to earn it. The best players play for the big clubs and the best commentators commentate on the big games. That's how it should be with refs."

Neville still expressed frustration at some of the decisions that did not go his side's way against Chelsea last time out but stressed he wasn't 'jumping on the referees' backs'.

"I don't think it was a foul by Darren Fletcher which led to the free-kick," he added. "I don't want to say we have been hard done by this season because every team has their complaints and I don't want to jump on referees' backs because they are under a lot of pressure.

"Not only that, but the game is so fast that you can't eliminate all mistakes. Nevertheless, I expect the big decisions in the big matches to be correct, which is not happening at the moment."

Comments (37)

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Austin Kavanagh (Manchester United fan) says...

Okay, firstly, I can see where Neville is coming from asking for proven refs to referee big games. However, who's to say which refs are experienced enough. Is one season enough? Three maybe? Or maybe no mistakes in your last 3 months? The problem lies in defining who is good enough to ref a big game, and which games are the big ones. What if one weekend there were 3 games that would affect the Champions League qualifying spots two weeks before the end of the season, and three major relegation games, but only 4 refs good enough to ref a big game? Who gets priority? Yeah, I'm guilty of complaining about a ref from time to time, but I complain about decisions by referees no matter what team they are against. I also hate when players dive to deceive a referee. Once the sport gets back to the way it once was and diving has been eradicated from the game (yes, even from Man Utd players, I don't expect any special treatment) the referees won't have so many hard decision to make, and less important mistakes get made. The refs need respect, just as some players need to be punished for diving. It's just the way it is.

Posted 13:48 17th November 2009

Chris Dyson (Everton fan) says...

Gary... Its called the Select Group and already exists...

Posted 13:02 16th November 2009

Bill Sturch (Aston Villa fan) says...

Moan, moan, moan, every time MunU loose i can't waite to hear off Fergie how bad the ref was. If players stopped trying to con the ref, he could concentrate more on the game and get the dicisions right. Players and managers want technology bought into the game, with all games now recorded lets have trial by tv, the FA should give a 3 match ban to any player caught on camera that has tried to con the ref by deliberately diving

Posted 12:58 16th November 2009

Michael Shaw (Manchester United fan) says...

Neville is spot on, no one can deny that the Refs are getting a lot wrong , Ask Brum fans how they feel after the pen that never was at Liverpool, 2 Liverpool players wrongly sent of at Fulham , Chelsea awarded a free kick that never was then Drogba fouls Brown in the box stands in an offside postion kicks out at the ball and the goal is given . The officals are at the min compared to their european counterparts RUBBISH , lets not forget there are on a lot of money and the assistants who run the line are 9 times out of ten asleep . The Refs are now over protected i would like to see them punished for these crazy mistakes they keep making and when they are it should m be made back page news .

Posted 12:57 16th November 2009

Steve Wright (Liverpool fan) says...

Obviously not a Neville fan, but what makes a big game anyway? One that involves United? The only big games now will be at the bottom of the league to see who can stay up another season. United aren't going to catch Chelsea, no-one will. And I cant see how all teams shouldnt have the same access to a good standard of refereeing anyway. Just another example of Uniteds self importance. Would a better referee have added the right amount of injury time against Man City?

Posted 12:53 16th November 2009

Steven Hammill (Liverpool fan) says...

Define big game!! I'm a Liverpool fan and understand what Neville is getting at but who is to say that two teams playing each other in a regulation 6 pointer is not a big game for them? Is it okay for referees to make mistakes in this type of game that could have massive implications if a team gets relegated. It all just seems like sour grapes to me. Every game United have lost this year there has been some additional factor, sometimes United just don't deserve to win simple as that.

Posted 12:52 16th November 2009

David Cairns (Southampton fan) says...

I do wish some of you guys would read the article properly, rather than react to the headline. If any of you agree that your team gets poor decisions occasionally in some of its biggest matches, be they relegation battles, domestic cups, top4 etc - then you cannot disagree with him. I know Neville is not popular, and his topic here is referees, but you are making yourself look stupid by not reading the whole story and thinking before ranting! He goes out of his way to support referees and the difficult job they have, and is not asking for special treatment, simply that the best refs referee the biggest games - in his belief that this will drive equality and fairness in decisions.

Posted 12:48 16th November 2009

Stuart Ryan (Manchester United fan) says...

Well well, arent we at this tune again. c'mon, do me a favour get yourself down to a saturday afternoon or sunday morning amateur game. The reffing standard is getting to a point where it is a joke. Its no wonder why there are so many "fail" refs at top level if they cant even get this right at grass roots and amateur football. The FA are fat cats who seriously need to start looking at the interest of everyone who plays football because i believe many good refs are lost in the system through no FA support.

Posted 12:44 16th November 2009

Joe Wiah (Manchester United fan) says...

Í agree with the many comments. Our team MU should wake up now and stop complaining. Ref wrong decisions went our way when we played Man City. Ref are humans and bond to make mistakes but other on other hand, English football leagues need the best ref for big mataches. Mistakes we see them make are some time so simple to understand even if you are not a ref. compareing that with Italian and Spanish refs. The league is so popular now and over the world they should learn from this comment and not throrw it out becuase it came the wrong time when MU lost. It could be other teams and I always pity the samller teams in England when playing the bigger ones. Please reflect on this comment it could be you.

Posted 12:41 16th November 2009

Joe Lever (Manchester United fan) says...

Man U, loose? It's lose Garry. G Nev is right, the best referees should referee the biggest games. Poor referring decisions cost us the Liverpool and Chelsea games. Carragher should of been sent off when Owen was clean through and 3 decisions cost us in the Chelsea game. The free kick that never was a free kick, it was a great tackle from Fletch, then Drogba fouled Wes Brown and he went to volley John Terry's flick on, therefore becoming active in an offside position. To ref' the big games, you have to be one of the best!!

Posted 12:25 16th November 2009

Michael Green (Manchester United fan) says...

i must admit that nevilles comments are genuine about the standards of referees, mistakes are being made more and more but it not just happening in utd games it also going on through all the leagues. rather then just having the elite refs doing the best games they should try improving the standards of refereeing and if possible use the technology available to help prevent big mistakes. the money involved in winning the league or getting relegated are massive and teams are on a knifes edge as it is financially. so lets get some of the ex-refs like collina, gallagher,winter etc and use their vast knowledge to help improve our own refs

Posted 12:20 16th November 2009

Gareth Mckeown (Liverpool fan) says...

And how Mr Neville, do you propose that you maintain a pool of 'elite' and experienced referees if the top games are a closed shop. Andre Mariner may have lacked the experience of some other officials but refereeing that match will have increased his own experience. If the same refs officiate the big matches, then the next level down will never be able to do it. As usual Mr Neville engages the mouth before the brain with a completely flawed argument.

Posted 12:18 16th November 2009

Kriston Chan (Arsenal fan) says...

No offence to anyone. But Man U has also benefitted throughout these years of poor refereeing. Winning games through penalties despite the protest of the opposition side . And running away from punishments after committing serious fouls. I guess what comes around, goes around. Should referees be at all times professional ? Of course they should. Its their job. But humans do make mistakes at times & if so, they should be punished according by their organisation. Having a pool of good referees to judge on big matches does not seem to make sense at all. In fact, all the referees should be good at all the matches played in the EPL regardless of whichever teams are playing. Thank you. KristoN

Posted 12:17 16th November 2009

James Briggs (Liverpool fan) says...

Don't mention Pierluigi Collina to any Everton fans! Flashbacks to the Villarreal game anybody?

Posted 12:16 16th November 2009

John Lee (Chelsea fan) says...

Charlie Bob please look at the bigger picture. Year in year out you play for trophies and one year you might not win the title or not get to a final. Think of the other sides that win nothing. the prem league is for 20 teams and all deserve, over the course of a season, to have a mix of refs. I can not believe you can be that ignorant, what makes utd so damb special. pick your toys up and go to your room and think about what you have said. Unbelievable!!!

Posted 12:09 16th November 2009

Tony Cee (Liverpool fan) says...

It's this sort of elitist thinking that leaves the majority of supporters fuming. All games are big games. What makes Neville or anybody else dictate which games have more importance. As long as a win is worth 3 points for every team then all games are equal.

Posted 12:06 16th November 2009

Hugh Blair (Manchester United fan) says...

Get over you lot who can't see the wood for the trees. Gary Neville is correct simply because the mistakes being made by refs are ridiculous errors. ALL teams are subject to these and not one of you complaining has never had a moan- or three - about a ref's decision that went against you. If the FA would embrace change and incorporate technology which would ably assist refs then, job done! Until then refs - rightly - are under scrutiny especially when they foul up. As they OFTEN do!

Posted 12:00 16th November 2009

James Hunter (Birmingham City fan) says...

I agree, yawn yawn yawn!!! Neville moaning again, every team gets the same refs and that should not change, the so called 'Big 4' consistantly get favours from the refs against the smaller teams.... we aint moaning about it.....thats life!!! Wenger and Fergie love to cry when they lose and morons like gary neville will always cry like a 2 year old!!!! at the end of the day we have one of the best leagues in the world and even though our refs make big mistakes we have the best refs. So to gary neville do us all a big favour SHUT UP!!!! and show some respect to our beautiful game.

Posted 12:00 16th November 2009

John Lee (Chelsea fan) says...

As a Chelsea fan i cring when i see Drogba go over when he is touched with a feather. But there must be plenty of Man u Supporters that are starting cring now at the way the Man u Staff are always on the backs of Referees. To get relegated from the Prem League is devestating so why should it be one rule for one and different for everyone else. To say a ref is not elite he is saying that he is not good enough!! I feel for some of the man u fans because they must be fed up of too. If Man u go on a good run now till xmas you wont hear a thing from them. Most managers blame the ref when their job is under threat!! Is this the end of Fergie........stop moaning and earn respect from other sides for winning games, and if you don't win, live with it. Everyone else does!!!

Posted 11:59 16th November 2009

Colm Ward (Liverpool fan) says...

if the players did not cheat ie dive,roll around like just after been shot this might just help the ref.If footballers abused somebody on the street like they do to refs,i think they might end up on the wrong side of a punch.

Posted 11:57 16th November 2009
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