SOFT PENALTY IN THE CHELSEA VS WEST BROM 2013
First West Bromwich Albion were cheated out of a famous win , and 24 hours later Swansea were robbed by a referee who imagined he had seen TWO handball offences where there was none.
Two Premier League games which ended in draws, instead of decisive results, which will probably alter the destination of millions of pounds in prize money at the end of the season.
It's not putting it too strongly to suggest English football is facing a refereeing crisis. Too many officials are being panicked into making crass decisions late in the game, usually against so-called lesser teams, and the fans are being fleeced.
Of course, without a referee there can be no match, and it is not this column's intention to instigate a witch-hunt.
Nor should we overlook the enduring handicap for every whistleblower: Without TV replays, they only get one look at every incident.
But it is time for referees to wake up and spot the difference between defenders who concede penalties by committing mistakes or grievous errors of judgement and desperate attackers who 'win' penalties by falling over to con officials.
Enough is enough. If you support the Baggies or the Swans, you will have spent the weekend feeling sick to the pit of your stomach about the glory which was snatched away when your players did nothing wrong.
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West Brom were seconds away from inflicting Jose Mourinho's first home defeat in the Premier League as Chelsea manager when Ramires hit the deck and ref Andre Marriner, who had been bold enough to send off two Sunderland players in four minutes the previous weekend, swallowed it.
Albion defender Steven Reid, the fall guy punished by Marriner's howler, did nothing wrong. Any contact was negligible, and Reid did not commit any offence.
With such outrageous fortune on his side, no wonder the blessed Jose has never lost a Premier League game at Stamford Bridge. But Marriner's decision, desperately late in the day, still stinks like a cowshed - not that he is permitted to explain what he saw or why he fell for Ramires' calculated tumble.
Come on, ref - think about it. Chelsea, filthy rich, losing 2-1 at home in stoppage time against Midlands fodder, not supposed to happen. When Ramires goes down under innocuous escort, the FIRST question you ask should be: "Is he trying it on?"
Of course he is. It's so late in the game Chelsea will try anything to scramble a point.
How bizarre that a club who wrongly accused a referee of making racist comments to a referee 12 months ago , and got away with it scot-free, should enjoy such a favourable call.
Pardew puzzled by decision
Alan Pardew admitted that he could not understand why Cheick Tiote's goal had been disallowed after Newcastle United went down 2-0 at home to Manchester City.
Alan Pardew: Shocked by the decision to rule out Cheick Tiote's goal
The Magpies were trailing to Edin Dzeko's early strike when they thought they had equa
lised thanks to Tiote's wonderful effort from the edge of the area into the top corner.
Yoan Gouffran was standing in an offside position and referee Mike Jones, after checking with his assistant, decided that the goal should not stand.
However, Pardew did not feel that the presence of Gouffran made any difference and tracked down Jones after the match to discuss the decision.
He was not satisfied with the answers he received, telling Sky Sports: "For me, this is an entertainment business. The guy's hit a goal that Joe Hart is just not going to save. It goes through a number of bodies but his vision is not impaired.
"I don't think he was clear in his answers about Joe Hart being impaired - I couldn't work that out.
"I don't understand it. Even if Man City's back four is on the edge of the box and we've got four offside, it's such a clean hit, it's going in the top corner.
"He's got that wrong and unfortunately that was a massive call. In these type of games they have got to go your way.
"It was probably easier for him to give the goal and I can't understand why he hasn't.
"We're crying out for entertainment, you hit a goal like that and the place is in uproar, and he's gone on a real tiny technicality, which I think is wrong."
The controversy raised the temperature at St James' Park for the remainder of the contest, with Newcastle pushing hard for an equaliser before Alvaro Negredo struck in added time to finally put the result to bed.
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