Εβδομάδα Είναι … Και Κυλάει

I avoid posting opinions on referee or umpire performances but after this weekend’s A-League grand final I need to take a position on the alleged best Australian football/soccer referee.

I am referring to Mark Shields who has officiated the 3 A-League grand finals and who has also been a referee at a FIFA World Cup and the Asia Cup. If he is meant to be Australia’s best then the FFA needs to take a serious look at our refereeing programs in Australia. Either that, or acknowledge that Mark Shields is incompetent at the level he has been placed.

Personally I think that Mark Shields is a poor referee, unable to control a game of football and has taken the “lead-role” in 2 games which decided the fate of the results for both matches. Popular opinion will reflect the belief that the referee should be almost invisible or at least not play the “lead-role” and determine the outcome of a game.

The first of my grievances was in the return leg match for the semi-final between Queensland Roar and Sydney FC. A rash decision to award a red card based on the last defender ruling. A decision that left Sydney with 10 men for most of the game and creating a serious imbalance. Apart from the foul in question happening way out of the penalty box region, replays clearly show that there was another defender on the way to cut off the Queensland attack.

I will make the point that the best team on the night did win but playing with 10 men did not help Sydney’s cause.

The second Shields’ decision I have a grievance with was the quite obvious hand ball in the penalty box in this weekend’s A-League grand final between Newcastle Jets and Central Coast Mariners. The frustration of the “miss” by Shields is caught in the photo above. Mariners’ goalkeeper Vukovic has been handed out a heavy ban for “slapping” Mark Shields hand after being angered at the referee’s decision not to award a penalty.

Again the best team on the day won the game but surely it was a decision that could’ve turned the match on its head.

In both cases, we have to question Mark Shields’ decision to use his assistant referees to make his final call. That’s what they are there for. Not just for offside rulings. There is one referee and three assistant referees who have to watch the players and the ball at once. Two running the lines and one who controls, substitutions, extra time and the managers.

That’s a total of four pairs of eyes on the game at any given time.

If players and supporters can see the handball why couldn’t any of the referees see it? It was a blatant handball.

I will conclude by saying that the 3 finals games I watched – one of which I was at the stadium to witness – Mark Shields failed to control the tempers in the game. It seemed that no players respected him and he continued to allow the games to spiral into controversy and dirty football.

prof@skylproductions.com