A&H

Brentford V Bournemouth

The Referee Store
Thought Gillett was exceptional today in what was a really challenging game. A perfect example of how to handle the big occasion.
 
Woodgate has criticised the EFL for not appointing a premier league referee (he’s obviously not noticed today’s fixture list) and said the occasion got to Gillett. Don’t you just love managers?
 
One thing not mentioned here is that Gillett was easily the best referee in Australia, peaked early, stayed on top but nowhere to go from there in Australia. Looking at his Wiki page, he refereed the A-League grand final (biggest game in Australia) 5 times in 9 seasons. First one being in his second season. Is he ready for premier league centre? Many people including me think so. That's why I asked about the process.

He is used to the big games and big occasions.
 
Woodgate has criticised the EFL for not appointing a premier league referee (he’s obviously not noticed today’s fixture list) and said the occasion got to Gillett. Don’t you just love managers?

Made himself look a bit silly there on two fronts, the most obvious being that just about everyone I know, including non-referees, think Gillett was outstanding. Plus as you say today's fixture list would mean that, at best, they would have got one of the less experienced PL referees, ironically with vastly less big game experience than the referee they actually got.

Even Neil Warnock likes Gillett ...

"Probably the best one we have had has come from Australia (Jarrad Gillett) to get things correct and round about in a game"
 
Woodgate has criticised the EFL for not appointing a premier league referee (he’s obviously not noticed today’s fixture list) and said the occasion got to Gillett. Don’t you just love managers?

His team blew a multi goal aggregate lead after scoring an away goal. If his player keeps discipline and doesn’t commit a dumb DOGSO foul, they probably get through to Wembley.
 
His team blew a multi goal aggregate lead after scoring an away goal. If his player keeps discipline and doesn’t commit a dumb DOGSO foul, they probably get through to Wembley.
Away goals don't count in play offs but they were still 2 nil up on aggregate, even 2-1, when Mepham fouled Mbeumo to get sent off.
He then took of his most creative midfielder to bring on a defender.
He then failed to make another sub until 75th minute when his side were clearly tiring and having an onslaught from Brentford, who made 2 changes to their attack meaning fresh legs against tired legs and 10 men.
 
Away goals don't count in play offs but they were still 2 nil up on aggregate, even 2-1, when Mepham fouled Mbeumo to get sent off.
He then took of his most creative midfielder to bring on a defender.
He then failed to make another sub until 75th minute when his side were clearly tiring and having an onslaught from Brentford, who made 2 changes to their attack meaning fresh legs against tired legs and 10 men.

I know that EFL playoffs don't use the away goal tiebreaker (but I know my original post didn't make that clear). My point still remains that Bournemouth was up 2-0 on aggregate and 1-0 in the second leg. They were in control of the game and tie, and then they fell apart. Woodgate botched it a hell of a lot more than Gillett might have done.
 
He is used to the big games and big occasions.

In addition to his 5 Australian Grand Finals, Gillett also has a fair amount of international experience.


7 AFC Champions League matches
3 World Cup qualifier matches
3 Asian Cup qualifier matches

The occasion was not "too big" for him, as you succinctly stated.
 
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If I was a hurting Yorkshireman, I'd probably blame the Ref too. Woodgate was however, the highest class Central Defender ever to don a Newcastle shirt (in my lifetime), so I'll forgive him for being miserable in his darkest hour
 
If I was a hurting Yorkshireman, I'd probably blame the Ref too. Woodgate was however, the highest class Central Defender ever to don a Newcastle shirt (in my lifetime), so I'll forgive him for being miserable in his darkest hour
Great defender, god awful coach
 
I'm finally watching the replay of this one. Wow, what a first half! One of the more entertaining and dramatic 45 minutes of football I've seen in a long time. Gillett really was excellent in the first half. The only thing I could really quibble with was not cautioning someone for some of the timewasting "housery". He made up for it to some degree with the large amount of added time, but I still think cautioning the Bournemouth player dallying around on one of the corners would have been a good caution.

Regarding the potential penalty on Toney, even on several replays I'm still not totally convinced it should have been a penalty. Yes, there might have been some contact, but Toney appeared to be very much off balance before the contact. Had Gillett whistled for a penalty, I think it would have been a pretty soft one given the circumstances. I know VAR isn't in use for these semifinals, but regardless of the on-field call I don't think there was enough evidence to call for a clear and obvious error had VAR been in use for this game.

But in any case, even knowing the result this was one heck of a first 45 minutes.
 
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I'm finally watching the replay of this one. Wow, what a first half! One of the more entertaining and dramatic 45 minutes of football I've seen in a long time. Gillett really was excellent in the first half. The only thing I could really quibble with was not cautioning someone for some of the timewasting "housery". He made up for it to some degree with the large amount of added time, but I still think cautioning the Bournemouth player dallying around on one of the corners would have been a good caution.

hmm. Has anyone ever seen a caution in the first half of a professional game for time wasting? I’d be shocked to see that.

I’m not disputing that it could be warranted, but I don’t think it is an expected call, and I don’t think it would go over well. a tense, high profile game is not the place to take unusual stands.
 
hmm. Has anyone ever seen a caution in the first half of a professional game for time wasting? I’d be shocked to see that.

I’m not disputing that it could be warranted, but I don’t think it is an expected call, and I don’t think it would go over well. a tense, high profile game is not the place to take unusual stands.
Maybe I'm enlisting the benefit of hindsight given I was watching the match on replay, but some of the time-wasting (particularly after the Bournemouth goal) bordered on the comical. Like I said, adding six minutes at the end of the first half did send a pretty clear message that Gillett knew what Bournemouth was doing. However, it just seemed to me like Bournemouth was going to keep rolling the dice that added time wouldn't equal time wasted. His hands were tied with Begovic after he was cautioned for the dust-up following the penalty kick, but he still could have dealt with some of the other issues more quickly to send a message earlier than the 45th minute.
 
Maybe I'm enlisting the benefit of hindsight given I was watching the match on replay, but some of the time-wasting (particularly after the Bournemouth goal) bordered on the comical. Like I said, adding six minutes at the end of the first half did send a pretty clear message that Gillett knew what Bournemouth was doing. However, it just seemed to me like Bournemouth was going to keep rolling the dice that added time wouldn't equal time wasted. His hands were tied with Begovic after he was cautioned for the dust-up following the penalty kick, but he still could have dealt with some of the other issues more quickly to send a message earlier than the 45th minute.
Sometimes player behaviour puts you between a rock and a hard place. You have to choose the lesser of two evils. I think he that here.

You are assuming an early caution would have nipped it in the bud. If it didn't and they continued then he was on his way to defeat, very early in the game.

I hate time wasting as much as anyone, but this game was not one to prove a point about it.
 
It's not just about wasting time, it's trying to kill the tempo of the game.
In a game like this maybe the referee thought speeding up the game wasn't in his best interests.


Plenty of naive refs who will say something like that "He's been doing the same all game"
 
Problem was that the main offender, Begovic, was already on a caution. Whilst he couldn't have really complained due to the stupid first caution he picked up, I can't see top level referees giving a player a second caution for delaying the restart in the first half of a game. And it is difficult to then caution someone else who is taking less time to restart.

And bester makes a very good point, in a game like that it isn't really a bad thing if things are slowed down a bit.
 
Problem was that the main offender, Begovic, was already on a caution. Whilst he couldn't have really complained due to the stupid first caution he picked up, I can't see top level referees giving a player a second caution for delaying the restart in the first half of a game. And it is difficult to then caution someone else who is taking less time to restart.

And bester makes a very good point, in a game like that it isn't really a bad thing if things are slowed down a bit.

All of that is fair. This is the only possible (and I do stress possible) item I could even think of regarding possible criticism. I thought Gillett was fantastic in this game.
 
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