REFWATCH: Reading v Arsenal

[Barry the bird boggler]

Tonight's man in black will be Leicestershire's Kevin Friend



Practising their semaphore tonight will be Lee Betts & Charles Breakspear
4th Official things will be performed by Michael Oliver

Previously with Mr Friend

18 Aug 12 > Reading 1-1 Stoke City
02 Apr 11 > Reading 2-0 Portsmouth
26 Dec 10 > Reading 4-1 Bristol City
24 Apr 10 > Watford 3-0 Reading
08 Dec 09 > Reading 2-4 Crystal Palace
10 Apr 09 > Reading 0-1 Sheffield United
04 Oct 08 > Reading 3-1 Burnley
28 Aug 07 > Swansea City 0-1 Reading (League Cup)
09 Aug 05 > Brighton & Hove Albion 0-2 Reading
21 Mar 05 > Brighton & Hove Albion 0-1 Reading
18 Sep 04 > Reading 3-1 Gillingham

Last Time Out

27 Oct 12 > Barnsley 1-4 Nottm Forest

Carding Activities 2012/2013

8 games, 26 yellow, 2 red

[Loyal-Royal_1997]

A couple of reds already this season, hoping they'll be for Arsenal tonight!

[reading_fan]

7 wins, 1 draw, 3 losses under Mr Friend - hopefully this is a good sign!

[parky]

A very young assisting team.

[Hampshire Royal]

Charles "a pint of" Breakspear.

[glass half full]

Sorry, I do try not to criticise referees but this one has lost it. Where did he find so many minutes and HOW has he not sent off Koscrapny?

[Avon Royal]

this scumbag referee needs to be burnt at the stake

Behave Anders.

[Rusty royal]

Cheat!!!!!!!

[Man Friday]

Sorry, I do try not to criticise referees but this one has lost it. Where did he find so many minutes and HOW has he not sent off Koscrapny?

...or give us a penalty?

As I've been saying on here since 2006, the small club has got no chance against the big club. Small things go in their favour that make all the difference. We're wasting our time.

[RoyalBlue]

A complete and utter incompetent w*nker!! Either that or an outright cheat! Take your pick.

Clearly thought he had turned up to referee a London Irish game. Does the incompetent twat not realise that the ball does not have to go dead before he can blow for full-time? Or was he just determined to play until Arsenal managed to force the ball home?

I've heard that maybe Shorey should have conceded a penalty and been sent off but, by the same token, at least two Arsenal players should have walked for a second yellows. Absolutely disgusting that he deliberately pretended that the Arsenal player hadn't handled the ball in the second half of extra time in order to avoid sending him off.

As for the assistant *rsehole on the East Stand side - you are meant to look for offside when the ball is played you twat - not when you catch up with play!

I just hope that when they handed Friend a drinks bottle from the Reading dugout someone had pissed in it first!

Cruelest defeat possible - topped off by the sky commentator quote "if it wasn't 4-1 than that would have been a penalty..."

Friend is a complete and utter c*nt!

[On High]

As for the assistant *rsehole on the East Stand side - you are meant to look for offside when the ball is played you twat - not when you catch up with play!

Can anyone who watched the game on TV confirm whether some of the offsides gives against us (Roberts mostly) were incorrect because they certainly did from where we were sitting?

[RoyalBlue]

I'd love to know the contents of the discussion between Gibbs and the incompetent Friend at full-time.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Even as we were racking up the goals, this prick was looking a liability

[Man Friday]

Even as we were racking up the goals, this prick was looking a liability

It's true, though!

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Does the incompetent twat not realise that the ball does not have to go dead before he can blow for full-time?

All referees wait for a "convenient moment" to blow the whistle, which is why so many games end either with a goal kick or a ball just been cleared from an area.

Really, take a note of the exact time injury time starts, and you'll see that nine times out of ten, the game will end on the first such moment after the minimum time is up. Had he done that, the whistle would have gone with them taking a goal kick just after four minutes had been added.

The obvious answer is to take the timekeeping out of the hands of the ref, and have an independent official who controls the stopping and starting of the clock, but crucially doesn't decide when the game is over. It's just over when the clock hits zero and the siren/buzzer sounds. If that happens to be one second before someone scores, that's just tough.

[The Real Sandhurst Royal]

Link from the BBC web site about Stoppage Time:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20159223

If you were confused before you will be now.

[Man Friday]

Does the incompetent twat not realise that the ball does not have to go dead before he can blow for full-time?

All referees wait for a "convenient moment" to blow the whistle, which is why so many games end either with a goal kick or a ball just been cleared from an area.

Really, take a note of the exact time injury time starts, and you'll see that nine times out of ten, the game will end on the first such moment after the minimum time is up. Had he done that, the whistle would have gone with them taking a goal kick just after four minutes had been added.

I made it 4 mins and 28 secs which would have allowed for the sub as well so perfect.

[Man Friday]

Anyone remember how we lost to M'boro in the League Cup in 1996 (?). Are we destined to be the brunt of bad refereeing at key times in our history? Unlike, say Man U, we don't get many chances to get to Wembley.

[Elm Park Pasty]

Anyone remember how we lost to M'boro in the League Cup in 1996 (?). Are we destined to be the brunt of bad refereeing at key times in our history? Unlike, say Man U, we don't get many chances to get to Wembley.

That did enter my head yesterday, I can remember being on the South Bank, but can't remember why I was pissed off . Think Gazza might have been involved somewhere but I am not sure if that wasn't a league match later.

[RoyalBlue]

Anyone remember how we lost to M'boro in the League Cup in 1996 (?). Are we destined to be the brunt of bad refereeing at key times in our history? Unlike, say Man U, we don't get many chances to get to Wembley.

That did enter my head yesterday, I can remember being on the South Bank, but can't remember why I was pissed off . Think Gazza might have been involved somewhere but I am not sure if that wasn't a league match later.

George Cain, the butcher of Bootle. Name still sticks in my memory as does a certain Tony Morrisey, the ref who was barged to the ground during a post match pitch invasion at Elm Park (was that against Lincoln).

Why you were pissed off was that one of our players was clearly fouled, near the touchline in front of the Southbank, fisticuffs ensued and when order was finally restored, Reading pushed up to take their freekick. Bootle had other ideas, indicated that the kick was going to M'Boro who took it quickly with most of the Reading team out of position and unable to defend. As a consequence M'Boro scored the goal that took them through.

I think my memory is correct?