Daily Sport
02 Nov 2010
Daily Sport, November 2, 2010
IT'S ONE rule for them and another for us. It's not fair. That f*cking referee. You'll hear footie fans all over the country saying that or something similar after their team's latest defeat.
It's hardly ever the fault of the players they follow up and down the country - there's ALWAYS a conspiracy. Such is the blind faith of many a football supporter.
But you can't always blame the fans because sometimes they are right. Ask Mark Clattenburg.
Not only did he get his call for Nani's goal at Old Trafford spectacularly wrong, but he also fuelled the fire of the claim that big clubs like Manchester United get preferential treatment from officials - particularly when they're at home.
Let's deal with the incident itself first. Nani goes down and handles the ball THREE TIMES in expectation of a penalty which he doesn't get.
Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes puts it down to take a free-kick without realising firstly that Clattenburg had not awarded one and secondly that Nani was lurking behind him. The winger taps the ball into an empty net.
The mantra chanted by Alex Ferguson, Man United players and pundits is that Gomes should shoulder the blame. He should have played to the whistle.
But why should Clattenburg get off the hook? If he's waved play on - a signal which could not have been that clear if Gomes didn't see it - and United have benefitted (which they did), he hd the power to pull the game back, book Nani for the handball and give Spurs the free-kick.
The 'advantage' of playing on is only supposed to benefit the team against which an offence has been committed (Spurs).
So if Clattenburg had followed the rules properly (and listened to the linesman) it would have been job done, not controversy.
Spurs fans could also righfully moan about how Clattenburg treated their players compared to United's. Because while the men in white were waved away as they protested, Rio Ferdinand was allowed to stand touch tight while ref and assistant discussed whether it was goal or not. What's that about?
So it looks like Ferdi got special treatment from Clattenburg.
Spurs' terrible record at Old Trafford continues - they haven't won there since Gary Lineker scored in 1989.
And the Nani goal can be added to Pedro Mendes' shot that Roy Carroll scrambled out of the goal from well behind the line five years ago as another injustice.
The ref that day? Clattenburg.
And let's not forget a dodgy penalty awarded by Howard Webb two seasons ago against Spurs. That helped turn a 2-0 deficit into a 5-2 win.
Can you remember Manchester United being on the end of string of such dodgy decisions?
Me neither.
No conspiracy though, nothing to see here, no-one's at fault. Unlike Mr Clattenburg, we'll just have to keep our hair on - it's just those pesky fans and their conspiracy theories, isn't it?
BAN THE YELLOW IDIOTS
ON the subject of fans, some need to sit in a dark room and give their head a wobble.
I witnessed a new one on me at the Reebok Stadium on Sunday - fans brandishing an imaginary yellow card. It wasn't one or two either, it was like witnessing a new dance craze.
I've necked many a pint while fans have launched into a rant about players doing that on the pitch.
Refs and law makers promised to stop the stars doing it five years ago. But how about stopping it in the stands? And while we're there, ban drums too. Why the f*ck do you need a drum at a match?
It does nothing for a hangover, I can tell you.
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