Congratulations to Chris & John for nailing the Manager(s) of the Month award for October. Well deserved.

Hopefully, the award doesn't put a hex on the result tomorrow!

Also, due to the fallout from Stamford Bridge, it's important the players keep their discipline tomorrow coz I've a feeling the refs at this level will be looking to do things by the book (see what I did there). Any jawing at the ref will produce a card of some description. Let the Captain do the talking...

_________________
Leaky Creaky Ultra

Congrats to the skippers at the helm of the good ship MRFC.

Personally, I think it's a bit of hard cheese from Chelsea re Mark Clattenberg.
He is a highly skilled man who knows his decisions can win or lose titles and must stand by them. In hindsight, TV has a lot to play in the current ref issues. Refs have to make the decisions in seconds, it's as simple as that. Most of us mere mortals think it's hard deciding which socks to wear, let alone was he off side or did he handle the ball. Refs are a bit like policemen in as much as they make a decision as they see it there and then. Only later when your Mancinis, Fergusons, Vengers, all of them blokes who should know better, along with those smart alec lawyers, paid hundreds per hour, who have days to sift the evidence and pick holes in it before a trial months later, will try and prove the ref or the bobby was wrong. Believe me, I'd like to see any league manager be as consistent as premier refs have to be and the smart alec lawyer deal with a fast incident idiot at 2am in seconds.....They'd all fail miserably and why? They are simply not good enough to do them jobs, otherwse they would, because after all they know it better than the professional, or so they say.
For once I stand behind Clattenberg, so what if he told a player to "##CK OFF", the only language people understand is their own kind. I doubt he said anything racist, he is too clever to be a moron. Watch the game on sky or the Beeb and see how many times these players, on thousands per week, swear at the ref, and 9 times out of 10 he'll excuse it, why, because he is a professional, in a cauldron of energy. It goes with the territory. Today, sadly, racisim is an easy word to banter about in soccer. The seriousness of it will be watered down if everyone shouts "racist" at the drop of the hat, this will detract from the true racisim in football and the good efforts being made to stamp it out on the pitch and terraces.
Is it Racist to say "Shut up you Spanish idiot?" Depends which side of the fence you sit on I suppose, but lets not get carried away. Racisim sadly, exits in this sport and you will never eradicate.

Just seen the result. Another win!

Can anyone provide further details?

Our match report is on the website (I've just caught up with the webmasters view of the game)

Always good to see another view

http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/maineroad ... _id=634196

_________________
Football is only a game, but winning the game is everything.
http://www.maineroadfc.com

Well, it was a battle...

Couldn't take your eyes off the action for a second. We were slow out of the blocks and Winsford capitalised on that with plenty of possession but they were still reduced to long range. Once we gave them a couple of scares the tide turned and we started to get in behind them. In the 2nd half we started slow again and this time Winsford capitalised. I have to say, Andy Keogh for them was superb (plus the number 4 at the back who looks like he could play at a higher level). Keogh's touch is first class plus he's got a football brain to back it up; we had no answer to him.

But what a goal to settle it. I won't describe it; just watch it. Probably handball in the build-up from Tom Bentham...

What spoilt a pulsating game was the constant pressuring of the referee by Winsford's bench. I think it affected his performance in the closing minutes, I thought he was having a decent game till then.

Anyway, good performance - we were second best during a couple of spells but missed a handful of great chances and had a couple of efforts blocked on the line. I can't recall either keeper having to make a save actually!

_________________
Leaky Creaky Ultra

Well done video maestro, another win to make it seven on the bounce.
Excellent goalscoring chances, playing with a belief that they can score more and succeed.
Nice to see Eddie supporting from the sidelines!
Hope your recovery is going well Eddie and your soon back on the field being part of the success story unfolding before us.

_________________
From Mayo I say:

"Play Up You BLUES!!"

...and just in case anyone hasn't seen the video:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tAkly-a ... ults_video

_________________
MAINE ROAD F.C.
South Manchester's Premier Club

I must say we have 2 contenders for goal of the season both caught by Alex on video in

Neil Chappell v Norton (away) to make it 3-3 from 3 down
Tom Bailey v Winsford (home) to win the game 2-1

If we have any more contenders and are lucky enough to catch on video we may have a poll a la match of the day at the end of the season especially if we can convince Alex to do a video montage

_________________
Football is only a game, but winning the game is everything.
http://www.maineroadfc.com

I was glad to hear that the Met are not doing anything over the alleged Racisim incident at Chelsea. I for one, stand behind Mark Clattenberg.
Refs can get fans blood up day in and day out when they don't give what the fans think they should, but hey, thats football. Do we want refs video linked for every incident that is called as wrong by players and fans?. Imagine how long a game would last.
Leave it to the man in the middle to call the shots, he's trained and paid enough to do it.
When I was a lot younger I would have had a go on the pitch and from the terrace at refs, it went with the game, but I wouldn't do their job for all the tea in China. Imagine 20,000 fans accusing you of being illegitamate or seeking self pleasure, not nice stuff. And when you speak to those who call the names afterwards, they looked surprised when you challange them, that they ever uttered the words, getting caught up in the atmosphere of the ground.
We never say "Thanks" when he gives our team a dodgey offside goal or unsighted hand assist.
I hope common sense prevails from now on in regards this incident and hope to see Mark Clattenberg where he should be, on the pitch, doing a good job.
I am sure a lot of players will be glad to see him back as soon as practicable.

Anyway, that's my bit on this sad affair.

_________________
From Mayo I say:

"Play Up You BLUES!!"

The reffing in the Prem isn't good enough, Nov. Clattenberg isn't good enough; he's so in love with himself I doubt he can get past a mirror without licking it. That said, even he isn't stupid enough to say anything like what was alleged to a player. Chelsea are in a bad place with this.

How many seconds does it take to review a decision via video? 3 seconds? 4? 5? It's a myth that games will last till half-5 every Sat'day afternoon. Some games SHOULD last till half-5 when you consider, through time wasting, the actual football part of a football match on average lasts between 65-70 minutes.

Bolton got relegated because of an idiot with a whistle who decided that THIS would be the day when an assault on the keeper would be deemed acceptable, an event that would eventually lead to a manager losing his job. That's the reality of leaving it to the man in the middle. The ref didn't make an honest mistake; he was flat-out incompetent. The refs need help and the technology exists to help them.

That's my bit too.

_________________
Leaky Creaky Ultra

You're right,Chelsea are in mess, what with a skipper convicted by the FA of racism towards another player, and now another of their staff charged over the Clattenberg affair, it will be a while before this fades from peoples memory.
Machine, Goal line technology? Yes.
Every shirt tug at corners, shove, handball call, dubious tackle? I don't think so.
The ref would have to stop play, consult the video offical and explain what he is looking for, imagine the time wasted rewinding videos to get the right angle etc.
I think even players would get a bit peeved with the hanging about and, if as a fan, you was well miffed by the performance of your team, would you want to hang about waiting for his wrist screen screen to show "Foul" or "No foul" a bit like they do with "Try" "No try" in rugby league.
No, me personally, I prefer to keep it to basics, communication via audio link with the linesmen and 4th offical and new goal line gizmo will do for me, for now.

I think that we will have to agree to differ on this one, Machine.
It wouldn't stop me buying you a beer, like some blokes I know, but healthy debate is what it's all about in this game.

_________________
From Mayo I say:

"Play Up You BLUES!!"

Rewind the video? Are you having a laugh, Nov! We can unlock the human genome, clone DNA, send spacecraft to search out hydrocarbon molecules on Mars, pause live TV…

Let’s say there’s a 4th official in the tunnel with a monitor; he can call up a dozen camera angles instantly, digitally – when the ball’s gone dead, while the players are still arguing with the ref, whatever… Rewinding a video? Pah.

I’m not gunning for every little decision, most of those are called accurately, little trips and pushes in the middle of the park. I’m talking about game-changers – I’m not boring everyone by listing examples. Goal line tech is all well and good but we don’t see those incidents nearly as often as, say, shirt pulling at corners. It winds me up. Basically, the ref stops the corner from being taken, walks up to the players concerned and tells them to stop it at which point he indicates for play to continue and the players recommence wrestling. If the attacker is pulling the defender out of position it’s a free kick; if the defender is pulling the attacker’s shirt it’s a penalty. Give the decision and maybe – maybe – the shirt pulling might stop.

How about if each manager is allowed to contest 2 decisions during a match if he feels the wrong decision has been given against his team? That would offset the envisioned ‘stop/start’ nature of video replays…

Likewise on the beer, Nov!

_________________
Leaky Creaky Ultra

It's my old brain, perhaps I should have said "rewind visual aid" then it will cover all the gizmos they use today but he'd still have to pause and rewind like the old sky+.
He'd need good eyes to view a bank of a half a dozen video images, have you ever tried it?
Take it from someone who has, it's hard work running at normal pace, let alone when 50,000+ eyes are on you to be decisive in seconds.
Shirt pulling has been highlighted at a very recent premier league game, it's pathetic the ref "cannot see it going on", yet what ref gives the away team penalties these days?, very few I think.

Now, wheres my wooden rattle and rosette?

_________________
From Mayo I say:

"Play Up You BLUES!!"

I haven’t tried, but I’ve seen the technology in action; one large monitor/ television, split-screen, two adjudicators who are mic’d to the referee. No looking at multiple angles; choose the best camera angle suited to the incident and replay the footage in seconds.

There is one, maybe two contentious decisions in a game and if we bring in something like I suggested (a manager allowed to contest maybe 2 decisions a game) then time isn’t going to be wasted, plus the correct decision will be made while the players are arguing amongst themselves & the officials.

But hey, even though we can change it for the better, let’s carry on and watch teams get relegated through rank bad refereeing.

_________________
Leaky Creaky Ultra

Yeah but then the two contentious moments for the managers would invariably be in the dying embers of the game particularly if you are drawing or are a goal down. A bit like holding back a striker sub until 82mins, just in case he can turn it in stoppage time, when he could have put him on after 60mins and ended the game sooner, if things had gone their way.

You don't just get relegated for a bad ref decision, it takes playing badly for the whole season to put you down, remember when Newcastle were relegated and Alan Shearer had tried to stop the rot, his quote when relegated was something like " One game doesn't put you down, 38 games in the season do".

_________________
From Mayo I say:

"Play Up You BLUES!!"