And The Winner Is…

Graham Poll??***!!!*?

Talk about lies, damned lies, reasons for invading Iraq and statistics. So, is that why Jose Mourinho bounded on to the Stamford Bridge pitch the other week during the Manchester United reserve game to confront Poll? To offer him congratulations on winning the Right Result award for bbbbesssssst reffffffffff…no, I can’t even type it, let alone say it.

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Hammer The Hammers

What was Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore thinking of? OK, let’s be much more specific. Why did Scudamore allow himself to be pictured in front of a celebrating Kia Joorbachian – the ‘Media Sports Investments (MSI) executive’ and owner of Carlos Tevez’s ‘economic rights’ – at Old Trafford as West Ham completed the easy bit of their relegation struggle? As if Wigan chairman Dave Whelan wasn’t angry enough…

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The Magic Of The FA Cup (Part 2)

You can’t imagine Michael Essien struggling to get out of the crowd on Saturday as Cristiano Ronaldo wins a penalty with an outrageous dive. But when Bolton went one-up in the first ‘first Wembley Final’ in 1923, that’s exactly what West Ham defender Tresadem was doing “after finding himself the wrong side of part of the crowd on the touchline.”

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CHELSEA vs EVERTON - Drogba’s equaliser should not have stood.

Sunday 13th May 2007

Much to the chagrin of Toffees boss David Moyes, referee Mark Halsey failed to penalise Paulo Ferreira for his blatant foul on Mikel Arteta to win the ball for Chelsea in the build-up to their equaliser. Although Moyes was purely focussed on the points at stake and Mourinho most likely on this weekend’s curtain-raising FA Cup Final clash with new champions Manchester United, the upshot of this Right Result incident is that Chelsea have not legitimately equalled the Liverpool’s glorious Anfield record set between 1978 and 1981.

The Right Result is Chelsea 0 Everton 1.

BLACKBURN vs READING - Reading denied an away win.

Sunday 13th May 2007

David Bentley was off-side for Blackburn’s second goal, with no defender near him as the shot rebounded to him off the Royals’ post.

The Right Result is Blackburn 2 Reading 3.

MANCHESTER UNITED vs WEST HAM - Tevez shot handballed…

Sunday 13th May 2007

West Ham should have had a penalty when Wes Brown handled a shot from the Irons’ Argentinian ace Carlos Tevez, which would have stretched the margin of their historic victory at Old Trafford.

The Right Result is Man Utd 0 West Ham 2.

SHEFFIELD UNITED vs WIGAN - Heskey denied a penalty.

Sunday 13th May 2007

Wigan Athletic should have had a penalty after just 90 seconds when Matthew Kilgallon clearly held back the impressive Emile Heskey in the Blades’ penalty area.

The Right Result is Sheffield United 1 Wigan 3.

READING vs WATFORD - Avinel foul goes unpunished

Saturday 6th May 2007

Referee Dermot Gallagher missed a foul by Cedric Avinel on Leroy Lita in the first half which should have been a penalty.

The Right Result is Reading 1 Watford 2.

WIGAN vs MIDDLESBROUGH - Downing’s double-touch

Saturday 6th May 2007

In taking the free-kick that created Middlesbrough’s goal, Stewart Downing kicked the ball against his standing leg. As he therefore ‘touched’ the ball twice before any other player, the free-kick becomes invalid and the goal should have been disallowed.

The Right Result is a 0-0 draw.

The Magic Of The FA Cup (Part 1)

The most recent refereeing controversy in an FA Cup Final was probably in 2004 when Jeff Winter refused to call off Manchester United’s stroll against Millwall halfway through the second half. Either due to lack of interest or to save the insipid South Londoners from further punishment. The humane thing to do on a number of levels. But, sadly, not within Mr Winter’s remit…

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