Webb admits penalty cock-up.

[heatmeiser]

BBC SPORT | Football | Premier League | Webb admits to penalty 'mistake'

Webb told the BBC: "I've looked at it again and I think it was a mistake but we make these decisions honestly.
"It's not always easy to see the way the play pans out from pitch level."
Interviewed by BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, the 37-year-old added: "I could see the Manchester United player touch the ball and saw him get clattered by the goalkeeper but didn't see the extra deviation from the goalkeeper's fingers touching the ball.


"I'm disappointed as I always strive for perfection. I'll look at the tape in detail later in the week and try to avoid it happening again in the future.
"I never want to have a negative impact on a game and I get no pleasure from not reaching the high standards we set ourselves.
"But show me a man who's never made a mistake and I'll show you a man who's done nothing."

Fair do's I say.

If referees came out more often after games to explain decisions it would go a long way to humanising them and perhaps people would cut them a little bit more slack.

 

[Dom1878]

I didnt think it was as clear as everyone was making out to be honest.

 

[Goat]

Its easy when you have 20 tv replays and slowmo after the event, but clearly he dropped a bollock, fair play for him to come out and say it.

 

[trebilcock66]

Would Howard Webb have a word with Clive Thomas please - I've got a long memory...

 

[bluebloodinmyveins]

From the distance he was, I'm sure it must have looked a penalty. It was not as clear as a lot of Spurs fans would have you believe IMO.

 

[gkpaul]

I thought it was a pen, and at full speed it really did look a pen. At the end of the day the game is refereed at full speed not at slow mo with different views of the incident. It was a help to United, but it did not lose Spurs the game. The other 4 goals conceded due to poor defending had more to do with it than the pen.

And as said above, fair play to Webb for coming out to say he dropped a bollock after reviewing the incident.

 

[NeoNaoNeo]

You lads playing devils advocate here?

It looked an obvious fair tackle at normal speed from the TV view, the first time I saw it. And you see where Webb is standing, that he didn't see it was crazy. (especially considering the kind of thing a Cricket umpire has to see from a relative distance, with a smaller ball, travelling quicker, deviating less)

 

[TX Bill]

Referees get one shot at making that call and that's it. No second chances.

We get to look at every angle, every speed of replay, etc....

They have a tough job.

Doesn't mean I won't scream at the TV in the future though.

Still, nice to see him admit a mistake. Now if only a few managers would admit the mistakes they make as well.

 

[DENNIS STEVENS]

referees would be held in much greater esteem if they explained their decisions & admitted to mistakes, not doing so makes them seem remote, arrogant & complacent.

 

[coolblue007]

I don't know ... every Spurs fan I know says it shouldn't have been a penalty. :blink:

 

[robbo1957]

Hope we are so forgiving if he does it to us in the final.

 

[steevie]

It is actually refreshing for a referee to admit his mistakes. United have had several dicey penalties, free kicks etc particularly at Old Trafford over the years and the latest one they got was never a pen. Its just a shame more referee's dont admit to falling under the pressue of the Old Trafford/Manchester United influence.

 

[kenada_blue]

What about the other 4 goals that went in then?

Bad shout for a peno, but it wasnt that bad a shout ie the playe dived and the keeper made no contact etc - it was just the wrong decision.

But the whole "the game would've been different if that hadnt have been given" is just sour grapies. United are always good for a goal and would got the goals. If Spurs didnt bottle it then they would've got something out of it.

Fair play that he's held his hand up. But its not his fault Spurs got beat 5-2.

 

[steevie]

What about the other 4 goals that went in then?

Bad shout for a peno, but it wasnt that bad a shout ie the playe dived and the keeper made no contact etc - it was just the wrong decision.

But the whole "the game would've been different if that hadnt have been given" is just sour grapies. United are always good for a goal and would got the goals. If Spurs didnt bottle it then they would've got something out of it.

Fair play that he's held his hand up. But its not his fault Spurs got beat 5-2.

I never mentioned anything about the final result, just that they do get very favourable decisions at Old Trafford. On a footnote, was'nt it Tottenham that scored the goal that was never given when Roy Carroll scooped the ball out 2 feet over the goal line? United did'nt score bucket loads that day and they went on to win the League whereas Spurs lost out on a place in Europe by just one point. Quite simply, if Wallbeck's dive at Wembley against us last week had have occured at Old Trafford, then that penalty would have been awarded.

 

[davek]

It'd have been great if he'd come out and said: 'Yeah, that's right, I ****ed up. The good news is that Liverpool supporters are fuming".