Who is/was the worst referee? Poll included

[Togger Blue]

C Thomas - as someone's already said, he deliberately made controversial decisions so that he would be the centre of attention
Clattenburg/Collina - corrupt
For me the winner(?) has to be Poll. Bottled making a decision when the ball hit Don Hutchinson's arse from less than 10 yards. Years late he said that he was looking the other way and didn't see the incident (the footage shows that to be untrue). Just to cement his place as spineless/incompetent he then gave out three yellow cards in a world cup game. Magnificent!

1. Thomas set the standard for some referees taking the opportunity to penalise Everton for 'strange' decisions. The disallowed goal was never satisfactorily and logically explained. EFC has a rich history of being on the wrong end of controversial decisions, eg Willie Carr/Ernie Hunt free kick at Highfield Road (later outlawed, but actually a bit of skill at our expense, sadly I was there).
2. Clattenburg's decision making in that Derby was marred to such an extent he didn't ref at Goodison again for many seasons - why not? Collina was an opportune UEFA fudge to bin EFC, thanks to the bleats from across the park. However, the ruling out of Ferguson's header due to something Bent was alleged to have committed, contrasts with another aspect. I was at the game, had a couple of quaffs (& only seen the disallowed goal on TV once since), but I think Tony Hibbert had been booked earlier & then committed another 'foul' which the Villarreal player made to look like attempted murder, giving Collina a reason for a second yellow & thus a red card, but he just gave a foul.
3. I was watching from GS with a clear view of the Hutchison 'goal'. My take was that Hutchison was delaying the taking of the free kick by Westerveld (time running out), and that Westerveld deliberately smashed the ball at him in petulance (to get him booked!), thus causing it to rebound so far and into the goal. Poll missed it all and bottled it, disallowing the goal, but what did the lino's see, never explained? It could be argued that the free kick should be retaken (Hutchison not retreating 10), Westerveld booked or even sent off for violent conduct (smashing the ball at Hutchison) & a free kick to Everton, or to allow the goal to stand because he hadn't seen what occurred. Pre VAR, the ending of the game and when Poll blew the whistle for ending the game is still a scandal - total lack of honesty and integrity.

 

[Bazlar]

I went for Clattenberg simply because there were a catalogue of errors in that game. Found it unbelievable he was criticising Kavanagh in some paper. Pot, kettle, black comes to mind

 

[Bluestar]

Clive Thomas wax without doubt the worst referee for us. He was truly hateful.

 

[Blues Harp]

Suppose that explains why most of your lot think Chelsea fans and the NF where responsible for Heysel

??

 

[woodsyni]

??

Same way we bottled the Man City bus. Don't remember doing it but I must have because it says so on Twitter or something.

 

[bring back the catt]

All this effort for a pun

Thing is @Johnniepk, I would ask just who is a reasonable ref these days.
I can't think of one who is even half decent. Constant tinkering of perfectly acceptable rules has led to many football fans unsure a to why some decisions are given, and some are ignored. Everybody knows this, and VAR has merely been added to be another smokescreen to favour the Scab Six.
However, the worst referee I ever witnessed was back in the days when the world was still black and white.
Blackburn were in town, and kicked seven bells out of Everton for the entire duration, but penalised every minor infringement we made. We lost 3-4 and it was mayhem.
The birth of the utmost corrupt shower of refs to emerge from that day belongs to a Ken Stokes. He hailed from Newark. An anagram describing the man. Very apt.

 

[Scally1878]

Whenever I watch, the two that stand out are Kevin Friend and John Moss. Always seem to give incorrect decisions.

 

[GotTheBlues]

Glad to see I’m not the only person that noticed the regular Clattastrophe’s when he was officiating!

 

[paultheblue]

Will absolutely despise that measly cheating rat Clattenburg for eternity.

I went for Thomas , I would have gone for Clattenburg but the poll says incompetant not corrupt.

 

[Dutch Toffee]

I went for Thomas , I would have gone for Clattenburg but the poll says incompetant not corrupt.

Guess you got a point there.

 

[KaiserEFC]

Jeff Winter for me, incompetent and biased. Hated the man.

Collina took a bung he doesn’t count imo.

 

[klingklang]

One of the worst I've seen at Goodison was a fella called Tony Ward vs Oldham in a FA cup replay, so incompetent and fans that night were seething with his decisions. Ellery always seemed to have it in for us, remember Big Dunc getting sent off for as described by Joe Royle " Heavy Breathing " !
Rob Styles was another bad one, totally lost control of a game vs Newcastle once, booked about 5 players each from both sides. But yes the worst was Clive fkn Thomas.

 

[MikeH72]

Lee Mason is the most incompetent of the lot. Funny that he became the first full time VAR ref.

 

[Raino85]

I see that its now Atkinson, Moss & Mike Dean retiring at the end of the season

I think something very iffy is going on!
Weather its they don't agree with certain goings on, or some sort of news may be coming up at some point and they have jumped ship before being pushed.

 

[Raino85]

I went for Clattenberg simply because there were a catalogue of errors in that game. Found it unbelievable he was criticising Kavanagh in some paper. Pot, kettle, black comes to mind

Clattenberg, ironically enough, is probably the best referee this country has seen since Mark Halsey!

He will always not be welcome our ways due to that game which i think he completely panicked in (Although i do think the Hibbert foul was a foul & a red) and was maybe swayed that day by some of the reds who were super determined to win no matter what and got in the referee's ear. (the year after the Johnson derby i think).
I think he learned from that though, and as i said was probably the best since Halsey