Stuart Attwell

[congo_red_49]

Now, I'm not normally one for crticising referees, in general I'm of the opinion that the number of decisions that go against a team during a decision are, generally balanced out by the number of bad decisions that go for you, but watching yesterdays match, Im now convinced that I have witnessed the worst refereeing performance of all time. Not without good reason either, when a referee has a 'bad' game, you can usually pick out about two or three key decisions that he got wrong, Mr Atwell, however, seemed to be on some sort of mission to get every single key decision wrong, either that or he was inebriated...

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not coming at this with the attitude that he cost us the game, to be honest he potentially cost Derby the game as well. Here's Mr. Atwell's catalogue of errors:-

1. Garner goal ruled out for offside, when he was clearly on.
2. The ongoing scrap between Garner and Nyatanga, both players made enough bad decisions to have earned a second yellow card many times over.
3. Carl Fletcher swings an arm at Addison. Should have been a straight red card.
4. Lewis McGugan sent off. Watch the replay closelsy and he makes contact with both the ball and TYSON, but not the Derby lad. How can a player be sen off for making contact with his team mate?
5. Penalty kick given against Chambers, who clearly didn't handle the ball.
6. Perfectly OK Derby goal ruled out because he'd already awarded the penalty that wasn't in point 5.
7. Another legit derby goal ruled out for god only knows what.

There's probably some more that I've forgotten at this stage too...

I hope we never have to suffer his refereeing ineptitude ever again.

 

[BadgerJim]

Oh well, we didn't lose!

I think CC played it out brilliantly with his summary: "Was it a penalty? No! Am I Happy? Yes!

 

[congo_red_49]

Oh well, we didn't lose!

I think CC played it out brilliantly with his summary: "Was it a penalty? No! Am I Happy? Yes!

It's true. However, given the seeming randomness of his decisions, on another day it could have cost us dearly!

 

[sebs]

well the linesman ruled garner offside didnt he?

 

[Midland Red]

Also worth pointing out that while Garner's goal may have been just a fraction offside, it was the exact same degree of offside as Villa's equaliser.

 

[FBS]

Now, I'm not normally one for crticising referees, in general I'm of the opinion that the number of decisions that go against a team during a decision are, generally balanced out by the number of bad decisions that go for you, but watching yesterdays match, Im now convinced that I have witnessed the worst refereeing performance of all time. Not without good reason either, when a referee has a 'bad' game, you can usually pick out about two or three key decisions that he got wrong, Mr Atwell, however, seemed to be on some sort of mission to get every single key decision wrong, either that or he was inebriated...

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not coming at this with the attitude that he cost us the game, to be honest he potentially cost Derby the game as well. Here's Mr. Atwell's catalogue of errors:-

1. Garner goal ruled out for offside, when he was clearly on.
2. The ongoing scrap between Garner and Nyatanga, both players made enough bad decisions to have earned a second yellow card many times over.
3. Carl Fletcher swings an arm at Addison. Should have been a straight red card.
4. Lewis McGugan sent off. Watch the replay closelsy and he makes contact with both the ball and TYSON, but not the Derby lad. How can a player be sen off for making contact with his team mate?
5. Penalty kick given against Chambers, who clearly didn't handle the ball.
6. Perfectly OK Derby goal ruled out because he'd already awarded the penalty that wasn't in point 5.
7. Another legit derby goal ruled out for god only knows what.

There's probably some more that I've forgotten at this stage too...

I hope we never have to suffer his refereeing ineptitude ever again.

Totally right Congo. Some absolutely shocking decisions for both sides. Direby will be mad about the two goals ruled out, but then we should have had so many other decisions that you mention. I thought Fletcher should have gone, but Lewis should never have been sent off.

 

[tricky_tree1982]

I agree that the sending off was harsh and certainly feel that if we argue it, the red will be rescinded. As for the ref, my mate informed me that it's the same ref that gave that bizarre goal to Reading when it went no where near the goal!

What I would like to know is how the league can select such a bad referee for such an important game?! Although I am not complaining this morning!

 

[Jonathan]

He was awful. Simple as.

Congo is right with everything he said and whoever it was that just said Villa was as offiside as Garner is right.

I suppose it just about evened out in the end. I'm just glad we got a point.

Also, why the hell was he given that game?

Put him in League Two. He's been back from his suspension after the phantom goal for only ten days and they give him the biggest game in the Championship that weekend.

The football league are absolute *****.

 

[Thompson]

i do agree about the pionts made about the ref.

but the last 5 minutes standing in the stand with the forest boys was a plesure as we went mental when camp (is a forest fan) saved the pen then he made the save from the header.

that was my first D*rby and forest game and i will be going to the next one at are place and i dint even mind the 4 hour car drive with a stanger


back at my desk now but still buzzing!!!!

 

[congo_red_49]

Oh...one more I've remembered.

8. Breckin's push on Commons. Should have been a penalty, actually surprised Combo didn't make more of it...

 

[congo_red_49]

Just found two Facebook groups dedicated to his awfulness...

First
Second

 

[Rich]

Also worth pointing out that while Garner's goal may have been just a fraction offside, it was the exact same degree of offside as Villa's equaliser.

Villa was half a yard off side.

Garner was behind Earnshaw when he played him the ball, and Earnshaw was level with play when the initial ball was played.

It's also worth pointing out that this ref may have made a few f*** ups yesterday, but none of them will be what he is remembered for.

This is the same ref who gave that 'goal' that was 4 yards wide in the Reading v Watford game.

 

[Erik]

Stuart Atwell will go on to become a leading referee simply because he is a FA selected 'high flyer'. They will not dare admit they made a mistake.

He was crap. I had the feeling that if the players had lost their own self control and let the game get dirty he would have completely lost his head.

He had no real idea on what to do with Garner and their defenders. He missed the Derby player throwing his arm at Anderson and generally was not up to it.

As for his 'big' decisions?

Well - to be fair it was the linesman got the offsides wrong. Now I thought their goal was onside but then I also thought both Garner and Earnshaw were - the difference being they'd managed to get yards behind the Derby defence. All you want is for the linesman to be consistent - which he wasn't.

Sending off? Well - Mcgugan got the ball, was one footed, but studs up. The way he flew in he was in trouble because like it or not the ref can argue 'intent' which is what he'll do. It reminded me of Dawson's red card a couple of weeks ago.

Watch the penalty again. It's exceptionally harsh - but once he blew his whistle the ball was dead. He blew before the Derby player headed it. Therefore he was right to not allow the goal. There was a quite famous case where Clive Thomas disallowed Brazil (of all teams) a goal from a corner in a World Cup game because he blew for time as the cross came over. Pedantic - but correct.

As for the final 'goal' - then all I can say is that if he spotted an infringement by a Derby player that everyone else missed he's either brilliant or a f*****g idiot. Frankly I don't care which it is. It left me feeling that we'd got the three points that I thought at one stage we might get until Lewis was sent off.

I wouldn't want to see Atwell ref another Forest match.

 

[Rich]

When the game was over, I was unsure of the score.

There was a young Derby fan in the pub with us celebrating arms aloft, under the impression they had won.

It was like watching a forshadowing of the Ferrari garage!

 

[adam09]

Leacock also should have gone.

Villa should have been booked for nearly ripping Garner's shirt off when our goal went in. Villa should have got a consequent second yellow card for running 50 yards to barge Anderson (I think) over and off the pitch.

We could do this all day! I bet I could find many things that Derby should have been penalised for that they weren't

 

[Lee]

Oh...one more I've remembered.

8. Breckin's push on Commons. Should have been a penalty, actually surprised Combo didn't make more of it...

Even the moaning scouse twat said that it wasn't a penalty.

 

[congo_red_49]

Even the moaning scouse twat said that it wasn't a penalty.

From my view of the replay...the amateur porn star was wrong...

 

[adam09]

I was surprised that wasn't a penalty

But hey, we didn't get one when McAuley did that to Tyson v Ipswich (and Tyson was actually facing the goal too) so that's evened that out.

 

[Col]

They're speaking about this guy on Sky right now. Basically even ex-refs are at a loss to explain his disallowed goal decision.

But sod it, little bit of controversy for Derby, little bit of luck for us!

 

[Baronvon]

But sod it, little bit of controversy for Derby, little bit of luck for us!

Exactly...against Ipswich we arguably had two legitimate goals ruled out for offside which cost us two points. Not to mention some of the puzzling decisions that have costs us already over the course of the season.

It's about time we had a bit of luck from the referees...and they couldn't have chosen a better time!

 

[andover red]

Even the moaning scouse t**t said that it wasn't a penalty.

The only reason he says that is because it suits him so he can complain about the subsequent header being disallowed.  If the header had missed then he would have been screaing blue murder for a penalty.

Whinging twat.

 

[puds1970]

As I said yesterday the FA made a cock up by appointing him for this fixture IMO.

Whatever promise they saw in this guy prior to the start of the season to warrant placing him in charge of proffessional sport is now stripped of its credibility.

Get him out for his own sake if nothing else. He's made more mistakes in a couple of months than some refs make in a career.

Having said all this I do believe that football has become far too high profile anyway.

 

[Le Juif Rouge]

Credit where credit's due! - Mr Attwell has ensured this game goes down in Forest folklaw. He showed no bias to either side, and I would hate to see the day come when video refereeing rules. Honest but Bad decisions by Refs are what make the game more fun. ;D

 

[Alexandro Garibaldi]

They're speaking about this guy on Sky right now. Basically even ex-refs are at a loss to explain his disallowed goal decision.

This is the same guy who gave Reading a goal even though the ball went yards wide of the goal earlier this season at Watford. He's probably scared to give any kind of goal now :

 

[Tutts]

TalkSport have just referred to him as 'Doogie Howser.'