Whitey Grandad

Well, the JPT is on a Tuesday evening just before Christmas when everybody is working frantically up to the deadline, whereas the Cup is on a quiet Saturday in that dead period between Christmas and the return to work. No, I don't understand it either. When we were drawn at home I was quite excited. Now it's almost an away game for half the supporters.

No, absolutely not true. That is not the current instrucion to assistant referees under the current Laws.

Pardew's doing fine by me. I'm happy for him to carry on the way that he is now.

Not again! Please learn the Laws before saying that. He was offside when the ball was kicked by Bart. The flag was delayed until he interfered with play.

There's a little bit in the Mail today: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1235561/All-fizz-Coca-Cola-Football-League.html 'Cheap at half the price'. Where do they get this bit about 'cash-strapped Saints'?

Completely right! I refer the honorouble gentleman to the answer I gave earlier: "gaining an advantage by being in that position” means playing a ball that rebounds to him off a goalpost or the crossbar having been in an offside position or playing a ball that rebounds to him off an opponent having been in an offside position. Please go and discuss with a qualified official for the latest instructions to assistant referees.

Nor can I, but it's not my decision. The club don't think that we'll get a very big crowd, around 12k to 14k, so they have decide not to open the Kingsland at this stage. I asked a few STs who sit near me on Saturday whether they would go if they could not get their regular seat. It's not a very big sample but 4 had already reluctantly bought tickets for the Itchen and 7 said that they would only go if they could have their 'own' seat. I believe that we could get a similar crowd to last Saturday but not if we close half the ground.

Take it up with FIFA. The penalty kicks do not form part of the match but are a means of deciding which team progresses to the next stage.

Some would have given a red card, some not. Besides, it was only two hands

Because he was offside when the ball was kicked by Bart. The ball hitting the defender is irrelevant and it most certainly was not gross incompetency, in fact quit the opposite. Why is anybody still talking about being 'played on'? That went out of the game with leather footballs and shoulder charging. Please don't criticise the officials if you are not familiar with the laws of the game. As for the timewasting I agree with you, in fact the ref's control of the game was very sloppy in the first half and was not helped by some inconsistent decisions. Lambert got booked for letting himself get shoved in the chest by a couple of their players.

It's certainly very possible but I do worry about injuries and suspensions. We have the January window coming up and I would expect a couple of reinforcements, especially with Murty's injuries. These certainly are interesting and encouraging times.

I hope Markus appreciated it as much as we did.

It looks a bit like the middle row on a French keyboard.

Those two for those reasons plus Man Utd. You never get a fair deal up there and I still remember the Shipperley goal that was disallowed.

Are we talking about results or outcomes?

He looked a bit of a pieman when he caame out so I was watching him during the game. He looked a couple of yards off the pace, if I'm being polite.

This is a decision for the referee, the debate is over 'obvious goal-scoring opportunity' and whilst you might have decided otherwise, you cannot say that his decision was incorrect.

To send somebody off you have to be pretty certain that a goal would have been scored. There was no certainty that Lambert would have headed it, nor that he would not have headed over, nor that the goalkeeper or somebody on the line would have stopped it - in the opinion of the referee. I remember it as several yards out, and the ball was going across goal. Now if he had handled after Lambert had headed it and it was going towards goal the that's a different story. What on earth was he thinking? It was both hands FFS.

It was deliberate handball but not an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.

I've just looked up the exact wording: "gaining an advantage by being in that position” means playing a ball that rebounds to him off a goalpost or the crossbar having been in an offside position or playing a ball that rebounds to him off an opponent having been in an offside position.

Great work lads! Can you put a dotted line on it showing distance and speed?

It's this business of second phase etc. It's not an easy job being an assistant ref but these fellows know what they're doing and I thought he was spot on.

We drew the match and went through on penalties. Anything else is a matter for the bookies.

Somehow I feel more relaxed with him in goal and the same seems to go for the defence.

He was offside when Bart kicked it. What happens later is irrelevant. The asistant will delay his flag until the player becomes 'active'. Have a play with this: http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/lawsofthegame.html and click on 'interactive guide to the offside law'.