Whitey Grandad

Because the game is being played on Sunday?

The keeper is an integral part of the defence.

The monitor is the last stage of the process. You’d need multiple cameras from multiple angles with multiple camera operators. Plus all the data feeds that go with them.

Stephens? Please don’t even think about it. Why would you want to disturb a settled defence? Besides, it was the running from the front players that helped to keep Wolves further upfield. Once you start dropping back in you4 own box you’re inviting trouble.

An upgrade on Stephens.

Woo Hoo! A clean sheet and a couple of world-class goals

That’s all good news. On a positive note we had our vaccinations this afternoon at the NHS vaccination centre in Oakley Road. This was the Astra Zeneca version and so far so good except for a bruised feeling in my upper arm. It was only an hour ago mind you. They were well organised with plenty of marshals and a bit of a wait before going in to he vaccination pods. The whole process took about 35 minutes.

Just the one?

I’ve found some evidence of what they get paid. I wouldn’t describe it as ‘earned’ myself. https://www.eplfocus.com/premier-league-referee-wages/ This thinks they are higher, https://www.sportbible.com/football/news-202021-premier-league-referees-salaries-revealed-20200913

My knowledge of this is well out of date but back in my day it was something like £90k for which the FA had first call on their time. On top of that we’re match fees which were considerable. One referee told us about one particular referee who had been ‘rested’ for a few games that he had effectively been ‘fined’ a lot of money.

I prefer Forster. McCarthy makes too many blunders.

Nope.

The best referees are the ones that you don’t notice or remember after the game. In Dean’s case he wants you to notice and remember him.

Yeah, step down and give someone younger a chance.

Usually attributed to the Duke of Wellington referring to the French after Waterloo.

A horse’s head in his bed might be enough.

From The Times this morning The expert viewPeter Walton Former Premier League Referee I understand why Lee Mason suggested Mike Dean review footage of the Soucek incident because there is clearly contact but I don’t think they reached the right decision in the end. I suspect they studied the point of contact but did not factor in the context enough — when you watch the incident as whole, it looks accidental. Also, VAR was brought in to deal with clear, obvious errors — as a rule of thumb, if it takes as long as it did for Mason and Dean to reach a decision, it is best to stick to the referee’s original call because it cannot be that clear. Of course there is now a chance Dean will have a second red card in a week overturned on appeal. The league use psychologists to help officials at times like this, and they will be telling Dean that he should not see any reversal of his decision as a personal slight. I had a red card overturned during my career, and the player involved — Frank Lampard — still reminds me about it now. But you have to have the strength of character to move on, and Mike is a very strong character. The league will be sensible and I would be surprised to see Dean given a West Ham match for a couple of months, although these calls can never be influenced by clubs. As for VAR, I think the wider lesson is that officials should not actively go looking for decisions to change. Just keep it for the blatant injustice that could end up spoiling a game.

You haven’t got a f***ing clue what life was like in the fifties and sixties.

Old people who have worked hard all their lives having started out with nothing eventually getting to do the things that youngsters do all the time.

We used to have an American colleague whom we called B J Thomson but I don’t think he had a middle name.

Wildlife programs that insist on giving wild animals human Christian names.

There are similarities between warfare and football. That’s why you really need a midfield general.

Winning the Cup and getting into Europe? At the moment I’d settle for a win anywhere.

Ah Collioure! Patrick O’Brian, the writer of Master and Commander, lived there, as I’m sure you know. Canet Plage was where Charles Trenet lived until he died a few years ago. He wrote the song ‘La Mer’ whilst he was travelling south across the salt lagoons on the train from his native Narbonne. Who knows, we may have even walked passed each other a few times.

We’ve spent many summers taking the caravan down to Argeles or the Costa Brava. I’ve got some equipment installed at the Conseil Général across the road from the giant Auchan. We’ve never gone right up to Andorra but a good friend of mine had a house up the valley at Bouleternère. I love the view up the coast from La Franqui but our favourite view is when you come over the hills going north on the motorway from Spain. if you get the chance I can recommend having lunch in Spain at Sant Martí d'Empúries in the village courtyard square. Wonderful beaches there with Greek and Roman ruins right alongside. Happy days.