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       #Post#: 31409--------------------------------------------------
       Re: PlayOffs 2021
   DIR By: Whistleblower
       Date: May 12, 2021, 8:47 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Perhaps Backhouse and Edwards will feature in the League 2 Play
       Off Final as Referee and 4th Official or vice versa. I have
       heard very good things, from those who should know, about
       Edwards. Backhouse's star seemed to burn very brightly a little
       while ago; has it dimmed just a little ? I'm not sure but it
       might have done.
       #Post#: 31441--------------------------------------------------
       Re: PlayOffs 2021
   DIR By: Whistleblower
       Date: May 13, 2021, 2:32 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       One person who I am surprised not to see high up in the Merit
       List and therefore receiving a Play Off appointment is Neil
       Hair.  I have seen him live twice and he was superb on both
       occasions. Perhaps I serve as some sort of lucky mascot for him
       and at other matches he has been distinctly average but of the
       League 1 and 2 referees I have seen , his performances have
       unquestionably been among the very best.
       #Post#: 31442--------------------------------------------------
       Re: PlayOffs 2021
   DIR By: Acme Thunderer
       Date: May 13, 2021, 2:54 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: Whistleblower link ---
       >
       > Perhaps Backhouse and Edwards will feature in the League 2
       Play Off Final as Referee and 4th Official or vice versa. I have
       heard very good things, from those who should know, about
       Edwards. Backhouse's star seemed to burn very brightly a little
       while ago; has it dimmed just a little ? I'm not sure but it
       might have done.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       I agree with you Whistleblower about Backhouse. I saw him at
       Gresty Road in his earliest days and he was excellent. Since
       then however, he seems to have tailed off, in particular giving
       awards which were perplexing and quite frankly absurd. David
       Rock on the other hand was by far and away the worst 'newbie'
       I'd seen at Gresty but seems to have made progress since then. I
       doubt whether either will feature again this season.
       #Post#: 31444--------------------------------------------------
       Re: PlayOffs 2021
   DIR By: justalino
       Date: May 13, 2021, 3:08 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: Whistleblower link ---
       >
       > One person who I am surprised not to see high up in the Merit
       List and therefore receiving a Play Off appointment is Neil
       Hair.  I have seen him live twice and he was superb on both
       occasions. Perhaps I serve as some sort of lucky mascot for him
       and at other matches he has been distinctly average but of the
       League 1 and 2 referees I have seen , his performances have
       unquestionably been among the very best.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       Agreed he is excellent, but currently injured.
       #Post#: 31445--------------------------------------------------
       Re: PlayOffs 2021
   DIR By: Whistleblower
       Date: May 13, 2021, 3:27 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: justalino link ---
       >
       > [quote author=Whistleblower link=topic=2450.msg31441#msg31441
       date=1620891124]
       > One person who I am surprised not to see high up in the Merit
       List and therefore receiving a Play Off appointment is Neil
       Hair.  I have seen him live twice and he was superb on both
       occasions. Perhaps I serve as some sort of lucky mascot for him
       and at other matches he has been distinctly average but of the
       League 1 and 2 referees I have seen , his performances have
       unquestionably been among the very best.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       Agreed he is excellent, but currently injured.
       [/quote]
       Ah that explains things. I hope he swiftly recovers from his
       injury. I may not be the best talent spotter in the business (
       or rather I mean my estimations don't always necessarily
       coincide with the 'powers that be' ) but on the evidence of my
       eyes I would say Neil Hair is the most promising talent I have
       seen emerge in Leagues 1 and 2 in the last two or three years.
       #Post#: 31447--------------------------------------------------
       Re: PlayOffs 2021
   DIR By: justalino
       Date: May 13, 2021, 4:08 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: Whistleblower link ---
       >
       > If you discount the SG2 appointed officials then the FL
       referees in order of merit should be Madley and Hicks followed
       by Breakspear, Drysdale, Coy and Bramall and then followed by
       Speedie, Purkiss,, Busby, Toner, Bell and S Oldham ( though as E
       Morecambe once famously said ) not necessarily in that order )
       So who among the FL referees would you would expect to appear in
       that list and doesn't might be a very good guide as to who will
       get the League 2 Play Off Final.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       None of the referees who are on the L2 play offs will get the
       final in case there is any 'carry over'.
       I will be very surprised if the L2 play off final is not
       refereed by either Mr Hicks or Mr Madley, assisted by two of the
       assistants appointed to the L1 semi-finals first legs.
       #Post#: 31454--------------------------------------------------
       Re: PlayOffs 2021
   DIR By: Whistleblower
       Date: May 13, 2021, 6:11 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: justalino link ---
       >
       > [quote author=Whistleblower link=topic=2450.msg31404#msg31404
       date=1620823063]
       > If you discount the SG2 appointed officials then the FL
       referees in order of merit should be Madley and Hicks followed
       by Breakspear, Drysdale, Coy and Bramall and then followed by
       Speedie, Purkiss,, Busby, Toner, Bell and S Oldham ( though as E
       Morecambe once famously said ) not necessarily in that order )
       So who among the FL referees would you would expect to appear in
       that list and doesn't might be a very good guide as to who will
       get the League 2 Play Off Final.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       None of the referees who are on the L2 play offs will get the
       final in case there is any 'carry over'.
       I will be very surprised if the L2 play off final is not
       refereed by either Mr Hicks or Mr Madley, assisted by two of the
       assistants appointed to the L1 semi-finals first legs.
       [/quote]
       I think this quite a likely outcome with one as referee and the
       other as 4th presumably. Madley's career is well documented.
       I've seen Hicks a couple of times; nothing too wrong with his
       performances but pretty run of the mill I would have said.
       If Backhouse and Edwards don't appear, presuming they are not
       injured, then I am surprised at that particularly Edwards.
       #Post#: 31455--------------------------------------------------
       Re: PlayOffs 2021
   DIR By: Whistleblower
       Date: May 13, 2021, 6:12 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Nield is someone else whom I might have expected to feature.
       #Post#: 31488--------------------------------------------------
       Re: PlayOffs 2021
   DIR By: Boz
       Date: May 13, 2021, 3:32 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I'm quite surprised by some of the names featuring in the
       play-off semis, though none cause me to throw my hands up in
       horror. It will be interesting to see who are selected for the
       L1 & L2 finals
       #Post#: 31493--------------------------------------------------
       Re: PlayOffs 2021
   DIR By: rustyref
       Date: May 13, 2021, 4:16 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: Whistleblower link ---
       >
       > [quote author=justalino link=topic=2450.msg31444#msg31444
       date=1620893290]
       > [quote author=Whistleblower link=topic=2450.msg31441#msg31441
       date=1620891124]
       > One person who I am surprised not to see high up in the Merit
       List and therefore receiving a Play Off appointment is Neil
       Hair.  I have seen him live twice and he was superb on both
       occasions. Perhaps I serve as some sort of lucky mascot for him
       and at other matches he has been distinctly average but of the
       League 1 and 2 referees I have seen , his performances have
       unquestionably been among the very best.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       Agreed he is excellent, but currently injured.
       [/quote]
       Ah that explains things. I hope he swiftly recovers from his
       injury. I may not be the best talent spotter in the business (
       or rather I mean my estimations don't always necessarily
       coincide with the 'powers that be' ) but on the evidence of my
       eyes I would say Neil Hair is the most promising talent I have
       seen emerge in Leagues 1 and 2 in the last two or three years.
       [/quote]
       I think Neil probably looks a lot younger than he is.  At a
       guess I would say he is late 30s or early 40s, so it is probably
       going to be difficult for him to progress much further.  Very
       good referee though, someone who I worked with when he was L3
       and L2B.
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