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#Post#: 100139--------------------------------------------------
Worst performance ever
DIR By: Hendo
Date: January 15, 2026, 5:08 am
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There is quite a lot of comment from irate posters on here about
“worst performance ever”, “worst ever VAR intervention “ etc.,
perhaps posted in the heat of the moment.
I have recently been watching F A Cup Finals from the past on
YouTube, mainly my era of p 70s, 80s and 90s. I still remain
convinced that you would go a long way to beat the referee’s
performance in the 1991 Final.
Our older posters I am sure will know what I am talking about.
For our younger posters who won’t have seen the Final I have put
a YouTube clip below.
HTML https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMPNrYKKUBg
To put into context the referee was Roger Milford - bouffant
hairstyle, tanned legs, very short shorts, cheeky chappy grin,
everyone’s friend supposedly but a bit of a poser. Paul
Gascoigne was like something wound up and his behaviour
ridiculous. The main points in the video are -
1. I min 30 secs a “foul” on Parker which is bordering on common
assault and should have been red. Just a quiet word and a grin
from Milford
2. 2min 50 secs a scything down of Charles, yellow at best but
bordering on red. There was some karma in that Gascoigne came
off worst and Forest scored from the free kick. But again
nothing from our chirpy little ref.
Gascoigne should have walked without a doubt, Spurs would have
been down to 10 men for most of the game and the result may have
been different.
I still believe this to have been the worst dereliction of duty
by a ref in all my days of watching football. Milford’s
explanation that he “felt sorry for Gascoigne” beggars belief.
#Post#: 100140--------------------------------------------------
Re: Worst performance ever
DIR By: Whistleblower
Date: January 15, 2026, 5:22 am
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That FA Cup Final was indeed a very poor piece of officiating by
Milford who was generally very over rated because of his
somewhat idiosyncratic image.
Although there was a much higher degree of tolerance in those
days as to what deserved sanction, a viewing of the Chelsea
Leeds FA Cup Final of 1970 shows the referee, Eric Jennings ( in
what I think was his last match before retirement ) totally
failing to control the rough house proceedings. At times he
appears little more than a spectator.
#Post#: 100156--------------------------------------------------
Re: Worst performance ever
DIR By: RCG
Date: January 15, 2026, 3:26 pm
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"To put into context the (referee) assessor was Roger Milford -
bouffant hairstyle, tanned legs, very short shorts, cheeky
chappy grin, everyone’s friend supposedly but a bit of a poser"
I thought you were talking about the day he assessed me
😀
#Post#: 100157--------------------------------------------------
Re: Worst performance ever
DIR By: Whistleblower
Date: January 15, 2026, 3:35 pm
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--- Quote from: RCG link ---
>
> "To put into context the (referee) assessor was Roger Milford
- bouffant hairstyle, tanned legs, very short shorts, cheeky
chappy grin, everyone’s friend supposedly but a bit of a poser"
>
> I thought you were talking about the day he assessed me
😀
>
--- End Quote ---
And was he generous with his assessment ? I have heard said that
referees who were very tolerant in their officiating careers and
let quite a lot go, sometimes became sticklers when they became
Assessors. I believe Roger Furnandiz was one such.
#Post#: 100158--------------------------------------------------
Re: Worst performance ever
DIR By: TheThingFromLewes
Date: January 15, 2026, 3:39 pm
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--- Quote from: Whistleblower link ---
>
> [quote author=RCG link=topic=7617.msg100156#msg100156
date=1768512379]
> "To put into context the (referee) assessor was Roger Milford
- bouffant hairstyle, tanned legs, very short shorts, cheeky
chappy grin, everyone’s friend supposedly but a bit of a poser"
>
> I thought you were talking about the day he assessed me
😀
>
--- End Quote ---
And was he generous with his assessment ? I have heard said that
referees who were very tolerant in their officiating careers and
let quite a lot go, sometimes became sticklers when they became
Assessors. I believe Roger Furnandiz was one such.
[/quote]
Conversely, I’m sure Parker from Preston could never have
relinquished his strict protocols on the field if he were in the
assessor chair!
He would have red carded anyone that sneezed on a soccer field!
😂
#Post#: 100160--------------------------------------------------
Re: Worst performance ever
DIR By: RCG
Date: January 16, 2026, 2:50 am
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--- Quote from: Whistleblower link ---
>
> [quote author=RCG link=topic=7617.msg100156#msg100156
date=1768512379]
> "To put into context the (referee) assessor was Roger Milford
- bouffant hairstyle, tanned legs, very short shorts, cheeky
chappy grin, everyone’s friend supposedly but a bit of a poser"
>
> I thought you were talking about the day he assessed me
😀
>
--- End Quote ---
And was he generous with his assessment ? I have heard said that
referees who were very tolerant in their officiating careers and
let quite a lot go, sometimes became sticklers when they became
Assessors. I believe Roger Furnandiz was one such.
[/quote]
He was very picky and often used the phrase "if it had been
me..."
Furnandiz and Heilbron were ones to avoid as southerners heading
north
#Post#: 100162--------------------------------------------------
Re: Worst performance ever
DIR By: Acme Thunderer
Date: January 16, 2026, 3:48 am
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With Roger Milford, I'm sure it was a combination of keeping 22
players on the pitch if at all possible, particularly stars like
'Gazza', and keeping up his own image of being a players'
referee (I believe he was a semi-pro at one time). As for
feeling sorry for Gazza, perhaps Roger could see that having
wound himself up on the big stage, Gazza had effectively dug
himself into a hole, the final tackle marking the start of the
end of his career at the top level.
I agree on Eric Jennings in the FA Cup Final replay in 1970. I
loved the quote afterwards, 'whenever Eric seemed to be reaching
into his pocket for his book, he took out a handkerchief and
carefully wiped his nose'. The very recent obituary for Eddie
McCreadie talked of him launching a kung-fu tackle on an
opponent and going unpunished for it. It must have been a
nightmare way for a long and distinguished refereeing career to
come to an end and I was reminded of Eric during the World Cup
Final in 2010 when Howard Webb encountered similar issues with
behaviour during his biggest game on the public stage.
#Post#: 100164--------------------------------------------------
Re: Worst performance ever
DIR By: Vissla7
Date: January 16, 2026, 5:18 am
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--- Quote from: Hendo link ---
>
> The main points in the video are -
>
> 1. I min 30 secs a “foul” on Parker which is bordering on
common assault and should have been red. Just a quiet word and a
grin from Milford
> 2. 2min 50 secs a scything down of Charles, yellow at best but
bordering on red. There was some karma in that Gascoigne came
off worst and Forest scored from the free kick. But again
nothing from our chirpy little ref.
>
--- End Quote ---
Wow this is a game that I'd completely forgotten about until
now, following on from your 2 points:
3. 5:34 - Lineker's goal ruled out for offside incorrectly,
despite the confidence in the exaggerated flag
4. 12:24 - Another SFP, Straight legged lunge by the sub Hodge,
studs up in to the shin of his sub counterpart, Nayim
I suppose when you've allowed 2 instances of GBH from Gazza, its
hard to find a benchmark; this one resulted in the first and
only caution of the game
The saving grace from the performance, 6:25 - DOGSO not issued
correct for Mark Crossley, as there was a covering defender in
Pearce
1 out of 5 (20%) for KMI/KMDs in the team isn't bad I suppose...
#Post#: 100167--------------------------------------------------
Re: Worst performance ever
DIR By: Ref Fan
Date: January 16, 2026, 8:30 am
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Re the 1970 Eric Jennings final: I think he also refereed the
replay on a very muddy pitch at OT. I stand to be corrected but
I recall he must have sharpened his pencil to write a few more
names in his note book on that evening.
It's been mentioned before on RtR but subsequently David Elleray
was asked to rewatch that final based on the updated policies
for discipline. I forget how many red and yellow cards he came
up with but it was a lot!
I saw Eric referee a number of times at Old Trafford for league
games. My memory is that he sauntered or lumbered round the
pitch - even more so than a certain unpopular referee on here
some 15-20 years later.
#Post#: 100173--------------------------------------------------
Re: Worst performance ever
DIR By: Whistleblower
Date: January 16, 2026, 11:00 am
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--- Quote from: Ref Fan link ---
>
> Re the 1970 Eric Jennings final: I think he also refereed the
replay on a very muddy pitch at OT. I stand to be corrected but
I recall he must have sharpened his pencil to write a few more
names in his note book on that evening.
>
> It's been mentioned before on RtR but subsequently David
Elleray was asked to rewatch that final based on the updated
policies for discipline. I forget how many red and yellow cards
he came up with but it was a lot!
>
> I saw Eric referee a number of times at Old Trafford for
league games. My memory is that he sauntered or lumbered round
the pitch - even more so than a certain unpopular referee on
here some 15-20 years later.
>
--- End Quote ---
I believe Eric Jennings was told by the hierarchy to get more of
a grip on proceedings in the Replay.
Whenever I see broadcast matches from the 1950s, 60s and 70s,
many of the referees were saunterers or lumberers. It was quite
a rarity to see referees sprinting about the pitch. What a
contrast to today where our officials are rushing about like
demented whippets much of the time.
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