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#Post#: 106188--------------------------------------------------
Re: EFL Play-Offs 2026
DIR By: Driver1123
Date: May 18, 2026, 8:04 am
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--- Quote from: HChip link ---
>
> [quote author=Driver1123 link=topic=7977.msg106079#msg106079
date=1778970300]
> Josh Smith doing two consecutive Stockport games, having done
their second leg too?
>
--- End Quote ---
Not unseen or unheard of. Sometimes happens in playoffs or
knockout stages in various competitions.
Providing the first performance wasn’t poor, people rarely ever
complains when something like this happens. Take Siebert for an
example!
[/quote]
It's not going down well with Bolton fans. The club posted the
news of the officials this morning and a lot are saying the same
thing. To quote one of them
"He oversaw a Stockport game and Stockport won. Whether he's a
decent ref or not, and no matter how fair he was in the
semi-final, that could be interpreted many ways. There will
always be some opposition fans, players and staff - in this
case, Stevenage - who would have had disagreed with some of the
decisions in the game that they ultimately lost. There's always
those who say 'the ref was their 12th man'. If he's the best
referee for the final in the eyes of whoever appoints them,
that's great. It's good to have the best for the final. But,
in that case, he should not have been given a second-leg of the
semi. First leg maybe, when there is another game after it, but
not the decider. I'm not saying he's an unfair referee, I'm
saying it's unfair of his bosses to put him on the two games in
a row for the same team. The way I see it, there are only two
ways to show that they're 100% neutral, impartial and unbiased.
One would be to have had Josh Smith referee Bolton's first leg
then Stockport's second, or the other option is to surely
appoint a different referee for the final?"
I am also a Bolton supporter, but even if I wasn't, I can see
this guy's point.
#Post#: 106193--------------------------------------------------
Re: EFL Play-Offs 2026
DIR By: Ryanellis
Date: May 18, 2026, 10:41 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: Driver1123 link ---
>
> [quote author=HChip link=topic=7977.msg106081#msg106081
date=1778999653]
> [quote author=Driver1123 link=topic=7977.msg106079#msg106079
date=1778970300]
> Josh Smith doing two consecutive Stockport games, having done
their second leg too?
>
--- End Quote ---
Not unseen or unheard of. Sometimes happens in playoffs or
knockout stages in various competitions.
Providing the first performance wasn’t poor, people rarely ever
complains when something like this happens. Take Siebert for an
example!
[/quote]
It's not going down well with Bolton fans. The club posted the
news of the officials this morning and a lot are saying the same
thing. To quote one of them
"He oversaw a Stockport game and Stockport won. Whether he's a
decent ref or not, and no matter how fair he was in the
semi-final, that could be interpreted many ways. There will
always be some opposition fans, players and staff - in this
case, Stevenage - who would have had disagreed with some of the
decisions in the game that they ultimately lost. There's always
those who say 'the ref was their 12th man'. If he's the best
referee for the final in the eyes of whoever appoints them,
that's great. It's good to have the best for the final. But,
in that case, he should not have been given a second-leg of the
semi. First leg maybe, when there is another game after it, but
not the decider. I'm not saying he's an unfair referee, I'm
saying it's unfair of his bosses to put him on the two games in
a row for the same team. The way I see it, there are only two
ways to show that they're 100% neutral, impartial and unbiased.
One would be to have had Josh Smith referee Bolton's first leg
then Stockport's second, or the other option is to surely
appoint a different referee for the final?"
I am also a Bolton supporter, but even if I wasn't, I can see
this guy's point.
[/quote]
I do agree. Don’t think a ref should be having a semi final then
a final. Lewis Smith deserved the final imo.
#Post#: 106195--------------------------------------------------
Re: EFL Play-Offs 2026
DIR By: BrandonWhitesRef21
Date: May 18, 2026, 10:51 am
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Congrats to Josh Smith on a great appointment - thoroughly
deserved. Saying that though, I am slightly surprised it is not
the other Smith on the final but fair play to Josh.
The championship one slightly surprises me too. I think Barrott
would have been well deserving of a final but I am sure his time
will come.
Think a League One semi final ruled Kirk and the same for
Hallam, with a Wembley appointment on the week just gone.
I know there has been a mention already but has there ever been
an assistant referee with three Wembley appearances in a season?
Steven Meredith might be about to make history here.
Best of luck to all teams on their final appointments and
hopefully the ball rolls kindly for them
#Post#: 106249--------------------------------------------------
Re: EFL Play-Offs 2026
DIR By: Lanyardhater
Date: May 18, 2026, 4:06 pm
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In my 41 seasons, I was fortunate enough to referee 27 cup
finals at grass roots level. Never once had I refereed a
semi-final of the same competition just prior, and I would have
been extremely surprised if that had ever happened.
It means one team will probably be very pleased to encounter the
ref so soon after they officiated their winning semi-final,
leaving the other team feeling somewhat left out of it. It also
means that the referee has had very recent experience of one
finalist but not the other, which may influence judgment even
subconsciously.
I don’t care if FIFA, UEFA, CONMEBOL and the rest of them think
it’s okay, I think it’s just plain wrong, completely
unnecessary and totally avoidable.
#Post#: 106287--------------------------------------------------
Re: EFL Play-Offs 2026
DIR By: Vernon Bear
Date: May 18, 2026, 6:36 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
As was mentioned higher up Tom Nield did the Stockport semi
final first leg then final in 2023 so it has happened before
quite recently. Josh Smith did have a good game in the semi and
to be honest was a lot better than most FL referees. Hopefully
he performs equally as well in the final
#Post#: 106290--------------------------------------------------
Re: EFL Play-Offs 2026
DIR By: Driver1123
Date: May 18, 2026, 8:11 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: Vernon Bear link ---
>
> As was mentioned higher up Tom Nield did the Stockport semi
final first leg then final in 2023 so it has happened before
quite recently. Josh Smith did have a good game in the semi and
to be honest was a lot better than most FL referees. Hopefully
he performs equally as well in the final
>
--- End Quote ---
Doing the first leg and the final isn't AS bad, because it would
leave the second leg - the decider - to be officiated by someone
else in between.
#Post#: 106319--------------------------------------------------
Re: EFL Play-Offs 2026
DIR By: Lanyardhater
Date: May 19, 2026, 6:51 am
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Even a first leg semi final plus the final is still too soon.
It still means the referee has done one finalist very recently
but not the other. Doesn’t it betray a lack of trust by the
authorities in the quality of their (fairly large) roster of
referees?
I would emphasise that I am in no way criticising Josh Smith.
He has been superb when I’ve seen him and thoroughly deserves
this final. But he shouldn’t have been put anywhere near a
semi, laying him, as we’ve heard, open to doubts from the
‘other’ club. In sensibly run competitions (grass roots for
example) the final referee would have been at least pencilled in
before the semis - and maybe even announced at the same time.
#Post#: 106335--------------------------------------------------
Re: EFL Play-Offs 2026
DIR By: HChip
Date: May 19, 2026, 12:49 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Hull City will now face Middlesbrough in the Championship
Playoff Final.
#Post#: 106346--------------------------------------------------
Re: EFL Play-Offs 2026
DIR By: ben
Date: May 19, 2026, 1:47 pm
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Full League One & Two appointments.
Sunday 24th May 2026
Bolton Wanderers FC (First Team) v Stockport County FC (First
Team)
Football League 1
Referee: Smith, Josh
Assistant Referee: Stevens, Mark
Assistant Referee: James, Alex
Fourth Official: Backhouse, Anthony
Reserve Assistant Referee: Graham, Jacob
Video Assistant Referee: Bankes, Peter
Additional Video Assistant Referee: Robinson, Tim
Monday 25th May 2026
Notts County F.C. (First Team) v Salford City FC (First Team)
Football League 2
Referee: Reeves, Tom
Assistant Referee: Webb, Michael
Assistant Referee: Woodward, Daniel
Fourth Official: Duckworth, Edward
Reserve Assistant Referee: Ellis, Andrew
Video Assistant Referee: Bell, James
Additional Video Assistant Referee: Wright, Peter
#Post#: 106347--------------------------------------------------
Re: EFL Play-Offs 2026
DIR By: TA_Ref
Date: May 19, 2026, 1:57 pm
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Surprised to see Bankes and Robinson on VAR the same day as
final PL day.
Given the fact that all the Prem games need VAR’s I would’ve
thought both of them would have had a prem VAR but obviously
not.
James Bell rewarded with the L2 play off final as VAR…
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