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#Post#: 106487--------------------------------------------------
Re: A PGMOL Wishlist for Next Season
DIR By: Lanyardhater
Date: May 21, 2026, 1:45 pm
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Looking through my scrapbook of refereeing cuttings from the
1970s has reminded me just how many controversies there were
back then - but I don’t recall hearing any cries of “Reg Paine
must go”.
#Post#: 106492--------------------------------------------------
Re: A PGMOL Wishlist for Next Season
DIR By: HChip
Date: May 22, 2026, 3:04 am
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I personally think Howard Webb leaving would make things 10x
worse and is in no way, shape or form the solution to this.
No doubt the senior members at PGMO will be delivering sessions
and development sessions to the officials over the summer to
address the issues from this season.
#Post#: 106494--------------------------------------------------
Re: A PGMOL Wishlist for Next Season
DIR By: Whistleblower
Date: May 22, 2026, 3:09 am
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If not Howard Webb then who should take on this work when it
appears that outside pressures and lack of true independence
make the job of senior referee management almost impossible to
undertake successfully ?
#Post#: 106496--------------------------------------------------
Re: A PGMOL Wishlist for Next Season
DIR By: TheThingFromLewes
Date: May 22, 2026, 3:33 am
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--- Quote from: Whistleblower link ---
>
> If not Howard Webb then who should take on this work when it
appears that outside pressures and lack of true independence
make the job of senior referee management almost impossible to
undertake successfully ?
>
--- End Quote ---
All I would add on this matter is that Webb has been a lot, lot
more honest, public and open, acknowledging when things did go
wrong without the political vitriol and spin.
His previous incumbents left a lot of damage to repair and were
more of a closed shop IMO.
#Post#: 106497--------------------------------------------------
Re: A PGMOL Wishlist for Next Season
DIR By: TA_Ref
Date: May 22, 2026, 4:29 am
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--- Quote from: HChip link ---
>
> I personally think Howard Webb leaving would make things 10x
worse and is in no way, shape or form the solution to this.
>
--- End Quote ---
It is a difficult thing to answer honestly I would say.
I said at the end of my post that I’m unsure whether Webb will
be leading our officials into next season. I’m certainly not
against him staying but he does need to change his mantra of
‘what the game wants’. That’s the biggest issue right now. But
as already stated, the fact the PGMO is not run independently
makes it more challenging.
I mean I’m not really old enough to think back to the previous
managers but I would agree with TTFL that under Webb there has
been a greater element of honesty and transparency and we can
certainly praise him for that.
#Post#: 106499--------------------------------------------------
Re: A PGMOL Wishlist for Next Season
DIR By: bmb
Date: May 22, 2026, 7:35 am
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To be honest the issues start way above Howard Webb's pay grade.
The PL have far too much say and should not in any way be
allowed to dictate and issue directives. Even worse the PL
stakeholders i.e the 20 club owners have far far far too much
say. Beyond a yearly vote as to whether they want to keep VAR or
not they should have absolutely zero say in refereeing matters,
none, nothing - it's a conflict of interests, IMO. The fact that
some or all of the funding comes from TV and/or corporate
sponsorship also allows people who should have no say into
refereeing being given a voice.
It makes no difference really if HW says or goes. We all had
high hopes when he arrived in place, we knew him as strong
minded and hoped he would stand up and say no to all of the
interference. He's ended up towing the party line anyway. He's
done a lot of good things, as mentioned the higher level of
honesty and transparency, even the shake up to the promotions
system leading to more bright young prospects being given
opportunities to work their way up the ladder quicker. The old
way would see someone replaced when they were retired by which
time any young prospects were a lot older, the system was a
bottleneck in many ways especially as retirements from the top
flight come by way of referees themselves being 5+ years older
than they were before. There's also a lot wrong and we all have
our own views of what comes into that category. The post match
reviews of controversial decisions is great, a step forward but
the constant looking for the smallest reason why the ref was
right not so. If a ref has called it wrong, just say so - if
there's a valid reason - view obscured, was on their blindside
or whatever then say so whilst still accepting the decision was
wrong. Stop the trying to make excuses - normalise referee error
as being as much a part of the game as player error is because
that is a fact. If the controversial call was right then say so
but also call out the managers, players and media jumping up and
down about it and tell them to shut up and learn the LOTG and
make them apologise as publicly for their lack of knowledge as
their jumping up and down was. As for "it's what football wants"
- umm yeah!
The one and only thing that will see real change is to abolish
the PGMO in it's current format and set it up as a fully
independent body, that is what is really lacking right now. Fund
it another way, there's more than enough money around to do so,
use the TV money and corporate sponsorship elsewhere, cut out
the PL and their stakeholders having any say whatsoever.
That and banning the rag shirts - it is statistically proven
that more key match errors are made in games when referees are
wearing the rag than in all other colours, ok my stats but you
even so!
#Post#: 106529--------------------------------------------------
Re: A PGMOL Wishlist for Next Season
DIR By: ajb95
Date: May 23, 2026, 4:36 am
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None of what I say will happen but remove PGMOL from PL
influence, and get rid of VAR
#Post#: 106556--------------------------------------------------
Re: A PGMOL Wishlist for Next Season
DIR By: Lionator27
Date: May 24, 2026, 2:26 am
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It might be a bit rogue but maybe it’s time for a non-Englishman
to head the PGMOL to align stuff with fifa/uefa a bit more.
I also agree, we have a lot of good upcoming referees, promote
them asap.
#Post#: 106562--------------------------------------------------
Re: A PGMOL Wishlist for Next Season
DIR By: Lanyardhater
Date: May 24, 2026, 7:06 am
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Coloured socks to match the coloured shirts next season please!
I gave up school physics at the very earliest opportunity, so I
don’t know the reason but it seems to make the person look more
athletic, appearing to be running a bit faster than they really
are. (Strobing effect? I’m clutching at straws!). Even the
older and slower UEFA refs (Tobias Stieler anyone?) seem to be
gliding on air when they’re wearing the coloured socks. It
seems to give them a little more mph (or maybe that should be
oomph?). Perhaps the colours reflect light and heat which the
black absorbs, so the legs feel lighter? (Still clutching at
straws!). It also looks great and gives the officials a modern
look - see, I don’t just live in the past!
Initially in Italy way back in the late 1990s and for a number
of years now in all UEFA competitions and some other European
leagues, referees have not been allowed to wear black socks when
one of the teams has black socks, precisely for the “out of the
corner of the eye” problem that I touched on in another topic
yesterday. This has not been mandated yet in England. It
sometimes results in black shirts and shorts with blue or red or
yellow socks - but I think that looks great too, something a bit
different to feast one’s eyes on though I know plenty others
think it’s not a good look!
Most, maybe all, of the world’s top leagues, women’s as well as
men’s,
seem from my observations to have adopted matching coloured
socks - but not here. I have seen it just twice in England
(well thrice if I count myself in an Under 15 boys’ game just
for fun before I retired!). On both occasions it was Abi Byrne
a few years back in the WSL, and with her assistant referees
similarly attired, I thought they looked terrific (but then it
was the wonderful dayglo yellow - sorry again bmb!!). But it
hasn’t so far been perpetuated in England either in women’s or
men’s competitions, more’s the pity. Who knows, maybe even as
I’m typing this, a large order for coloured socks is being sent
out from Referee Towers . . .
That does lead me on to a serious point. England was once the
undisputed world leader in all things refereeing but I do think
sadly we have now become the followers. For example the
development of non-league refereeing in England was seriously
and unnecessarily held back by the FA until very recently (2023
I think) by their curious and outdated insistence (seemingly
alone in the world of football in my experience at least) on the
long-winded and schoolmasterish “caution procedure” for even the
most clear-cut cards. Thank heavens that’s now been relaxed at
long long last and “card first, writing second”, (as used
throughout the rest of the world at all levels I believe ever
since cards came into general use way back in the last century)
can now finally be employed by the non-league referees I see
each week, with a huge diminution in the attendant fuss, bother
and, not least, delay. And without them being marked down by
assessors having to do so under FA edict even though (as many
have told me) they thought it was a pointless and obsolete
directive when the officials they are observing have teamsheets.
Whistles are another example of England being different - though
in this case it is of course a matter of individual choice
rather than FA edict. The pealess Fox40 was great at first, but
it can be lost with a big noisy crowd. It has been supplemented
for a number of years now by the newer generation of pealess
whistles which are double-chambered and therefore a lot louder,
the superb Fox Sonik Blast being far and away the best in my
opinion. These have become very standard worldwide - but not in
England. I don’t think any Premier refs use them, which is why
when I am listening on the radio, I often have to rely on the
commentator to say a free-kick has been awarded because the
whistle is inaudible in the noise of a big match. Of course,
the tiny short peeps for everything don’t help - why has this
become fashionable lately? The drip-down effect of copying
senior colleagues means it is is sadly getting increasingly
common way down the pyramid. Sometimes it is difficult to hear
these emaciated peeps in a crowd of less than 100 especially if
the referee is facing the other way. (And no, I am not going
deaf - everything else may be falling apart but my hearing is my
best feature!). Whatever happened to “talking with the
whistle”?
By contrast, it is a joy to listen to international and
European matches on the radio because you can actually hear the
whistle loud and clear. From my observations the only English
referees in the higher echelons using two-chamber whistles are a
couple in the EFL. Step forward Messrs. Langford and Yates. I
hope there are others and that it spreads upwards - though
perhaps not too far downwards - they can be unnecessarily loud
on the local parks, causing dogs to bark and passing old ladies
to cover their ears . . .
Rant over, I’ll let other members carry on with the
organisational and managerial issues that I guess this topic was
MEANT to be about!! I’m afraid I’m well known for going off at
tangents!
#Post#: 106571--------------------------------------------------
Re: A PGMOL Wishlist for Next Season
DIR By: carrowman
Date: May 24, 2026, 7:34 am
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Just on kit, maybe have bigger/wider sleeves that actually cover
all the modern equipment now used.
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