Riley

[Guest]

Dropped from EPL.



Take That you ****

Mike Riley has been dismissed from refereeing any Premier League action this weekend following heavy criticism of his recent controversial performances.
# Telegraph TV: Premier and Football League highlights
# Football fans' forum

The decision by the Premier League was taken after Riley failed to show Ashley Cole a red card against Spurs earlier this month when the Chelsea left-back performed a horrific studs-up tackle on Alan Hutton.

Riley dropped from Premier League
Soft touch: Riley's leniency comes under attack

The Yorkshire official was then further criticised for taking no action against Cole's irrate team-mates for harassment and dissent. Players including Chelsea captain John Terry protested Cole's innocence while surrounding Riley.

Criticisms of Riley's leniency comes only two weeks after he was last dropped by the Premier League for his poor performance at Blackburn against Fulham.

No stranger to criticism, it seems likely that Riley will be kept away from high profile games for the rest of the season.

This Saturday will see him drop a league for the Championship fixture between Charlton and Wolves, and again three days later for the League One contest between Carlisle and Nottingham Forest.

Riley, who became a National Football League referee in 1994 and received Fifa status in 1999 has a vast history of controversial decisions in Premier League games.

When Arsenal played Manchester United in 2004 he was accused of major refereeing errors which subsequently ended Arsenal's lengthy unbeaten run.

After Chelsea's 1-0 win over Reading in 2006, Riley received heavy criticism for his handling of Petr Cech's head injury following Stephen Hunt's challenge.

[BFG]

I'd rather them have dropped Bennett.

[Kenneth]

He's ****.

[Matt]

He's as bad as Rennie.

They should bring this guy in:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86AJje3ElDc

[-V-]

I thought Riley was ok. Surprised to see him dropped

They should drop that ****er Bennett. ****

[Joe King]

I am not joking when I say this but I seriously think Clattenberg is the best referee. He sorts situations out better than any other referee and allows games to go on. Rennie is a god-awful. Its stop start with him all the time. Howard Webb is another good referee.

[nevelator]

Have to agree Webb and Clattenberg are the two I would pick. Clattenberg had a good chat with Gallas and Terry before their game. Unlike other referees they just want to keep a low profile and get on with the game.
Bennett should have taken Masher to one side and gave him a good talking to before the Torres incident.

[AFII]

Have to agree Webb and Clattenberg are the two I would pick. Clattenberg had a good chat with Gallas and Terry before their game. Unlike other referees they just want to keep a low profile and get on with the game.
Bennett should have taken Masher to one side and gave him a good talking to before the Torres incident.

You do know that you are talking about a ref that want to be THE star of the show?

If Bennett has two choices then he will always make the choice that will put him in the center of the action. That is why he is such a useless ref.

[Joe King]

Have to agree Webb and Clattenberg are the two I would pick. Clattenberg had a good chat with Gallas and Terry before their game. Unlike other referees they just want to keep a low profile and get on with the game.
Bennett should have taken Masher to one side and gave him a good talking to before the Torres incident.

Absolutely. Clattenberg really handled Eboue when he wanted a fight with Ballack by mentioning the word 'Why?' It was quite funny to say the least.

Webb seems to police the game more than manage the game as referees are expected to do nowadays which is also good.

[saveferris]

agreed that clattenburg and webb are the best around at the moment and couldnt help thinking they would have done a better job at OT.

[Joe King]

agreed that clattenburg and webb are the best around at the moment and couldnt help thinking they would have done a better job at OT.

I think the FA still think that they are too 'green' for a big match like Man Utd vs Liverpool and decide to let the 'experienced' referees have the jobs which is a shame as I find the older refs are more stuck to their old ways. The younger refs like Clattenberg, Webb, Atkinson aren't fazed by criticism from managers and the media and more than willing to talk to the media but its the FA delegates that stop them. Its a shame come to think of it.

[zimbo]

Webb is ref on Sunday. Not too bad a choice.

Halsey is the best for me. Seems able to communicate with the players, is often prepared to explain his decisions to them and doesn't try to act as a boarding school headmaster, a la Bennett. Also, even when he gets decisions wrong, you can kind of see why he's done it.

The exact opposite of Bennett, who has long been the worst ref in the league by a country mile. Remember him sending Alonso off at Highbury a couple of years ago after Xabi slipped, lost his footing and tumbled into Fabregas. An utter balloon of a man.

[Nic83]

Riley usually hands out yellows like lollipops. He's one ugly man. I wonder if he's had sex.

[-V-]

Webb seems to police the game more than manage the game as referees are expected to do nowadays which is also good.

I think thats because he is a Policeman

[Joe King]

I think thats because he is a Policeman

Hence the usage of the word 'police'