Ask and ye shall recieve

Fair play to you, Alan.

Just two days ago, I asked "where are the good refs?" in a somewhat aggravated blog lamenting the omnipresence of bad refs in today's game. So far, halfway into the Liverpool-Everton FA Cup replay, I (and the commentators both) have noticed that head referee Alan Wiley is having an exceptional game. In the most contentious and booking-prone clash in all of English football, he is dealing with the inevitable stamps, shoves and trips with aplomb. His bookings have been judicious, his hand even, and he has (so far) been on top of just about every instance of unfair play in the match.

In the interest of advancing the cause I advocated in the above-mentioned post, we should take notice of the fact that there are still good refs preserving fair play in the league. If you happen to see the name Wiley on the officials list for your favorite team's upcoming match, you should either feel in safe hands, or very ready to party.

I totally called this three seconds after it happened.

The FA has officially un-lamped Lamps after Mike Riley handed out another stellar booking in his long career of baffling calls.

Didn't see this one coming at all.

Where are the good refs?

Watching a somewhat nervy but ultimately satisfying Liverpool win over Chelsea on Sunday, I, like most other rational humans, was struck by the fact that Mike Riley apparently had no idea what he was doing. This, of course, was not entirely surprising, as Mike Riley is renowned from Albania to England as a bit of an idiot. Come to think of it, the only referees I can name have that distinction because of being either blind or careless with the cards. Mike Riley, Graham Poll, Rob Styles; none of these men are remembered for clean calls or smart eyes, and yet they are the representatives of the craft of officiating.

When was the last time you've checked the officials list before a game and heaved a sigh of relief? Been to or watched a match where the announcement of the head referee's name was anything but booed? Why is it that the FA hasn't managed to figure out that there is a reason refs are almost universally hated?

Everyone knows that refs are graded on their performance after matches. Why isn't it that these numbers are published in a public manner? While it might sound a bit silly, a league table format, whereby refs are ranked on their accuracy and fairness, could restore a bit of faith in the system. Important matches, local derbys and late-season clashes when points are tight could be assigned to those with high scores, lower-table matches (and a lower payout) could be left those loose with the bookings and fouls. This is far from any fully elaborated plan, but this is a sport, where we're perfectly comfortable with a competition format to decide our league champion on the pitch. Why not set one up to choose the man who could potentially decide the fate of that same title?

It's time we start celebrating the commitment to upholding the rules that referees ostensibly represent, and making what is the most hated job in sports into something it's practitioners are proud of.