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Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Linesman doesn't get away with cock-up

Those who claim that top-level match officials bear little responsibility for their actions should take a look at the next week or so's fixtures. They will not find any mention of one John Stokes, the unfortunate lino who messed up during Chelsea's game against Arsenal by failing to spot Robin Van Persie was offside when he scored his first goal.
Stokes will have this weekend off to go Christmas shopping. Stokes is no youngster, having only become a referee at the age of 35, so is not that experienced. The assessor appointed to observe the officials at the weekend will have been obliged to effectively put Stokes' officiating career on hold with a mark that would be 59 out of 100 at best. This is the best mark an official can be given if the assessor judges he has made a "key error" that has had a direct influence on the outcome of a match. A mark of between 60 and 80 is the norm for a standard performance.
His mark of 59 will mean that he may not be put forward for promotions or for entry to major international competitions or tournaments like the FA or Carling Cup.
So managers should not whinge that refs and linesmen get away with their mistakes - it hits them where it hurts: their pride and their wallets.

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