The worst decision in history - Part 2

As I'm sure everyone is aware, just over a week ago Freddie Sears and Crystal Palace were robbed, stolen, cheated, whatever you want to call it, out of a perfectly goal, and very possibly and vital three points in the chase for promotion.

This has been spread across back

pages and top stories of sports programmes alike, and this hasn't been helped by Neil Warnock and Simon Jordan expressing their disbelief and anger at the decision, and revealing what they really believe about the FA. When asked whether or not he will ask for a rematch, Warnock said: "No, what's the point? The FA and Football League won't listen to us. We're Crystal Palace for goodness' sake. Noone cares about us." The sad fact is, this is the truth.

He did apply for a rematch, but as he had expected, it was ushered away, the FA saying that "a referee's decision is final". No it's not, that's why you and the dubious goals panel are there.

But this huge debacle, dubbed as the worst refereeing decision in the history of football, strikes similarities to other painfully dreadful decisions.

Think back 29 years ago to 1980,

when Clive Allen's goal did exactly the same thing, and was disallowed.

And now Palace fans, are falling victim to the worst decision ever, again, are now justifiably asking whether or not we are the Most Cheated Club in Football History. Ever. Many people have given it nicknames, and by rights we should, really, be calling it Ashton Gate-Gate, but we aren't, because that just sounds silly. It's the kind of thing Charlton would do. But the point is we woz robbed. Twice. Clive Allen's goal (For those who don't know about it, view it here on YouTube), and this one (watch it here).

So who is to blame? Well, the obvious answer is Rob Shoebridge, who overnight became a house-hold name, and his two officials. The managers saw what happened. The crowd saw what happened. The players saw what happened. How is it possible that not one of the three officials saw it go in? Were they trying to play some kind of 'who is worse that Stuart Atwell' game? It's beggars belief how they missed it. You can see the reaction of the City players, heads down trudging back to the half way line, head in hands, while Palace celebrate. Does that not even make you think that there maybe, just maybe, have been a goal? If the officials really didn't see it, why not ask the two captains? That way, if right, justice is done, and if persuaded the other way, the Bristol City captain is a known liar. Simples.

This referee can't ref, granted, but is it also partly Bristol City's fault? Were they deliberatly being unsporting? While Warnock and Jordan were busy ranting about the goal, and somewhat blushing Gary Johnson said that he had been told after the game that there had been an infringement. And that to this day stands as their story, despite Keith Hackett apoligising to Warnock and CPFC.

So is it the stanchions fault? Probably partly, yes. They are not needed in football. I must admit, prior to hearing of the Clive Allen goal some 5 years ago, I had never heard of a stanchion, but now it haunts me, like the man who lives next door but you never actually see, but no he is there. People have checked the rules. There was no need for it to be there. Any other ground, there is no stanchion, but at Ashton Gate, they need that extra little advantage. It's a miscarriage of injustice waiting to happen.

So you woulf think, fine, bring in the goal-line sensor, but let’s not kid ourselves that technology can, and will, rid football of human enjoyment. As long as football matches have referees there will always be miscarriages of justice. In fact I wouldn’t have it any other way. It wouldn't be the football I have come to love. Football is essentially drama, and refereeing blunders often provide a delicious twist to the plot. If human error was eradicated think about what we’d lose. Venerable traditions, like chanting ‘the referee’s a wanker’, would disappear. Gone forever, never to appear again, because once the tech starts, it just won't stop. Ever. And no more of those great football debates: Was Maradona a genius or a cheat? Did the ball cross the line for Geoff Hurst’s second goal in 1966? And most importantly we’d be deprived of the glorious spectacle of an aggrieved manager going mental at the ref. Football without a glorious, full-blown Neil Warnock rant would be a dull place indeed. A very dull place.

Gibbo

Another season, but what makes everyone think this one is so special?

So, yesterday we welcomed the first day (well I say first day as I refuse to say that Friday night was the start of the season. In my mind, it hasn't started until the first 3 o'clock Saturday kick-off) and we have yet another day of unrealistic optimism, as if we have something to look forward to this year that made so special compared to last year. No Ronaldo, more experienced youth, I can sort of understand it, the one for me being: less French, I want to say people, but that isn't wuite the right word.

Actually, we had another day of unrealistic optimism. Shall I tell you why? We didn't win 10-0. This season isn't going to be as easy I we had all hoped. Bollocks. Oh well, we can still Twitter our

feelings away to all those others who have to much time on their hands, and need to get lives instead of musing over whether or not they should follow Darren Bent. Well guess what. I don't care. Anyway, back to the football. As I was saying since we didn't beat the promotion favourites 7-1, for example [*COUGH* Well done Colchester at beating Naaaaarch *COUGH*]

it seems now our optimism has disappeared.

For Palace fans, Stern John, on his debut, as is the trend for new Palace strikers, injured himself, meaning it's up to Freddie Sears and Alan Lee to do well. Oh dear. I for one don't like slagging off players, and was pleased at the obvious emotion he showed when he scored yesterday. I just hope for his sake that he can keep it up, because if he can't the Holmesdale Fanatics'll be on his back and they won't get off, even if the Main Stand start singing.

What I don't get is why the over the top opimism. It's like watching Madonna get yet older and more out of tune, and yet as new year ticks over still believing that she has enough to somehow get younger and better at singer. It just won't happen. Partly because she was never really that good anyway, but mainly because it just won't. History should tell you that. It is understandable a team like Man U or Chelsea thinking they might win the Champions League, because it might happen, but for Charlton fans to still grasp the straw helping them back up to the Premier League just is stupid.

Having said that, this season may prove to be amazing. Man U might win everything, Ronaldo might be a flop at Madrid, and Beckham might complete an amazing comeback by scoring England's winning free-kick in the 2010 World Cup. But there is a key word in all that: might. And that is all it is at the moment, a might, or a maybe. So until it happens, please stop insisting without evidence that your club will win everything. Because it just won't happen. Unless you're a Man U fan in which case it's not really your club anyway.

Gibbo

And it all gets worse for the Toon.

A few weeks ago, I posted a blog on Newcastle's horrendous new kit, which in hindsight isn't as bad as some others, but does make them look like custard creams. And judging by their first performance in that kit, they feel a need to play like that as well. They lost. 6-1. To Leyton Orient. It was an average team, mixed full of seasoned pros and youth:

Tim Krul, Habib Beye, Jose Enrique, Steven Taylor, Fabricio Coloccini, Joey Barton, Damien Duff, Kevin Nolan, Jonas Gutierrez, Alan Smith (c), Oba Martins
Subs: Danny Guthrie, Xisco, Geremi, Andy Carroll, Kazenga LuaLua, Tamas Kadar, Fraser Forster, Ben Tozer, Ryan Donaldson, Darren Lough, Wesley Ngo Baheng

All those in italics are first team players, yet Newcastle still fail to win what should be easy games. Many people who support Championship clubs thought one of the following would be seen on the back of the 'papers come May:

1. Newcastle bounce straight back up with the highest ever points total.
2. Toon do a Charlton.

Following their dire draw against Leeds this week, I have to admit that I am turning from the former to the latter. And I honestly believe that so are a lot of the so called 'Toon Army'. For me, the only reason they still go to see NUFC is in the hope that this preseason is all about giving other teams a false sense of security. I thought the same about Palace a few years back. It never fulfills the optimism that it gains.

So it is more than likely that these pre-season games are not merely blips, but an example of the struggle to come for the largely arrogant club that is Newcastle United, who once thought that anything and everything was s*** if it wasn't in the top half of the Premier League. Well, look in the mirror Toon Army, because you are now part of that 's***', and it won't be as easy as you thought.

Gibbo