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