2 game touchline ban

https://www.hartlepoolunited.co.uk/club-statement-craig-hignett-fa-hearing/

An interestingly worded statement from Pools, it implies that the referee accused Hignett of far more than just swearing at him. It’s almost as the ref needed to embellish the story to justify his total loss of control of the match and his own senses.

I wonder if any investigation/complaint into his performance is underway? Hignett has to miss two games what about this bloke who’s performance was barely believable? Surely the National League have to address the fact they have someone officiating games between full time professional clubs with decent amount of people paying to watch capable of such a inept standard of refereeing. It’s what most people have commented has been the biggest drop off in standards compared to League Two, and we used to think we got bad refs in that. This likes of this bloke makes Scott Mathieson look like a short arsed Collina. Are the National League doing anything about this? I’d like to see a move to fast track retiring lower and Non League players into refereeing. Financially it could appeal to players and surely an ex pro or anyone who has played at a decent level has more of a chance of being decent at it than some of the people who go into at young age because they were last picked in the play ground.

Too many are not up to the required standard. What processes do they or don’t they go through to be so noticeably lower in standard compared to EFL officials?

I'm no expert at all on referee training but I thought all refs had to start low in the pyramid and work their way up based on them wanting to do it and the assessors being pleased with how they're progressing. If the system works that would mean that refs in the National League would generally be a be a bit worse than in League 2, although you'd expect some good younger ones to go through the National League on their way up.

The gap does seem to be a lot bigger than that even if you dismiss matches like Dover as an unrepresentative one-off.

problem is that you do not notice the good ones. the guy who did the chesterfield game was fine and by all reports m,copeland had a good game last saturday. its the system of promotion that is flawed where some are pushed more than others. it seems to start right after they pass the course to become a referee. could bore you all day about this subject. remember a guy turning up at a local referees course. he was in his mid twenties, played at what would be say northern league standard but had to retire with an injury which did not stop him running. was told by a county f.a. guy that he was too old to do anything but local football. some of these who they push might look the part, talk the part and thats it. hundreds pack in reffing every season and a lot of the younger ones site this favouritism as a reason finding carrying on a bit pointless.

[quote="PJPoolie"]An interestingly worded statement from Pools, it implies that the referee accused Hignett of far more than just swearing at him. It’s almost as the ref needed to embellish the story to justify his total loss of control of the match and his own senses.

I wonder if any investigation/complaint into his performance is underway? Hignett has to miss two games what about this bloke who’s performance was barely believable?
has he refereed another game since the dover game and has he got a game this week. he might be given a so called rest for a few weeks but whilst hignetts suspension is known to all in the game anything that happens to him will be kept quiet.

I suppose you could say in the heat of the moment the referee and his assistant misheard what was shouted at them. You could also say they lied. Either way, the FA accepted what was reported to them was incorrect.

I randomly found this.

https://www.refchat.co.uk/threads/hartl ... ver.14327/

17th post down is interesting

"I spoke to the referee last night (didn't know it was him at the time, hes the main man at my local club)

Got a good insight into not only the game but refereeing at this level.

He said looking back the free kick - penalty was a foul but thought at the time the defender got the ball.

I wont say what Craig Hignett (Hartlepool manager) called him and said he would do to him."

This is an interesting read. Same referee in 2016. The similarities are scary!!

https://www.northwichguardian.co.uk/spo ... hy-replay/

Rather than slate a ref for one performance, how does he fare in other games? Does he have a reputation like Kettle?
If not he may have just had a bad day at the office. Everyone has one of those now and again, it doesn't mean he should be sacked or relegated to a lower level.
As for embellishing his statement, all the refs I have encountered in FA hearings have done exactly the same to try and save face and justify their actions. There's absolutely nothing you can do about it either as the charge is usually worded in a way where if one part of it could be seen as dodgy, they'll get you on the other part. The ref doesn't need to provide any hard evidence either. The system is bollocks.

that is true loan star. keep hearing about cases where referees seem to add a little to their reports on sending offs. like a violent conduct one where a player is sent off for striking an opponent. instead of just saying that the above offender say in the 70th minute of the game struck an opponent with his fist they put the word violently struck and maybe without provocation as well. as for joe johnson{a name you can remember if you are an old time snooker fan} i have seen him before and he wasn,t very good at all.