Controversial referee at the Turf

Last updated : 19 March 2004 By Tony Scholes

Just four weeks ago Pawel Abbott scored a winning goal for Huddersfield against Lincoln when placed something in the region of 35 yards offside and with the assistant referee flagging furiously to ensure the goal was disallowed.

Bootle referee George Cain ignored the flag and allowed the goal and then on television made matters even worse by trying to explain and defend his horrendous error.

Lincoln boss Keith Alexander said he couldn’t wait for this incompetent official to retire at the end of the season and claimed he had never been good enough to referee at this level whilst the Lincoln club formally complained.

It should come as no surprise to be honest, if there is one thing that George Cain doesn’t do it is make decisions preferring to just let the players get on with it. On the positive side that means he keeps the game going but then again he lets a lot of things go that he shouldn’t.

He’s not the keenest with the cards either and to date this season has handed out just 33 yellow cards in 26 games and added four red cards to that.

Three of those red cards all came in the Swansea v Southend game in December when his dismissals of Dave McSweeney, Jay Smith and Mark Gower left Southend with just eight players. They still managed to score a last minute winner though.

The only other player he has sent off this season is Warren Goodhind of Cambridge in a 2-2 draw at Kidderminster.

He certainly favours the home team when it comes to the yellow cards with only 9 of the 33 going to home players and the other 23 to away players.

He has kept his cards in his pocket in nine games this season including four of his last six and apart from that game at Swansea the most number of cards he has handed out in one game is three which is less than many referees average.

One of his clean sheets was for our trip to Bramall Lane in November when it was our poor performance that ensured we returned home with nothing.

Tomorrow he will be assisted by Clive Oliver (Northumberland) and Eddie Tarry (Greater Manchester).

Previous Burnley games:

Season

Opps

V

Res

Y

R

Burnley players carded

a

2003/04

Sheff Utd

a

0-1

0

0

.

2002/03

Coventry

a

1-0

2

0

Armstrong

2002/03

Preston

a

1-3

2

0

Grant

2001/02

Grismby

h

1-0

0

0

.

2000/01

Birmingham

a

2-3

2

0

Branch Mellon

1999/2000

Wigan

a

1-2

0

0

.

1998/99

Colchester

h

3-1

0

1

.

1998/99

Bury

a

1-1

0

0

.

1997/98

Wrexham

a

0-0

0

0

.