Raining – but the game is on

Last updated : 02 April 2004 By Tony Scholes

That’s because we have the Flood Warden Andy Hall as referee. He turned Portsmouth v Leicester into a farce last season by allowing it to go ahead on a flooded pitch and he was the referee that allowed our 2nd Division game to be played at Macclesfield back in 1998 in similar circumstances.

He has courted controversy at Burnley games and sent off Andy Cook that day at Macclesfield following a blatant elbow from their central defender Efetorbe Sodje and then last season yellow carded an unconscious Gareth Taylor just seconds into the game at a waterlogged Rotherham.

We’ve had him once this season and that wasn’t a quiet game either – our 1-1 draw at Watford that saw him hand out seven yellow cards, send off Watford’s Paolo Vernazza and award us a rather dubious penalty.

Watford boss Ray Lewington said after the game: "It is ridiculous though. There has got to be a difference between a foul and something with intent. Anyone who sees that many bookings will think that it has been a real scrap, but neither side are a dirty side and yet if you hadn’t been here you would think it had been a bloodbath. To be honest I think something has got to be done.

"At least justice was done with the missed penalty. The handball law says it has to be intentional. If someone smashes a ball at your face from eight yards it is natural to put your arms in the way, that cannot be a penalty."

Stan added: "Watford were on the receiving end of the referee tonight just like we were on Saturday [at Franchise]. They say what goes around comes around but it is not right and we all know that.

"The referees are working under restrictions because of the assessors in the stand and something really needs to change."

He has refereed 20 games this season and has handed out 73 yellow cards and 9 red cards, almost one every other game. Of those 73 yellow cards a total of 32 have gone to home team players and 41 to away team players whilst six of those red carded have been away team players.

He is a referee who has often been in the news for the wrong reasons and was demoted from the elite list at the end of last season. It is unlikely to be the sort of game tomorrow where the referee remains unnoticed.

He will be assisted by Craig Barker (West Yorkshire) and Paul Nicholson (County Durham).