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Even so Knight’s performance was an absolute disgrace and worryingly was not a one off from this official. You swamped us with votes that week and his performance was such that even Garry Flitcroft didn’t get a look in for his performance with the lap dancers and had to settle for second place.
Just a few weeks later he won the season’s award and that was going to be it, hopefully we wouldn’t see him this season and we could forget about him. Not on your life, this week following his report to the FA we have seen Stan get a two match touchline ban and a £2,500 fine. His crime was improper behaviour and the use of foul and abusive language.
In a match where the results was without question influenced by the incompetence of Knight, and with the match of such importance, I’m sure that the fans would have questioned Stan had he not behaved in an improper manner.
Meanwhile this lunatic will be able to continue wrecking football matches.
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In a recent match at Wolves he deemed a late tackle by Paul Cook to be worthy of a red card even though the game was just seven minutes old and players were still finding the pace of the game.
There is no doubt that the challenge from Cooky was poor and there was no doubt that anything but a yellow card and he would have thought himself lucky to get away with it but surely a red card was a bit harsh.
It was thought that Cooky had been sent of for comments made and he certainly had a word or two with Alex Rae who was playing dead but whatever happened this was harsh.
So Winter, who was so lenient with Jason Roberts at the Turf last February, is now a strict referee. Whenever he referees there is going to be a good chance of a red card. So when a player uses his elbow in a situation close to him and when he clearly indicates that he has seen it then the red card is going to come out so fast.
Well that all depends on who the player is and last week Winter was in that very position when David Beckham, yes the one that plays for Manchester United and captains England, clearly elbowed Leeds’ Lee Bowyer.
Winter reacted, gave the free kick and no more. He said afterwards that it was just a foul. This was the sort of incident that causes serious injury, this is the sort of incident that needs to be removed from the game as soon as possible.
I just wonder what Winter would have done had it been Paul Cook elbowing Lee Bowyer, not as though Cooky would ever do such a thing.
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James had been yellow carded previously for a foul but then committed one of the most serious offences in football, he celebrated a goal. It came in the last minute of the game and ensured Gillingham victory at Brighton.
Admittedly he did run off the pitch to his own fans but certainly at no time did anything or even went near the Brighton fans. As he turned to come back onto the pitch Cooper was waiting with the two cards ready in his hand and promptly sent James from the field.
Gillingham boss Andy Hessenthaler called Cooper an absolute disgrace and will now probably face the FA in much the same way as Stan did.
Cooper, who is still to referee a Burnley game, has already shown the red card four times this season in just eight matches but none of the other three could have been quite so ridiculous as that last one at Brighton.
He is there to referee games and not ruin them. He made a complete fool of himself and even on television where referees are too often defended they condemned this official.
There was also a big vote for the FA this week. Not only have they punished Stan they also made complete fools of themselves with the Beckham and Henry elbowing incidents. They really do have to take a long look at themselves and their disciplinary procedures.
Patrick Viera also picked up a number of nominations and we did try to contact him on this, unfortunately the French midfielder was too tired to talk to us.
It can only be hoped that we have a sensible weekend of football and that in a week’s time referees don’t get a mention. Is that ever likely to happen? Just send us your NOMINATIONS before midnight next Thursday and we will reveal the next winner of the prestigious award next Friday morning.
The winners so far:
Week 1 – Roy Keane (Manchester United)
Week 2 – Jeff Winter (Referee)
Week 3 – Football League’s Football Disciplinary Commission
Week 4 – Alex Ferguson (Manchester United manager)
Week 5 – Luton Town supporters
Week 6 – Barry Knight (Referee)