English Premier League - Part 1: Winners of the second weekend
The English premier league is well and truly under way now, with the second league weekend behind us, it is time to take a look at who emerged with their respect and careers intact from this marvellous three days of football on the British Isles.
There are several teams and individuals that were successful over the course of the past three days, these clubs and footballers must continue their respective forms to attain any level of victory over the duration of English Premier League season.
The first person to come under the radar is relatively unknown. Michael Oliver would have become the English Premier League’s youngest referee only if his ankle and the January snow would have allowed him. Nonetheless, the 25 year old referee took charge of the English Premier League game at St. Andrews. It was a good sight; it was a spanking new spectacle to see such a young referee enter one of the much criticized and maligned professions in football.
Sometimes for good reason and sometimes not, referees have gained much importance over the past decade or so in football. Whether this is because of the advent of technology in other sports or because of their high profile mistakes in important competitions, is still up for debate. Nonetheless at the weekend, Oliver gave some valuable lessons to some of his seniors in the refereeing professions but conducting a flawless game, something that Chris Foy, Mike Dean or Peter Walton cannot boast about after their displays in the second round of the English Premier League matches.
Chris Foy failed to spot the ball as it crossed the line for Stoke City in their match against Tottenham Hotspurs. Foy’s mistake cost Stoke, three points on the evening, something that is becoming more and more common in football as a whole. Foy’s peer Mike Dean was somehow unsuccessful in spotting John Terry’s whack on Charles N’Zogbia in the Wigan Athletic versus Chelsea match, such a gesture in a perfectly officiated game of football would have resulted in a sending off for the slow-as-snail John Terry.
Peter Walton, who was refereeing the match between Fulham and Manchester United, was mistaken when he did not award Fulham a penalty against the red devils for Nemanja Vidic’s shirt tug on a Fulham striker inside the penalty area. A more capable referee would have been brave enough to step forward and penalise the Manchester United defender but Walton was deterred possibly by Sir Alex Ferguson’s probable post match remarks.
Oliver’s perfect execution of the job that he was appointed to, highlighted a very crucial element in professional sports. An element that says that it doesn’t matter how old you are, how many wrinkles you have or what exactly your age is, as long as you are good enough, brave enough and professional enough at your respective job you can do it. Something that Foy, Walton and Dean would do well to understand and respect.
Due to Walton’s inefficiency, Fulham had to settle for a late draw with Manchester United, a game that can have ended in a victory for them if Peter Walton would have been a stronger referee. Same goes for Dean, who shied away from the spot and disgraced himself with his failure to observe John Terry’s remarkable wrestling move on Charles N’Zogbia. Is it that referee’s are afraid of making decisions which are quite obvious but game changing against the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United?
If so then they are not fit enough to do the job that they are supposed to do because clearly fairness and one rule for all, stands as a crucial factor in refereeing a football match.
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