Referees Then and Now

[Kittwazzer]

Just enjoyed watching the 78 Final on BBC4.

Absolute cracker of a game and having forgotten the score, I watched it 'live'!

Maybe just nostalgia, but I reckon the likes of Billy Thompson, Fred Lindop, John Houldsworth, Ronnie Campbell etc. were a damned sight better than the full time Benthams, Thalers and Halibuts!
They certainly seemed to exert far more authority over a game whilst still allowing free-flowing rugby to continue. And they'd have had no truck whatsoever at being spoken back to by the likes of Eastmond & Graham.

Anybody else have thoughts on this?

[KOOCH]

Holdsworth and Campbell two cracking refs.Understood the game and the players.Both no nonsense refs.Not saying that I admired them at the time.But on reflection as regards the muppets in charge of our beautiful game today.The old adage springs to mind.Not good enough to lace up the boots.A little more respect for them now.It does however come from the top ie a certain Mr Scummins.How bad was that guy as a ref? And to make him supremo is nowt but a bloody insult to our game.

[butt monkey]

The missed incident that started it....
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HCyzM0V ... re=related[/youtube]

What ensued (although the referee brought play back a full 40 seconds and about 40 metres to penalise Wigan for the incident)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqBZa1HLvQ8[/youtube]

Another missed incident from the Referees controller
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6kXCqzLblQ[/youtube]

There are loads of videos on youtube to highlight the generally very poor standards as a referee Mr Cummings had

[Kittwazzer]

.It does however come from the top ie a certain Mr Scummins.How bad was that guy as a ref? And to make him supremo is nowt but a bloody insult to our game.

Maybe he's either slept with the right people. Or knows who the wrong people have slept with?

Either way, he seems to enjoy an incredible security of tenure that few of the rest of us have in these austere times!!

[Kittwazzer]

Anyone remember Robin Whitfield? As a player he almost killed an opponent with a stiff arm which got him banned Sine Die. As a ref he was just as bad and seemed to hate Wigan with a passion.

It was strongly rumoured that we signed Colin just to disqualify his brother from reffing our games!