Considered as one of the world's best referees by those who know much more about these things than both you or I.He will be a sad loss to the PL.

NOT commenting any more about Mark on this thread as it will only go one way and will get de-railed from the matter under discussion.

Edited by Willo (24 Apr 2017 12.22pm)

Depends what you think are success criteria for referees.

Ensuring Man U and their ilk get favourable decisions? Excellent.
Keeping teams lower down the league where they belong? Quite good, although Leiceister shouldn't have been allowed to win the league.
Letting so-called elite players get away with blue murder? Excellent.
Licking the bottoms of senior members of the world football establishments? Excellent.
Courting the media and getting his name in the papers? Excellent.
Ensuring fair play and correct decision making on the field? Errrm....
Recognised by fans of all clubs as impartial, dispassionate and fair? Aye, right.

If he were the paragon you make him out to be his departure would not have been greeted with the joy that it has been. The sooner he and his like are gone the better.

Edited by chateauferret (24 Apr 2017 12.47pm)

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The Ferret
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Liverpool missed out on a nailed on penalty, which surely would have been given if he'd gone down (when will the refs realise that awarding the foul even if the player stays on his feet is the best way to combat diving).

Benteke's card was harsh, but I understand why he gave it.

Fouls on Tomkins was nasty, but I'm also forgiving him just giving the yellow as it didn't look that bad in full speed (nailed on yellow, of course, but at that stage in the game, we would have rolled around in agony for a bad case of split ends, as would every other team)