Especially when you take into account the disgusting performance he then gave.

These people should not only be whiter than white - they should be seen to be whiter than white. Otherwise accusations can be made which undermine confidence in them, whether they're up to anything or not.

Refs and managers should know the score and should be grown up enough not to think it "rude" to avoid social contact in public immediately before a cup final.

Especially if the referee is bent.

How can you possibly defend that? An impartial official with such power over any preceding should never been seen beforehand laughing and joking with a high profile member of either party, especially if it involves the miming of putting money into a short pocket, ala bribery. It was deeply unprofessional, and yes, he should have told Ferguson that it was neither the time nor the place. He had a job to do, something that if he had been focussed on he maybe couldn't have done better (learning the advantage rule might have been a start).

It's no secret that you think he is an amazing ref, fair enough that's your opinion and you're entitled to that, but to blindly defend the man seems insane. Surely you can see how unprofessional that is? Sadly it's not a one off though, as we have seen him constantly calling players at big clubs, most notably United by their first names, such as 'Wayne' but in the same game calling less fashionable players (like Ledley, as I can recall one game) "number 28". This cannot possibly be seen as impartial, and smacks of him wanting to cosy up and be friends with the cool kids on the playground.

If a judge were to act in this way, calling one side by a first name or nickname, and was seen doing what Clattenburg did with Ferguson before the cup final, they would be struck off the case straight away, and probably lose their job, depending on the severity. Whilst this is different to referees it shows that impartiality is key. Especially in a game where millions upon millions of pounds are involved.

It's a shame, these referees do not help themselves or their colleagues with these actions, and thus have made people very wary about their trustworthiness.

What a load of old hogwash and rhetorical grandstanding in equal measures.
Certainly chimerical and a rambling farrago of nonsense.
I'm certainly not going to dignify the post by responding to the points raised.
I believe the propogation of absolute tosh is NOT worthy of any considered response.

Edited by Willo (02 May 2017 11.13pm)

FFS, Willo. Premier made a very well constructed, balanced and cogent argument about why Clattenburg's behaviour was entirely inappropriate and how it reasonably looked in the context of his disgusting treatment of the FA Cup Final which he took charge of some minutes afterward.

You know darned well that you haven't the remotest hope of defending his conduct, and his performance he himself subsequently admitted was poor. You also know darned well how Palace fans (real Palace fans that is - not trolls like you) feel about the way we were treated that day yet give no more of a damn about that than a weed fan would.

All you can do is sit there crying "Tosh", "Hogwash" and "nonsense" and throwing your toys around like some great baby who's lost his dummy. It's just noise. You "won't dignify the post by responding" because you can't. That post doesn't need you to dignify it. It's thoroughly dignified as it is. It's also as concrete as anything - clearly, you wouldn't recognise "rhetorical grandstanding" (another two of your favourite words) if it hit you squarely in the chimps. And the only person who's propogating absolute tosh is you, because you haven't a shred of evidence for anything you say, and you know it.

You are out of order, and that's being polite.

Edited by chateauferret (02 May 2017 11.47pm)