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Enough is enough, Melbourne Victory’s season has again been dramatically altered by an A-League referee.
We can argue semantics about other incidents that occurred throughout this match and other matches but this incident stands above ambiguity.
Quite simply to see Seb Ryall’s dive, which was as clear as day, awarded a penalty rather than a card literally sums up every A-League fan’s complete irritation with the standard of officiating in A-League games.
Week in, week out A-League fans as far back as Besart Berisha’s dive to win a penalty in the grand final, nay further back, have dealt with an appalling sub-standard quality of officiating.
Alright, as a Melbourne fan, yes, this has my blood boiling and I am reacting, however I’ll ask you Sydney FC fans to cast your mind back to January 3 where you had a clear winner ruled offside against the Newcastle Jets. Or perhaps you might feel a little aggrieved after an ambiguous decision went against Sydney FC on Saturday night when Terry Antonis and Adrian Leijer clashed in the box.
Just last week Melbourne Victory fans had to put up with a clear hand ball in the box being waived off, no doubt it had little effect on the result but how the referee and all his assistants missed Jack Clisby reaching to block Ben Khalfallah’s shot escapes me.
If there’s one thing that’s certain it’s that these mistakes are occurring far too often and many will agree that while the quality of the league has improved since inception the quality of the officiating has not followed.
As far back as November 4, 2013, FFA referee director Ben Wilson requested additional referee assistants but was denied by the FFA after a horror weekend for A-League refereeing in which Adelaide United and Sydney FC were the victims.
Precedents have been set time and again for the need of improvement and time and again the FFA has failed to respond.
Personally I don’t want to single out anyone specific just to say that we’ve all suffered. It’s time something happened, it’s time money was spent, it’s not saying you’ll get perfection but surely the search for further consistency and common ground is worthwhile.
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