Bloody Hell Ref....

[Tony2005]

Mark Halsey Launches Staggering Attack on 6 Referees Who Are 'Not Up to the Job'


Mark Halsey has released a remarkable tirade against Premier League officials, claiming half a dozen need serious help to reach the standard required at Premier League level.

The former referee—turned BT Sport pundit—describes six of his former colleagues as needing "urgent help" in The Sun (subscription required), per Eurosport.

Halsey claims Mike Jones, Jon Moss, Kevin Friend, Lee Mason, Roger East and Neil Swarbrick are all not good enough for the English top flight.

Jones is described as "poor and lacks authority," while Halsey believes East "does not look up to it" and thinks Friend is only "middle order."

Halsey has, of course, started the season as BT Sport's new match-day insider, giving instant perspective on the referees. Over the first few games he appeared quite reserved, unwilling to criticise some seemingly obvious mistakes.


However, he's since altered his stance and was particularly scathing of Jon Moss' recent performance in the match between Manchester City and Everton—one of the six referees he's attacked.

In a mild-mannered game, Moss somehow handed out nine yellow cards and missed a much stronger case for an Everton penalty before awarding what looked like a far softer shout to Manchester City.


Halsey attributes significant blame toward the Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL), as well as general manager Mike Riley—a former Premier League referee—and his assistant, Keren Barratt.

He claims too many big matches are given to the wrong referees, citing Riley and Barratt as chief culprits, and says several referees require "more experience, better coaching and nurturing."

Halsey goes on to state:

[PGMOL] are running the whole show on an apparent power trip while creating an atmosphere of fear and paranoia.

That is not helping the weaker officials improve and the system often confuses and frequently frustrates the best referees who get mixed messages about what is expected of them.


Jamie McDonald/Getty Images
While all of the attention will be drawn to his stern criticisms, Halsey has also been quick to praise some current referees.

Don't get me wrong, there are some really top referees out there.

I reckon currently there is a 'great eight', in no particular order: Mark Clattenburg, Howard Webb, Mike Dean, Andre Marriner, Lee Probert, Martin Atkinson, Phil Dowd and Chris Foy.

There's always room for improvements with officials; however, such a personal attack on these six referees seems unnecessary and hardly constructive.


The human element brought to a game by the referee is all part of the appeal with football. The close calls are forever debated, the merits of a foul argued about and referees continually chastised.

Drawing such clear attention to officials is hardly going to make their next assignment any easier, and most referees will be glad to escape the Premier League's glare for this international break.

For such a seemingly conservative, relaxed referee, Halsey is quickly proving the polar opposite as a columnist and match-day pundit.

[Tony2005]

Graham Poll attacks Mark Halsey for 'betraying referee's fraternity'

• Halsey singled out officials who are not up to grade

• Poll: 'Refs are absolutely appalled at what he is doing'


Graham Poll

The former referee Graham Poll has launched a scathing attack on Mark Halsey after claiming several current officials are not up to the grade in the Premier League.

Mark Halsey and Graham Poll, two former Premier League referees, were embroiled in a bitter war of words on Tuesday following criticisms from Halsey that a number of current top-flight officials are not up to the required standard.

Halsey retired at the end of last season but has since questioned the ability of certain Premier League officials and Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL), the organisation in charge of referees, for "creating an atmosphere of fear and paranoia" within officiating.

The 52-year-old claimed a number of current elite referees are not good enough and also said that statistics used by a US company were used to examine the performances of officials, potentially resulting in pay and bonus cuts.

PGMOL did not respond to Halsey's criticisms of the referees' chief, Mike Riley, and his assistant, Keren Barratt, when approached. However Poll, who represented England as a referee at the 2006 World Cup, believes Halsey is "betraying" the refereeing fraternity who are "appalled" at his recent actions.

"He is 100% betraying what paid him a living he would never have earned as the warehouse manager he was or the taxi driver he was," Poll told Talksport. "The refereeing fraternity are absolutely appalled at what he is doing. He hasn't thought it through. Mark has got to take a long, hard look at himself. He won't. I know the guy. I have known him for years. He is that type of character."

It did not take long for Halsey to launch a riposte, claiming some of Poll's comments over his career have been unworthy. "I've not let the profession down. If anybody is letting the profession down, some of his comments over the years have been atrocious," said Halsey. "I found that 'unfitting' from him what he's come out with. But that's Graham. We don't get on and I don't like the way he's done things over the years."