Mark Clattenburg is a Newcastle United fan. He is not allowed to officiate Newcastle matches. But, why is he allowed to take charge of games that have a profound effect on their league position? I felt it was unfair when Andre Marriner took charge of an Albion game given his known support of Villa. Clattenburg should be allowed only to referee games involving the top or mid-table clubs or Championship sides this close to the season’s ending when the top and bottom sides are sorted and his boyhood club a firmly in the relegation mire.
The Aston Villa game at home to Everton provided fodder for this argument. Whilst Villa prevailed with a 3-2 win, it was a battle Villa seemed to be launching uphill or at least against 12 men.
I believe at least, Clattenburg was subconsciously awarding decisions against the Villans, but at worst he could have been blatantly cheating, while keeping up the appearance of being fair at least to his bosses.
Villa won’t be sending tapes in to the league and his display will raise no eyebrows, but I wish somebody would just to add more credence to what has been a spotty career full of accusations, including a game that cost Everton against Liverpool and resulted in him going about 2 years without reffing one of their games.
I compiled a list of incidents including correct calls and found myself watching in disbelief as he totally went against a referee’s norm. Most refs are criticized for giving fouls in the middle of the pitch but bottling them in the area, Clattenburg was the complete opposite waving off innocuous fouls in the field of play yet giving the same foul in the box.
Here is the timeline:
5:48 Stones pulls Benteke’s shirt back in the box. No penalty. I get it and even Benteke made no big deal, but at least a warning to the kid would have let him know you saw it.
7:53 Barry shoves Cleverley in back-No foul- Sets up breakaway
12:21 Naismith push in back on Delph. Villa retained possession so no big deal, but no advantage signal from the ref.
13:56 Barry foul on Delph ending a 46 pass move by Villa who was totally in control of the game by this point. Ref did award free kick.
15:41 McCarthy shoves N’Zogbia- No foul!
16:16 Baines foul on Delph resulting in free kick and lengthy chat to Baines. Okay, this was an awful foul leaving Delph in a heap.
Okay, Baines protested he won the ball and replays show he didn’t. Midfield hard men Henry, Barton, Sanchez all would have seen yellow. Baines is one of the games gentlemen, so a lecture. I get it, I’m actually okay with it, as long as he knows that the next foul is a booking.
17:02 Resulting free kick Villa penalized with pushing in box. I’ve watched it FOUR times and have seen nothing going on and much worse was to happen in every Everton corner that I never bothered to document.
17:34 McCarthy fouls Delph. Free kick awarded.
22:51 N’Zogbia trips Naismith – Ref play advantage.
25:22 Grealish catches McCarthy-Ref plays advantage.
27:45 Barry catches Grealish – NO FOUL????
27:48 Naismith trips Grealish- NO FOUL???? Absolute joke, the last 4 incidents were almost mirror images with Villa who would have been peanalized and Everton nothing.
29:58 Naismith foul on Benteke- Awarded.
31:16 Baines/Bacuna tangle for ball, Baines is pushing Bacuna holding him away at arms-length and Bacuna is grabbing Baines’ shirt. Result. Free kick to Everton
35:35 Benteke called for holding
35:53 Naismith very late in on Westwood- NO FOUL???
35:57 Naismith takes little did at Delph- No foul
36:02 Naismith Puts arm across Delph’s chest and gives a hip check leaving Delph clutching his ankle as he fell awkwardly- Again NO FOUL!!!
That 9 second spell is pretty much a microcosm of the game, any ref would have played advantage on the first two fouls and then booked him on the third one, but not this ref.
39:15 Cleverley trips Barry- Free kick
40:41 Stones pulls N’Zogbia back- No foul. This would have been where a good ref would have gone to Stones and said I warned you about that in the first minute and Everton should have had 2 in the book at this point. But, this ref didn’t feel any fouls occurred. It took away a scoring chance for Villa
42:44 Cleverley hits Mirallas forcing a bad pass- 1st No call by ref in Everton’s favour. Should have been a warning to Cleverley.
45:55 Grealish fouls McCarthy. Foul awarded after ref tried to allow advantage but Delph stopped Naismith with a foul.
HT
45:28 Baines professional foul on N’Zogbia. Should have been a stonewall yellow card, but Baines persuaded ref he didn’t do anything wrong. Replays show him intentionally bending to catch Villa’s winger.
46:39 Barry reacts to Bacuna’s jostle by shoving him backwards 3 times. Ref talks to them both, but jokes with Barry about it.
51:43 Baines catches Cleverley late- Ref plays advantage STILL NO BOOKING!!
52:05 Barry foul on Grealish
53:02 McCarthy with professional foul on Delph after Delph embarrassed 2 of his team-mates with sublime move.
53:03 McCarthy appears to leave boot in on Delph and run studs up his upper thigh. Ref gave initial foul, but no further action except words with both players. Everton should have 4 in book at this point.
54:18 Obvious handball by Lennon- No foul awarded and Everton get a breakaway. I wouldn’t be bothered by this if ref was balanced with ball to hand incidents as we saw out a few minutes later.
56:07 McCarthy hugs Benteke as they he went for ball. No foul. Of course.
57:46 Contact by Vlaar in box. PENALTY!!! Of course it was, even though we’d seen similar contact all over the pitch not called.
60:19 Jagielka holds Benteke. No foul!
60:42 Mirallas throws himself down in box and looks back at ref for penalty. Everton should now be on 5 bookings.
62:13 Benteke felt he was caught by Barry- no foul. It was spectacular and if he didn’t catch him the Benteke should have received a yellow. Not sure myself.
63:02 N’Zogbia catches Barry- 2nd No Call by ref in Everton’s favour. Barry didn’t complain, so maybe he didn’t get him.
65:47 Cleverley gets caught on exactly same handball (ball to hand as Lennon) Free-kick given
67:23 Frustration by Coleman clatters into Grealish simply to stop Vila’s keep ball from getting into another 40 pass rhythm. Foul given, no booking.
70:02 N’Zogbia catches Baines. Foul given
70:39 Stones clatters in Grealish’s back. No foul!
72:15 Professional foul by Coleman on Grealish FIRST BOOKING. Should be 6.
73:37 Okore holds Mirallas – Foul given
76:22 Handball given against Benteke. Villa should be on 1 booking
77:14 Jagielka wraps arms around Benteke. No Foul!!
81:27. Benteke jumps to head ball. Hits back of Baines incidentally. Free kick awarded to Everton???
82:17 Benteke tripped by McCarthy – No foul!!!!!!!
83:52 Vlaar professional foul on McCarthy. Yellow card. Correct decision.
86:12 Lennon fouls Grealish. Foul awarded.
87:03 Barry tackles Grealish from behindFree kick given. No card.
90:53 Benteke tangles with Coleman- Free kick to Everton
91:35 Coleman interferes with Given- No foul!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What was that? If Benteke’s incidental shove on Baines is a foul then surely Coleman running into the keeper and holding his arm is? That cost a goal.
I believe that’s about 17 fouls Villa players feel they were denied and at the end of the game the stats show Villa penalized for 13 fouls and Everton 11. With advantages it would be 15-12! Did that game really look that way? 17 no calls to 2!
Thankfully for Villa it picked up the vital points to jump above Newcastle. Unfortunately for Everton they are way worse than their stats suggest and if they get a proper refereeing performance in the next game they could receive the hiding Villa should have been allowed to exact.