RustyRef: "Just playing devil's advocate here as I have no idea of the reasons for the appointment, but if you had broken a rule at work and been disciplined for it would you expect to be at the top end of the bonus pool at the end of the year or receive employee of the year award? Probably not, so is it right for people to assume that a referee who committed an irregularity and was disciplined for it should then be rewarded with the biggest domestic accolade a referee can get at the end of that very same season?"
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Jon Moss has been appointed to referee the FA Cup Final 2015.
Given his close relationship with John Colquhoun http://footballisfixed.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/mobgate-6.html, we sincerely hope that Theo Walcott's ongoing contract talks don't impinge on the occasion - Walcott is only in the team due to the inept performance of WBA last weekend (Colquhoun holds considerable sway at Albion).
He has refereed Arsenal 9 times - every game a victory and surely giving this game to Moss is stretching the credibitilies of fans too far...
There are rumours in the refereeing community that Moss is being moved aside after this game over MOBGATE and that this will consequently be his last match.
We'll see...
NB 10 Arsenal matches refereed by Moss, 10 wins, 22 goals for, 2 against, 4 pens/reds in favour, 0 against. In the FA Cup Final, Arsenal 9 fouls/0 bookings; Villa 15 fouls/5 bookings (with Cleverley, Delph and Hutton being key); Arsenal denied 0.5 of a penalty and Villa 1.50; although it would have been interesting if Moss had sent off Agbonlahor for repeatedly calling ref a "fuckin' cheat" while on a yellow.
More importantly, there are suspicious betting patterns exposed in MOBGATE on a number of these 10 matches including yesterday's FA Cup Final.
Here are some statements from referees both professional and amateur from the Rate The Ref website.
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Exeter_Ref: "I've certainly not seen an appointment so badly received."
Reading Fan: "Perhaps the most ridiculous appointment in the history of football? Ludicrous... I would count as least 4 referees who have had better seasons than Moss and not had a cup final before (Oliver, Taylor, Clattenburg, Swarbrick.) And for the future I think the likes of Kevin Friend and Craig Pawson are more likely to be up to the standard...A dark day for refereeing this in my view."
Reflector: "The other question is, if not Clattenburg, why Moss? Some of us feel that he has been extremely fortunate with both the frequency and quality of some of his PL appointments, particularly this season when some of his performances didn't appear to warrant them. Personally I would say that he struggles to get in the top half of the merit table of the SG (and that is being somewhat charitable) so how does he land what used to be regarded as the most prestigious appointment in our domestic game? I don't suppose we shall ever know but most of us I am sure have our own opinions. Finally, lest anyone should wonder, I had it in mind to write this when I first heard about the appointment and before reading Moss's record in Arsenal games!"
Reg: "Pathetic appointment. Lets reward the worst referee of the season with the FA Cup final. Sends a great message out that does."
Whistleblower: "This is, in my opinion, one of the most extraordinary appointments in English senior refereeing that I have ever known."
Replied to by Reflector: "As always, Whistleblower puts it splendidly and I agree with every word. I hope I am wrong but am not so confident that the truth behind this strange episode will ever become known. If indeed skulduggery is at work, I suspect ranks will be tightly closed and the real truth may never be known."
Babyref: "Totally flabbergasted."
Whoknows: "...it could be that Moss's face fits rather too well. Who knows? It reminds me of an appointment over 2 decades ago when a very mediocre referee had the final. He was very much 'in' at the inner sanctum. So it's nothing new, but it demeans the FA when it is so obviously an appointment not based on merit...The pathetic uncertain Mr [Keren] Barratt. Certainly."
AJB95: "...on form, consistency of decision-making, performances in big games, he would be well down the list. Poor in every big game he's had, and has been below average in many of his recent games.
What does this show to referees like myself working my way up? That the biggest occasions don't got to those who deserve them? That inconsistency is rewarded with success?"
Plym_Nick: "this is the message that it appears to be sending to up and coming referees : don't try and be the best , try to be someone important's best mate , or at the very least nod and smile at the right people. Competence and ability ? IRRELEVANT!"
Nemesis: "Many people criticize many of the bigger clubs for devaluing the FA Cup, with their team selections and priorities. The FA, or whoever made this appointment, has also done so.... Moss has been awarded a top honour which, by any objective judgement, he was not deserving of. You expect all referees and ex-referees, in this case a better official than Moss, who have not benefited from the same largesse as Moss, to line up and applaud. I don't think so."
DommerOFK: "If your face doesn't fit or someone up on high has an agenda against you then give up?"
YeahWes: "Would Jon Moss be considered strong enough to referee Chelsea v Man Utd? If not, I suggest he shouldn't be refereeing the Cup Final."
RefFan: "I believe the official announcement referred to Jon's 'consistent' performances over the season which I, like many others, would take issue with, although I guess some would contend he's been, at best, consistently average."
Hendo: "...I wish him all the best, part of me still harks back to those refs of yester-year who never got an FA Cup Final but who, in my humble opinion, were as good if not better than Jon."
Dave26: "While I congratulate the team on their appointment the whole appointment has surprised me somewhat and I find it bizzare, Moss has made plenty of errors and bad calls this season."
DeanisBest: "I guess Arsenal will be delighted with the appointment. Nine games Mr Moss has officiated the Gunners, they have won all nine. Staggering statistic."
Acme Thunderer: "Ridiculous in my view."
NotARef: "The FA Cup Final is a reward for long and loyal service? Give me a break."
Locoman: "A truly staggering appointment ,simply because he has not been anywhere near good enough for this honour,no fault of his this and hopefully,it will go well.Whistleblowers' accurate appraisal of this puzzling business is spot on."
Life of Riley: "Firstly, congratulations to Jon Moss and team. But then, really, what?! Wow."
Referee152: "...I am shocked."
Locoman (2): "I have just heard three respected sports writers discuss this appointment on Sky's Sunday Supplement and its fair to say the three were universally puzzled by it. Two comments among many were that he is top of the howlers league this season and that he has had a particularly poor season so I'm afraid it does appear to be be yet another case of Buggins turn next!"
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At another level, here are the views of former pgMOB referee Mark Halsey (he received abusive messages referring to his cancer issues for being open and honest):
"People say I've put undue pressure on Jon Moss before the FA Cup Final. That wasn't my intention and I think Jon's a decent lad but if he's good enough to get a prestige Wembley game, why isn't he deemed good enough to ref a high intensity Premier League match?
I think this is Jon's fourth season on the select list but he still
hasn't been given a Manchester derby, a Mersey derby, a North London
derby or, say, a Manchester United v Liverpool - games where referees
are under the fiercest scrutiny.
That's not Jon's fault, he doesn't pick and choose his games but it speaks volumes that the powers-that-be haven't given him a massive Premier League match yet reckon he's ready for a game watched by hundreds of millions of people around the world.
I don't expect Jon to turn round and say, 'Sorry chaps, I don't think I'm ready for this one.' Of course not. He should rightly be proud of being selected and I hope he goes on to have a great game.
But part of me reckons he'll be feeling a little bit sheepish that he's got the Cup Final so early in his career. Privately, he'll know this should have been Mark Clattenburg's time."
That's not Jon's fault, he doesn't pick and choose his games but it speaks volumes that the powers-that-be haven't given him a massive Premier League match yet reckon he's ready for a game watched by hundreds of millions of people around the world.
I don't expect Jon to turn round and say, 'Sorry chaps, I don't think I'm ready for this one.' Of course not. He should rightly be proud of being selected and I hope he goes on to have a great game.
But part of me reckons he'll be feeling a little bit sheepish that he's got the Cup Final so early in his career. Privately, he'll know this should have been Mark Clattenburg's time."
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