Graham Poll was a particular bete noire last season. This year, he started inauspiciously in the home against the spawn of the devil. However, he presided over some rare old wins, including the 6-1 against Spurs. Question: who has been the worst referee we've seen all season?

-- Anonymous, May 17, 2000

Answers

It's got to be Rennie! The only ref with an agent. On the first day of the season sending off A1, I'll never forgive the the . . words fail me.
Free the Toon one was a the title of a letter I sent off to the BBC.

-- Anonymous, May 17, 2000

Whoever ref'd the Chelsea game for YBR's first NUFC game would be mine. Robbed us of a point, possibly 3 with his idiosyncratic interpretation of what constitutes a fair award of a penalty kick (i.e. Rule 4a par 4: Kieron Dyer's foot being stood on, tripping him up while in posession of the ball is NOT a penalty offence. par 5: some blue shirted tosspost flying head over heels with no contact made should be awarded with a penalty.

-- Anonymous, May 17, 2000

Gotta be the Banbury Blockhead for his pathetic performance in the cup semi.......I wonder how much was in that envelope that the grey bearded w@n@er gave him just befor the game.....Tosser....closely followed by D'Aresehole.

-- Anonymous, May 17, 2000

Jeff Winter without a doubt for me....

1-1 at Old Trafford, 2-1 to a dodgy goal, player complains and is red carded for it.....that as they say was the end of any chance we had of making it a game....

Mackem wanker!

-- Anonymous, May 17, 2000

Can't actually think of a good one, to be honest.
The best I've seen (only on TV) has been the Nationwide's Terry Heilbron, who I'm hoping will be on the PL list next season.

The least worst? Well reluctantly I'll have to say Graham Poll who is a decent referee too prone to wanting to always be THE star of the show. David Elleray has the potential to be an excellent referee but takes too much notice of the bufoons at Lancaster Gate, and accordingly has too many bad games. I've seen Durkin, Jones and Gallacher have some good games, but again they seem to have too many bad ones.

The real worry is that are some really bad Refs in the PL.

-- Anonymous, May 17, 2000

Are they really any worse than they've always been ? I don't think so. Before Sky screwed the game, we never saw the endless re-runs of dodgy decisions. I think there were just as many, but we never had them rammed down our throats ad nauseum via tv.

-- Anonymous, May 18, 2000

1. Urinal for the first game. AND he sent Stevie Harper off in the B'ham cup game. 2. W@&*er for OT and for being a Mackem. 3. Gallagher (I think) for the semi.

-- Anonymous, May 18, 2000