Ref Assessor: BCFC & CCFC

Two games in 3 days and the worrying thing is it also sees two of the worst referees on the football league list heading towards St. Andrews and Turf Moor.

Our trip to St. Andrews is going to be officiated by Nigel Miller. We have already seen him once this season and that was our draw at home to Sheffield Wednesday. After that match I wrote:

Very poor performance. Joey should have gone in the book for a poor tackle in the first half. Number of Sheffield Wednesday free-kicks he gave without ever being sure what had happen, how can you be sure a player has been pushed in the back if you are looking straight on and not side on? Anyone else noticed his wistle tone was the same through out. Far to many decisions took to long to give and made him appear uncertain.

Very pedantic as well making Duff retake two throws in the WRONG position after he had taken them quickly from the RIGHT position. Yet then allows Duff to take a free-kick from nowhere near the right place.

Was just another really poor performance again from him, hopefully we won't see him again for the rest of the season.

He recently infuriated Dennis Wise for missing a late penalty at Southend which would have given Leeds all three points, he somehow missed the most obvious of penalty.

Before that game against Sheffield Wednesday Milled has twice refereed at Turf Moor twice and on both occasions he has been very poor. His last match was in December last season when he refereed our 1-0 win over Stoke at home. Although their was no major decisions to get wrong he managed to get a vast number of the smaller ones wrong. He booked three players and all were wearing Claret as Duff, Hyde and Sinclair were shown yellow cards.

Miller was also the referee for our match against Coventry at home last season. On that day we won 4-0 and missed a penalty which only served justice because although we were the team to benefit it was a shocking decision. 

He took charge of our Carling Cup trip to Bury in the 2004/05 season which we won 3-2. Miller also was in charge our trip to QPR in that season when both Steve Cotterill and Ian Holloway admitted he was terrible. 

So far this season he has talken charge of 33 games and has issued 81 yellow cards and 9 red cards.

Miller will be assisted by Mr. Glyn Mellor and Mr. Dave Naylor. The 4th official will be Alan Sheffield.

Things do not improve with our home match against Cardiff City with the referee being Richard Beeby. He has already took charge of the Clarets once this season and on that occasion he sent off Frank Sinclair in our 3-0 defeat against West Brom.

Beeby will probably be most remember however for ruining our 2-1 win over Millwall. He had been steady up till the half time whistle but then the over-reactions came after the half time whistle. Beeby started by reducing Millwall down to ten men after comments Ben May had allegedly made to Frank Sinclair in the tunnel at half time. Sinclair and manager Steve Cotterill have admitted they heard no such comments. That was just the start though in a match where he lost control and for me over-reacted.

Jody Morris committed a foul on James O'Connor, Morris then proceeded to stand up and grabbed the Irish midfielder by the throat. The result was a correct red for Morris and an absolutely shocking straight red for O'Connor. The red for O'Connor was later overturned.

If that was not enough for Beeby he then red carded Lions keeper Andy Marshall after the full-time whistle. Beeby on that occasion also produced six yellow cards, the most embarrassing of which was given to Ade Akinbiyi for nothing more than a shoulder charge, it was a further indication of Beeby having lost control. Millwall picked up just two of those six yellow cards, one of those was for a brilliant tackle which Beeby somehow saw as a foul. 

He has taken charge of the Clarets on one other occasion since Steve Cotterill has been the manager. The word to describe Beeby's performance on that occasion was also poor. It was a match that ended with Steve Cotterill sent to the stands, eight yellow cards, a red card for Micah Hyde and a twice taken penalty. The penalty decision and the red card were not decisions we could complain about as Gillingham ran out 2-1 winners. However Gillingham came with a physical attitude and that showed in their six yellow cards. However Beeby failed to take any action when McGreal was kicked by the corner flag and that lead to Cotterill complaining to the fourth official and then Beeby came across and sent him to the stands. 

From these two performances it is hard to believe that he has refereed three matches in the Premiership. He has not refereed in the Premiership however since that performance at home to Millwall. The Millwall match was just two matches after his poor decision to send off the Barnet goalkeeper Ross Flitney against Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Carling Cup. This red card was also later overturned but it ruined Flitney's night at the home of the Premiership giants. 

So far this season Beeby has officiated 34 games issuing 103 yellow cards and 9 red cards. He will officiate Notts County v Boston United on Saturday.

Beeby will be assisted by Mr. Carl Bassindale and Mr. D. Storrie. The 4th official will be Mr. Neil Yates.

Many thanks as always to the Ref Assessor.