The Phil Dowd appreciation thread.

[Percy's Rocket]

The ref was shocking today, gave nothing our way what so ever!! Obviosuly the FA had received a sizeable amount of money from the Welsh FA to let one of their teams play in the Premier league.
Have to say that they got lucky today and the press need to watch the game again as I certainly didn't see Swansea playing like Barcelona today!!!

So how do you explain that Reading had the major decision go for them? Zurab should have been sent off. Dowd did ok - got the penalties correct - a few niggly things he missed, but don't all refs? Webb certainly did you favours in the 2nd leg against Cardiff, so swings and roundabouts if you feel hard done by today.

The penaltw Webb gave at Cardiff (and the non penalties he did not give Cardiff) were all spot on. If only for Webb today..not a ref who wants to be bigger than the players.

[No Fixed Abode]

The ref was shocking today, gave nothing our way what so ever!! Obviosuly the FA had received a sizeable amount of money from the Welsh FA to let one of their teams play in the Premier league.
Have to say that they got lucky today and the press need to watch the game again as I certainly didn't see Swansea playing like Barcelona today!!!

So how do you explain that Reading had the major decision go for them? Zurab should have been sent off. Dowd did ok - got the penalties correct - a few niggly things he missed, but don't all refs? Webb certainly did you favours in the 2nd leg against Cardiff, so swings and roundabouts if you feel hard done by today.

The penaltw Webb gave at Cardiff (and the non penalties he did not give Cardiff) were all spot on. If only for Webb today..not a ref who wants to be bigger than the players.

Most blinkered fan ever.

[John Peel]

Webb certainly did you favours in the 2nd leg against Cardiff, so swings and roundabouts if you feel hard done by today.

Yeah, I'll give you that.

[No Fixed Abode]

Sorry ..both penalties were questionable...

I think someone needs to rewatch the game on Sky.

[Royal Lady]

Has there ever been, in football league history, where no foul has been awarded to one side for an infringement on an outfield player in (if you include the 3 minutes extra tiem at the end of the first half) 52 minutes of play.

Our first foul was on 49.33 seconds.

Blows the "accusations" of a conspriacy of keeping Welshies out of the water.

I thought Dowd was a fat piece of s**t and his performance today diabolical.

^ this x 1 million

It's not even sour grapes - he was useless and as for sending off Tabb and Gibbs - WTF!! They obviously had a go at him in the tunnel and I don't blame them. Even SJM seemed to be directing his ire at Dowd.

[shadesrwrf]

The ref was shocking today, gave nothing our way what so ever!! Obviosuly the FA had received a sizeable amount of money from the Welsh FA to let one of their teams play in the Premier league.
Have to say that they got lucky today and the press need to watch the game again as I certainly didn't see Swansea playing like Barcelona today!!!

I'm sorry, but as disappointing as the result was today, it can in no way be blamed on the referee. I can understand you trying to look for a scapegoat, but Phil Dowd it is not.

[Plymouth_Royal]

The ref was shocking today, gave nothing our way what so ever!! Obviosuly the FA had received a sizeable amount of money from the Welsh FA to let one of their teams play in the Premier league.
Have to say that they got lucky today and the press need to watch the game again as I certainly didn't see Swansea playing like Barcelona today!!!

I'm sorry, but as disappointing as the result was today, it can in no way be blamed on the referee. I can understand you trying to look for a scapegoat, but Phil Dowd it is not.

Totally agree. For those of you who haven't had the chance to watch the replays...I suggest you do and then stop moaning. The penalties were as clear as day.

[Royal Lady]

And we didn't deserve ONE decision to go our way in the whole of the first half either? No-one pulled at Shane, chopped us down? It's not JUST about the penalties

[Royal Lady]

Both penalty decisions were correct imho.

Yes we've been told that - what about the other decisions (or lack of ) throughout the whole of first half??

[TheMaraudingDog]

Both penalty decisions were correct imho.

Yes we've been told that - what about the other decisions (or lack of ) throughout the whole of first half??

Like his decision not to send off baldy?

[Royal Lady]

Both penalty decisions were correct imho.

Yes we've been told that - what about the other decisions (or lack of ) throughout the whole of first half??

Like his decision not to send off baldy?

We did not have one correct decision in our favour all of the first half.

[Alan Partridge]

I thought Griffin's yellow card was a fair challenge and no different to one a Swnsea player made in the 2nd half on Karacan which the referee allowed. Strong but fair.

I thought the first pen was soft but I would like to see it again because we were a long way up in the stand. 2nd penalty couldn't argue.

Wasn't just me that noticed Reading didn't get a single free kick in the 1st half, barmy. I've never seen that before in any game where 1 team doesn't get awarded a free kick in a whole half. There were 2 or 3 they should have got.

He had a poor game but like others have said he wasn't the reason Reading lost. Everyone on this forum knows about Kes' complete lack of any decent or funny and original material but to come on here straight after the event. A new low.

[Camel Royal]

He didn't give us anything marginal but big decisions seemed right. Thought apart from the dodgy defending for all three goals, we were comfortably the better side and showed lots of courage to really have a go. If we could have had a bit of luck we might have won today but in the end we paid for the defensive lapses. Maybe they had an off day but apart from Sinclair didn't see anything in them. Surprised on the stats to see swans had more possession but corners and shots tells the story of the 'nearly enough'. Great atmosphere for twenty minutes in second half think the boys ran out of steam last twenty not surprising after the massive effort made. Proud of the boys, it wasn't feeling that way at half time!

[Plymouth_Royal]

And we didn't deserve ONE decision to go our way in the whole of the first half either? No-one pulled at Shane, chopped us down? It's not JUST about the penalties

We were the better team on the day but... They defended alot better than us and took their chances. On top of that, the correctly given penalties were a result of poor defending and great skill by the opposition. I can't complain about the ref as looking back at all the so called fouls not given for us the ref was right. He should have sent off Khiz but he didn't and Ledge should have been booked too for a late challenge but he didn't. Let's not turn into Cardiff fans and start blaming the ref for our defeat aye.

[FiNeRaIn]

Both looked clear pens to me and zurab was lucky to stay on. Referee didn't cost us, having a WOEFUL defence did.

[Gus the teenage cow]

apart from the two penalty decisions and two red cards all against one side (but both were pens and sendings off weren't of on-field players) it was just his general handling of the game that pissed me off, from the moment he gave griffin a yellow for a good tackle early on, I knew he'd do us (all the Swansea players rushing over asking for him to be booked "how dare they tackle us Mr. Dowd, don't you realise we are trying to play like Barcelona here and if they tackle we'll end up playing like ...err.....Swansea"...so from that Griffin booking onwards I know that Mr. Dowd had bought into the Swansea/Barcelona myth and basically we weren't allowed to tackle them and they could kick lumps out of us

disappointed to lose the game, Reading were the better side, Federici didn't have a save to make, every shot on goal they had was well a goal - key moment was unbelievable block on Hunt's follow-up to Karacan shot on post, that denied Reading their Istanbul moment.....some poor decision-making at the back cost Reading the game but overall we looked the more powerful attack-minded side, ah well

[Royal Rother]

Hunt chased a lost cause to byline and went to cut it back - It hit the defenders hand which was down by his side but made no attempt to move it despite having time.

Never a penalty. He moved his arm as far out of the way as he could.

[Avon Royal]

LOL at anyone who thinks that the anti-Dowd feeling is just about the penalties.

[Royal Rother]

Sorry ..both penalties were questionable...

They really were not in the slightest.

Dowd had an excellent game. The only really poor decision he made was not to send off Kish.