The Phil Dowd appreciation thread.

[Royal Rother]

Dowd was terrible, Kish shouldn't have got the initial booking and every Reading tackle ended with a foul and he started booking players way too early for nothing in particular. Seemed much more reasonable in the 2nd half but was too late by then..

Apparently, we're wrong - Rother saw it on TV and the ref was spot on every time.

Do you find it hard to accept that I might have had a better view than you from my armchair?

Oh well, you carry on with your emotional nonsense. You'll find many to agree with you on here I'm sure which is all you really want.

I detest one-eyed fans.

[shadesrwrf]

Nothing like a bit of dignity in defeat.

RL, to see how grown ups handle defeat please see United Barca thread

And I commended you for your behaviour. However you've shown your true colours today by starting so many ridiculous threads and rather let yourself down I'm afraid.

[Royal Lady]

It wasn't one-eyed from where I was sitting. I'll re-watch the game and report back at some point, but I just can't see myself seeing Dowd making 100% accuracte decisions for us in the first half.

[Royal Rother]

It wasn't one-eyed from where I was sitting. I'll re-watch the game and report back at some point, but I just can't see myself seeing Dowd making 100% accuracte decisions for us in the first half.

I'm sure it wasn't but I saw every oxf*rd angle in slow motion so I'm in a damned site better position to offer a balanced view than you are. Accept it.

[Avon Royal]

Dowd was terrible, Kish shouldn't have got the initial booking and every Reading tackle ended with a foul and he started booking players way too early for nothing in particular. Seemed much more reasonable in the 2nd half but was too late by then..

Apparently, we're wrong - Rother saw it on TV and the ref was spot on every time.

Do you find it hard to accept that I might have had a better view than you from my armchair?

Oh well, you carry on with your emotional nonsense. You'll find many to agree with you on here I'm sure which is all you really want.

I detest one-eyed fans.

You really are a sad little man.

[Finch]

Fishing aside; I don't see why the ref is even getting a mention as a reason why Reading didn't win today. Had he sent Zurab off then it could have been 5 or 6.

The 'handball' in the first half was never a handball, the defender was clearly getting his arm behind his back, as opposed to moving it towards the ball.

Didn't see anything else that was contentious. Both penalties were penalties.

[shadesrwrf]

It wasn't one-eyed from where I was sitting. I'll re-watch the game and report back at some point, but I just can't see myself seeing Dowd making 100% accuracte decisions for us in the first half.

I can't imagine the Swansea fans feeling great about some of the first half refereeing either given the strange decision not to send off Khizanishvili. But unlike Reading supporters they have no reason to look for anyone to blame for their team's performance this evening.

[Royal Rother]

Apparently, we're wrong - Rother saw it on TV and the ref was spot on every time.

Do you find it hard to accept that I might have had a better view than you from my armchair?

Oh well, you carry on with your emotional nonsense. You'll find many to agree with you on here I'm sure which is all you really want.

I detest one-eyed fans.

You really are a sad little man.

Good grief. That's pathetic. You might be sad and emotional but seriously, you need to grow up. A lot.

[Finch]

I'm planning on watching it - maybe later - I recorded it. I'll see if it changes my mind. I can't help but think that if Tabb and Gibbs saw cause to swear at the ref and SJM appeared to blame him, then we can't all be wrong in what we're thinking.

We're not all wrong.

Sorry Mr Smarm, I didn't make myself clear - I mean those of us who believe that Dowd was a shit ref today and his decisions, particularly in the first half, went against us time and again and didn't help us in the least.

Sorry love, you're wrong.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

The thing is what you see from the stands is so often wrong, but your gut says it is right. Whereas TV shows the actual moment, offside/onside, foul or not. Watching a game is instant, no replay just the moment.

[Blue&White Mage]

He didn't move his arm at all.. so I'm not sure if you're talking about the same incident.

I'm not saying it should have been a pen and would have been annoyed to have such a one given against but that was the same as the kind of penalty they were given.

I'm sorry, but that is just not true. Our defenders hacked down their players. Absolutely nailed on penalties, both of them. Hunt's cross smacked into guy's arm that was by his side as he was trying to pull it out of the way.

Just because you say "i'm sorry but that is just not true" doesn't make it so.
Didn't see the second penalty decision.

On the first saw it multiple times 50/50 benefit the attacker fine.
Ball to hand I agree, as his arm was down by his sides, but he didn't move his arm.

The thing that annoyed me wasn't the pen incidents i saw but Dowd not giving us a freekick for the times when our forwards were jumped all over at every air ball.
Considering their 2nd goal was from a move started from a free kick for this very reason.
Also Griffin got booked for a thunderous challenge that took the ball and man - Same thing happened as we attacked and play is waved on.

[Tails]

I'm planning on watching it - maybe later - I recorded it. I'll see if it changes my mind. I can't help but think that if Tabb and Gibbs saw cause to swear at the ref and SJM appeared to blame him, then we can't all be wrong in what we're thinking.

We're not all wrong.

Thing is, watching it live on TV.

Is when I stopped reading....

[Mr Angry]

Both pens against us were nailed on for me.

And no way was that a handball for us!!



The best team on the day won; we played great in patches, poorly in patches, but one thing is certain, we didn't lose cos of Phil Dowd (even if he looks overweight for an elite ref!!)

[Finch]

Both pens against us were nailed on for me.

And no way was that a handball for us!!



The best team on the day won; we played great in patches, poorly in patches, but one thing is certain, we didn't lose cos of Phil Dowd (even if he looks overweight for an elite ref!!)

Thank you dude. A voice of reason.

[West Stand Man]

We lost. Dowd was not to blame. It is all too easy (and I have done it too) to say the referee had a bad game when you lose. In truth he had a really good game all round. Sure he made a couple of errors but he was strong enough to make the big calls (which sadly went against us). Yes, he could have sent off Kizinashvili but that wasn't a nailed on yellow card so I'll take that with a sense of relief. All the evidence from those who had the privilege of replays is that both penalties were absolutely correctly awarded and that Griffin was a fool for fouling a player who was running away from goal and not in possession.

[floyd__streete]

I can't help but think that if Tabb and Gibbs saw cause to swear at the ref and SJM appeared to blame him, then we can't all be wrong in what we're thinking.

Tabb and Gibbs are an utter disgrace and an embarassment for managing to get themselves sent off. Gibbs particularly; he should have been fully focused on trying to sort out the utter defensive shambles that the first half was (and that second half continued to be).

[Wimb]

Dowd didn't cost us the game, but his style of reffing the game played right into the hands of Swansea.

Reading were relying on hassling and harrying, going in hard on the 50/50's and generally stopping Swansea from playing. A lot of the time in the Championship you'll get a ref who'll let you play that way (many of them see 20x worse in L1 & L2) Dowd on the other hand refereed the game as if it was the Champions League or PL where every possible infringement is blown up for.

As others have said, that's not exactly being a bad ref, it's just unfortunate that it played into the hands of a 'PL style' team like Swansea.

Don't think anyone's really complaining about the penalties, at worst they a little iffy but how many times has Long won a penalty this year where you think hmmmmm?

It's good that the FA/PL are happy for these professional refs to come down and ref these play-off games but why not reward the best Championship ref over the season who's seen exactly what goes on week in week out.

[Royal Rother]

I'm planning on watching it - maybe later - I recorded it. I'll see if it changes my mind. I can't help but think that if Tabb and Gibbs saw cause to swear at the ref and SJM appeared to blame him, then we can't all be wrong in what we're thinking.

We're not all wrong.

Thing is, watching it live on TV.

Is when I stopped reading....

Because you enjoy talking and reading emotional bollocks from people who actually don't really know what they're on about I guess.

I don't give a flying one what anyone thinks about me not going to Wembley but you must surely be interested in having a fan's view of what the TV replays showed to be the truth not the impression gained from 50 yards away from the action.

Well, I'd have thought so anyway, but obviously not.

[Avon Royal]

Good grief. That's pathetic. You might be sad and emotional but seriously, you need to grow up. A lot.

Nice one!

Like you're in any position to tell anybody to grow up.

[Royal Rother]

Don't think anyone's really complaining about the penalties, at worst they a little iffy...

Honestly Wimb, they weren't iffy in the slightest.