Villa, Bramall and the way ahead

Plus thoughts on Still, Evans, Sephton and Lockyer

First, some thoughts on refereeing in the wake of Thomas Bramall’s mistake in a) believing that Altay Bayindir had the ball under control and so was fouled by Morgan Rogers and b) blowing too early rather than letting VAR deliver its advice.

Morgan Rogers and Altay Bayindir. Photo: Marc Atkins - Aston Villa FC via Getty.

1, PGMOL is not corrupt.

2, There is not a refereeing conspiracy against your club however hard done by you may feel at Arsenal, Aston Villa (and continue through the alphabet). Anthony Taylor, the most respected English referee (with Michael Oliver) in Uefa and Fifa circles, was booed at the City Ground yesterday following controversy over denying them penalties against Everton last year. He could have sent off the Forest midfielder, Elliot Anderson, yesterday for a challenge on Noni Madueke but settled for a yellow. Chelsea fans have history with Taylor. Fans rarely remember referees’ good performances, only their mistakes. But they are not waging a campaign against individual clubs.

3, There is simply a need to improve further the quality of refereeing. The quality was inevitably spread thinner on the final day with 10 games kicking off simultaneously. Bramall is inexperienced. Yesterday was only his 30^th Premier League game. It showed in the Bayindir/Rogers incident.

4, Clubs’ anger at referees is understandable, especially for Villa with Bramall’s errant, expensive decision, but there also needs to be a balance in the tone and means of expressing their frustration. Because referees will be targeted for abuse on social media and, fortunately only rarely, on the streets. Fans feel they have even more of a right to abuse officials if their club has already weighed in. We have to remember that Bramall’s mistake was an honest one, that he is human and that no referee, or their family, deserve hounding.

5, Worth keeping some perspective that Bramall’s mistake was not the only one that contributed to Villa failing to qualify for the Champions League. Losing 2-0 at Molineux in February to 18^th-placed Wolves, who’d not won in six weeks in the Premier League, was also damaging. Villa again struggled after a busy Champions League midweek (had just played Celtic). Points totals are cumulative.

6, In the Villa incident, IFAB laws preclude VAR intervening once the referee has blown the whistle. The next stage of the eternal VAR debate is whether that process is changed, and VAR can intervene more. One potential (if unlikely) development that has to be resisted is any recourse to the courts over refereeing decisions.

7, Even better training and reviewing of games. I had a 10-minute chat with Howard Webb, head of PGMOL, at Wembley on Saturday, discussed the myriad issues surrounding refereeing in the age of VAR (particularly late flags). I was left in no doubt of Webb’s awareness of the frustration amongst fans and his determination to raise the quality of officiating. Webb himself was elite level. The game needs more like him. Webb certainly needs to make a visit to Bodymoor Heath to talk to Unai Emery and club officials. A better explanation of the incident, including any mitigating factors (ie position of Bayindir’s hands) even an apology, would be politic. Accountability and transparency, please.

8, This is not Villa versus PGMOL. This should be the whole game working together to improve refereeing standards.

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Good luck to Will Still at Southampton. I sat next to him at lunch at Wembley on Saturday. First time I’d met him. First impressions were: personable, driven, won’t suffer fools, clear philosophy (tactics and standards) and has experienced a lot of life for one so young (Still’s 32). He grew up abroad (his father worked for Shell in Belgium) so has a broader mindset. Still speaks four languages, always useful in the modern dressing-room. He also listens, so you can understand why his man-management skills are so often praised. Be fascinating to see how his career develops this side of the Channel.

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One of the joys of visiting Anfield was to hear the rich, warm tones of George Sephton. He felt more a friendly greeter as well as the stadium announcer. His voice welcomed you to Anfield. He was so much more than an announcer. He supported and promoted local bands. He played their songs at Anfield. George was the “voice of Anfield” since 1971, even had an autobiography (foreword: Sir Kenny Dalglish) and now heads into retirement. George’s choices so often caught the Anfield mood, even mischievously. Playing “Arrivederci Roma” when the Italians were knocked out of the Uefa Cup at Anfield in 2001 was disrespectful to heartbroken visitors. Fabio Capello hit the roof. Dear old Gerard Houllier was asked by angry Italian reporters about the selection, and eventually sighed, “I don’t pick the music”. No, George did. And, barring the wrong note, he did it masterfully. Good luck in retirement to the Voice. You’ll never talk alone.

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Also farewell to Jonny Evans. There is something particularly poignant about Evans leaving Manchester United as if some more of the soul of the club is slipping away. Evans represents qualities United urgently need more of: team before self, putting body on the line, a winner on the field (3 titles, 1 CL, 1 FA Cup, 2 League Cups) and ambassador for the club off it . Evans was – will always be – loved by fans because he gave everything in 241 games.

Also a joy to deal with as a journalist; I once asked Evans about a persistent foot injury and he went into detail about the complicated nature of plantar fascia ligament. It was like talking to a doctor, not a patient. Evans treats people with respect, and the reverential send-off accorded him yesterday by Old Trafford was both moving and completely deserved. One of the good guys - and a very good defender.

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Tom Lockyer came on the talkSPORT show I co-host on a Sunday morning to speak about the EFL’s “Every Minute Matters” campaign with the British Heart Foundation. While at Luton Town, the defender suffered two cardiac arrests on the field and was rescued by prompt medical attention. Lockyer was “technically dead”, his words, for 2min 40sec in the second incident at Bournemouth in 2023 and knows he wouldn’t have survived if he’d been outside the grounds. More than 30,000 people suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the UK. Only one in 10 survive. Swift CPR is vital so Lockyer is urging fans to carry out a 15-minute online training course at revivr.bhf.org.uk/efl