Barrow AFC boss Peter Wild has become the latest in a long line of managers to criticise the quality of officiating in League Two, according to the North-West Evening Mail.
The Bluebirds tasted defeat for just the second time this season last week when they went down to a solitary goal at the unbeaten Mansfield Town, but the game was marred with controversy. Wild said in the aftermath of the game that he thought his side were denied a clear penalty for handball before Junior Tiensia received his marching orders in the second half for a wayward tackle.
Nearly a week on from the fixture, the former Halifax Town manager is still not over the decisions. Speaking ahead of Saturday’s clash with Doncaster Rovers, he said;
“Every week we seem to have a key decision as does every other club by the way so I am not just saying it is a target on Barrow. I think that is where managers are really frustrated with the standard of officiating and the key decisions that don’t go your way.
“You work all week; you work ever so hard to get into a position and all you expect on a Saturday is that the key decisions will be judged.”
Continuing, Wild believes that these decisions could ultimately cost teams over the course of a season;
“Don’t get me wrong they will miss things, they are humans and they will miss things but what frustrates managers is that it happens week in and week out and there is no humility when you go and ask them. There is no humility to say ‘yeah I got it wrong Pete I’m sorry’ and I think that is what frustrates managers up and down the county.
“It is such an emotive game and there is so much pressure that if those decisions don’t go your way across a period of time that could ultimately mean that you don’t get where you want to be at the end of the season.”
Barrow will be hoping to return to winning ways this weekend, but face a tough task in the form of the rejuvanated Doncaster.
Writer’s View
The standard of referees in League One and Two has been a hot topic for years, particularly because officials in these divisions are part time. The only way to solve this would be to make more full time positions available, which would allow the officials to receive further training and concentrate fully on the task in hand.
The old saying in football is that these decisions iron themselves out over the course of the season, although this is clearly not a sentiment shared by Peter Wild.
