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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Bet those same Man U fans had no objection to Bankes from the North West sending-off one of our players for losing his footing last season! The same thing happened then as yesterday! They lost to 10 men!!

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

I see it was my least favourite European referee - the useless Marciniak!

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Yellow for me - it is reckless for me but I could understand a red if it was given.

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Ive never heard of this particular ref.

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

I dont have old kit like that left.

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

That Umbro kit was my first referees kit.

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

The only thing I remember about the ref in that match was when Arsenal scored their 1st goal Liverpool players complaining and questioning the legality of the goal.Hutchinson stood his ground and awarded the goal.Alan Hansen said later he didn't know what he and his teammates were complaining about!

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

They do still deny any corruption - they are like Donald Trump & Nigel Farage, liars!

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

@refbooks.bsky.social @quinnassociate.com #Referee David Hutchinson who reffed that 1989 title decider between Liverpool and Arsenal has passed away. He was also Keith Hackett's senior Linesman in the 1981 FA Cup Final. It was put on Twitter by former EPL ref Graham Scott.

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

😆 Glenn Turner likes it!! 😆 🤣

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

This reminds me of Stuart Atwell when he is refereeing! @quinnassociate.com

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Smith clearly had no sense of humour when he yellow carded Gaza!

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

A 48 team tournament though would be to big for 8 groups of 6 it would mean 120 group matches whereas 12 groups of 4 meant 72 group matches. 48 teams is too big, 32 was perfect - 48 group matches before the knockout stages.

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

He always hated being known as the first ref to send off a player in the FA Cup Final, he always said he had two options when Moran kicked Reid up a height: 1 Follow the Laws and send Moran off. 2 Put his whistle on the ground and walk off the pitch. Option was NOT an option to him!

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

They initially were going to have 16 groups of 3 for this WC with 2 teams going into the last 32 but it was open to a German/Austrian fiddle like in 1982 which eliminated Algeria.In a24team tournament I would have 4 groups of 6 then a knock out phase with either 2 or 4 sides going to the knockouts.

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Without looking it up I believe this was a 4-1 win for France in the 2nd group stage. This 1982 WC tournament had a one off format of a 1st group stage of 6 groups of 4 a 2nd group stage of 4 groups of 3 then a Semi-Final and Final and the 3/4th place play-off.

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

To early for Tony Glasson - he was a League referee from 1972 until 1983. I dont recognise him.

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

I agree it is shifting the margins. If the gap is 1mm it would be Offside. They are already trialling it in Canada.

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Strangely I have come to accept Offside rulings that are marginally Offside. But I do think the idea from Wenger where there must be a gap between the forward and the 2nd last defender for it to be deemed Offside is a good one. I accept though that it is still a fine line as is the current Law.

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

When that "gormless shit" rant at me happened, I was getting assessed as well! The assessor didn't hear what he said but did say it was the only time I got mixed up in the play and was difficult for any ref at the time to "read" the game at the time so it was an understandable error on my part.

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

I agree with GLT and automated Offside, Keith Hackett reckons GLT could easily be upgraded to tge entire goal line and toich line at a reasonable cost so I would support that as well. That would be my line in the sand, I'd abolish the rest though.

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Better still abolish VAR altogether. Go back to the days when the onfield decision was the final decision.Video officials work very well in both Rugby codes and cricket but it doesn't ruin the flow of those games,but it does in football.Scrap it altogether I say.

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Its only happened a few times to me, not too many times luckily! I remember once being told "You gormless s**t!" when I got smacked on the leg with the ball after getting mixed up in the play. My yellow card was quickly out of my pocket! It was a long time before the days of the sinbin!

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

That's excellent! Players never change, they slagged off officials and blamed them for losses from the start, its not a new thing!!

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Yup, you are correct, I forgot about Foy doing the opposite diagnol.

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Yup, that is correct. Willis considered Moran's foul to be Serious Foul Play. He was correct in my opinion under the Laws in 1985, it was still a horrible challenge.

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

I'm going to be exceptionally pedantic and point out that Willis was the first ref to send a player off but he didn't show the red card because cards weren't in use in English football in 1985! The first red card was shown in 2005 by referee Rob Styles when he sent off Arsenal's Jose Antonio Reyes.

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Most English refs had his Assistants that way other than FIFA refs who ran the opposite diagnol as per international convention.The last 2 Premier League refs to run the opposite diagnol was Alan Wilkie &Neale Barry,Barry in his last couple of seasons changed due to the PL changing to FIFAs diagnol.

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Any other ref other than Roger Milford would have sorted Gazza out. Most refs would have yellow carded him for the 1st foul, some like Willis would have sent him off. Had he been booked for the 1st foul he would not have committed the second foul.

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

A future FA Cup Final #referee sending off Everton's Brian Kidd for smashing his elbow into an opponent's face in a 1979/80 FA Cup 4th Round tie between Everton & Wigan. Can yous @refbooks.bsky.social & @quinnassociate.com identify him?

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Mind it might have been a more painful part of his anatomy! I remember getting tge ball in my nuts on a few occasions as well!" I suspect it'll happen again to me as well, I intend to be reffing for several more years yet! 😆 🤣

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

He had just been winded getting the ball in his stomach from a clearance!

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

@refbooks.bsky.social @refereeretro.bsky.social @quinnassociate.com This is from the 1979/80 season, I think the #referee is John Hunting from Leicester, though I'm not 100% certain. The match is an FA Cup 4th Round tie between Arsenal & Brighton.

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

@refbooks.bsky.social & @quinnassociate.com 1979/80 season - FA Cup 4th Round Swindon V Tottenham. The controversial but top #Referee Clive Thomas from Porthcawl, South Wales.

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

The famous sending-off of a Newcastle player by Gordon Kew was Paddy Howard in the 1974 FA Cup Quarter-Final against Nottingham Forest. I'm not aware of him sending Hibbert off.

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Argentina/England controversy in 1966 & 1998.I'm sure @refbooks.bsky.social & @quinnassociate.com know who the #referees are!The 1966 controversy of course led to the introduction of yellow & red cards one of many innovations by Ken Aston,the man who refereed the infamous Battle of Santiago in 1962.

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

32 was the perfect number, 64 is far too many.

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Because the President is an idiot.

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Trump even questioned the refs integrity as well. Utterly disgusting for the President of the US to make such comments with no evidence to back up his scurrilous allegations.

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

I agree - they may or may not be corruption but it is definitely incompetent. The whole saga with Trump interfering with disciplinary processes involving a red card could lead to major problems, Infantino prattled on about integrity of the process. Him pandering to Trump raised those questions!

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

It is just as incompetent and dare I say corrupt!

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Ken Stephenson @kenstephenson.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

I hope they do as well. It's an utter disgrace. I thought Blatter was a bad FIFA President but Infantino is by far the worst.

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