benzonar

Looks like Howard Webb has done what the overpaid muppets couldn't. Good on him, UKs answer to Collina.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/foo...d-v-Spain.html

Cham128

would love to see a deflection off him and into the goal... first goal by an englishman in a world cup final in 44 years

glynster

Well he is from manchester and highly regarded so he should have a stinker.

Meow

Howard Webb isn't a Manc. He grew up in South Yorkshire and I believe he still lives near Rotherham. My husband went to school with him.

glynster

Tha rate luv, he's from the slum 20 minutes up road from me. I almost feel sorry for him now for calling him a manc.

The Dean

Spain are already whingeing (they didn't like the way he reffed their first game, a 1-0 defeat to Switzerland), but he'll be fine.

I'm fascinated by the way the officials go round in packs of three (i.e. you also get two linesmen from your own country), so Cann and Mullarkey are running the lines with him again.

Wouldn't it be better to do what rugby does (i.e. refs also run the lines when they are not reffing)? Better appreciation of what's actually happening etc? I'm not convinced that men who only run the lines can really get a good grasp of everything that's going on.

The Dean

Well I thought he did pretty well, particularly with the Dutch Martial Arts Society deciding to take part.......... I'm trying to picture some of the very weak refs we have seen in this tournament trying to handle that match.

Shame on Holland - if Cruyff, Rensenbrink, Krol, etc were watching, I'm looking forward to reading their views.

typical

On balance I think he should have dismissed De Jong, but I can see why he didn't. That would have been a hellish match to referee, though.

The Dutch are predictably blaming their loss entirely on him.

Grace O Malley

I thought he did pretty well, considering how dirty the game was. Was that a record for yellow cards?

I do think that Graham Souness(sp) was being a tad OTT on his opinion of the ref and agree with EL TEL that the players have the most responsibility for good sportsmanship on the field.

Bahtatboy

Yeah, I thought he had a pretty good match, with the exception of not awarding 3 points for the flying kick--all my kids do karate, and I don't think I've seen any of them land one as well as that.

Disgraceful whingeing--there's only one thing worse than a bad loser, and that's a bad winner. Thankfully Spain were respectful in their glory, but the Dutch team were dirty, and bad losers--it will take some time for that impression to dull.

norsk

This has been one World Cup I won't remember for a particularly good goal, an amazing player etc. In short it was boring and I am now looking forward to the EPL.

Spain won deservedly yesterday, but they never impressed me through the whole competition. Neither did anyone else for that matter (except perhaps Germany when they first mullered a poor England and then embarrassed Argentina).

And yes, Webb did really well considering how dirty the game was yesterday. He could have easily sent someone off early on, but chose not to as it would have completely ruined the game. Instead he tried to talk to the players and calm them down, to no avail of course...

The Dean

Good point about the players (although Mesut Ozil, my Player of the Tournament, is clearly going to be a superstar, and to his credit has already announced he won't join a big Spanish, Italian or English club, preferring to stay loyal to the mighty Werder Bremen).

Look at the big names who had poor tournaments: Lionel Messi (how the hell did he get nominated for that Golden Ball jobby??), Fernando Torres, Kaka, Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie, Cristiano Ronaldo...... not sure why....