Worst decisions in football history?

4:20 · Post by **4:20** » Sun Jul 23, 2023 10:19 pm

In your own opinion, others may disagree and that's fine. Could be a bad ref decision, a manager's decision, chairman, player, governing body, TV company, anything regarding football.

I'll start with the decision that inspired me to create this thread.

Gazza being left out of the England 98' World Cup squad.

Carwin261 · Post by **Carwin261** » Sun Jul 23, 2023 10:38 pm

The Bosman Ruling ,it gave 100% power to the players ,and no one else.

hoskinsgoalatswansea · Post by **hoskinsgoalatswansea** » Sun Jul 23, 2023 10:40 pm

4:20 wrote: ↑
Sun Jul 23, 2023 10:19 pm

Gazza being left out of the England 98' World Cup squad.

Not sure it was the worst, but definitely one of the saddest. Gazza was in terrible shape at that time. Maybe he could’ve sorted himself out in time for the WC, we’ll never know.

fidelcastro · Post by **fidelcastro** » Sun Jul 23, 2023 10:50 pm

There were once fans of a club who booed their own player when he came on to play in a pre season friendly.

Bosscat · Post by **Bosscat** » Sun Jul 23, 2023 10:51 pm

fidelcastro wrote: ↑
Sun Jul 23, 2023 10:50 pm
There were once fans of a club who booed their own player when he came on to play in a pre season friendly.

Boss Hogg · Post by **Boss Hogg** » Sun Jul 23, 2023 10:52 pm

Allowing Wimbledon to become MK Dons and relocate over 40 miles away.

Carwin261 · Post by **Carwin261** » Sun Jul 23, 2023 10:53 pm

Then there was the fan with the Cuban connection that went on and on like a broken chuffing record.

4:20 · Post by **4:20** » Sun Jul 23, 2023 11:02 pm

Not giving Clough a crack at the England job

claptrappers_union · Post by **claptrappers_union** » Sun Jul 23, 2023 11:16 pm

FA Cup Semi Finals at the New Wembley

dsr · Post by **dsr** » Sun Jul 23, 2023 11:16 pm

Failing to amputate Norman Hunter's foot before he became a professional "footballer".

Actually, the cumulative decisions that led to the carnage and thuggery of the seventies (on and off the field) made a whole string of bad decisions.

boatshed bill · Post by **boatshed bill** » Sun Jul 23, 2023 11:33 pm

Sir Alf not picking Brian O'Neil ahead of Nobby Stiles for the '66 World Cup squad

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Sun Jul 23, 2023 11:39 pm

The one that has probably affected the game the most - at least in this country - was the FA's decision not to challenge/prevent Irving Scholars decision to take Tottenham Hotspur public by a flotation of a new holding Company, the lack of action re the circumvention of what was rule 34 led directly to the big clubs being emboldened as to the speed of change in distributions in TV money, then the Premier League. All that has followed flows directly from that reluctance/paralysis of action and that includes the abomination on of multi-club operations which will change our beautiful game forever and probably lead to a a super league by default, which may or may not be the Premier League. Though even then I fear that being franchised off around the globe going forward in some kind of NFL format

CoolClaret · Post by **CoolClaret** » Sun Jul 23, 2023 11:42 pm

Sean Dyche tossing off our European campaign

whiffa · Post by **whiffa** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 12:40 am

Owen Coyle going to Bolton... Too soon?

StayingDown4Ever · Post by **StayingDown4Ever** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 4:55 am

Stan Ternent’s idiotic decision to bench Little & Blake at Watford.

Did he ever explain that?

bigdavethemaddog · Post by **bigdavethemaddog** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 4:59 am

whoever approved VAR

Rick_Muller · Post by **Rick_Muller** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 7:04 am

Hand of God

bobinho · Post by **bobinho** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 7:15 am

Lee mason…

Foshiznik · Post by **Foshiznik** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 7:28 am

European Super League

basil6345789 · Post by **basil6345789** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 7:43 am

Introducing more than one substitute

Hipper · Post by **Hipper** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 7:44 am

Watching the 1962 Cup Final and getting stuck with this affinity for Burnley FC.

I thought I'd shrugged it off after the Orient game and had a few decent years of freedom but come the internet and particularly this site (well 'the other site' actually, the mad one) I got caught again.

Has some analyst studied this issue? Here's an attempt:

https://www.thenakedscientists.com/arti ... tball-fans

I'm not sure I accept this - wanting to be part of a group. I'm not group orientated.

Tricky Trevor · Post by **Tricky Trevor** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 8:10 am

Bob Lord sacking Jimmy Adamson.

Nori1958 · Post by **Nori1958** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 8:42 am

Appointing Brian Laws as a premier league manager

RammyClaret61 · Post by **RammyClaret61** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 8:55 am

Turning football grounds into all seater stadiums.

BurnleyFC · Post by **BurnleyFC** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 9:02 am

Sky TV and the Premier League.

4:20 · Post by **4:20** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 9:25 am

Zidane headbutts Materazzi in World Cup final

Rick_Muller · Post by **Rick_Muller** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 9:33 am

4:20 wrote: ↑
Mon Jul 24, 2023 9:25 am
Zidane headbutts Materazzi in World Cup final

Not sure about that… I thought it was great

houseboy · Post by **houseboy** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 10:11 am

BurnleyFC wrote: ↑
Mon Jul 24, 2023 9:02 am
Sky TV and the Premier League.

Definitely this I would say. Everything that is wrong with football today stems from this (and Jack Walker’s decision to start inflation in football).

Hipper · Post by **Hipper** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 10:54 am

houseboy wrote: ↑
Mon Jul 24, 2023 10:11 am
Definitely this I would say. Everything that is wrong with football today stems from this (and Jack Walker’s decision to start inflation in football).

Not everything. Up to date safer grounds, better groundsman training and technology leading to top class pitches, superior training for coaches and other staff leading to excellent fitness (including nutrition, psychology and who knows what else). We now have highly technical football matches.

We can add to that access to football for those that can't make it to matches. I suspect attendance at matches are higher as a result but that exposure to live football has gone through the roof.

What I don't like is the greed, club ownership, ridiculously high wages at the top (but that presumably allows players at step 3 - if Premier League is One, step 3 is Seven - to earn money too). But that's an issue throughout, not just football.

May be you include cheating in the criticisms but I reckon that is just a reflection on all of us. If you can get away with it.....

Betting of course has increased too I suspect but perhaps it would anyway because of the various changes to gambling laws.

It's difficult to know what the alternatives were to The Premier League model once live football became acceptable. Other models were individual clubs having broadcasting agreements, which would likely be even worse.

SlidingTackle · Post by **SlidingTackle** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 11:03 am

It's been great for us admittedly, but Venky's 'investment' in Premier league B@@@@@@s.

What? Wait? There's something called relegation?

Fretters · Post by **Fretters** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 11:10 am

StayingDown4Ever wrote: ↑
Mon Jul 24, 2023 4:55 am
Stan Ternent’s idiotic decision to bench Little & Blake at Watford.

Did he ever explain that?

I think he pointed to the 3-0 victory of Premier League Fulham in the previous round where he started with the same team.

Down_Rover · Post by **Down_Rover** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 11:17 am

Allowing Luton a place in the Premier League

Stproc · Post by **Stproc** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 11:29 am

VAR. Nothing else comes close

It Is What It Is · Post by **It Is What It Is** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 11:33 am

Bob Lord sacking Harry Potts as Team manager and moving him upstairs as General Manager, just after thrashing Forest 5-0. !!
Still can't get my head around that...must have been very personal..Lord was never the nice guy.

Woodleyclaret · Post by **Woodleyclaret** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 11:37 am

Thinking John Bond and his City rejects was a good idea

Tribesmen · Post by **Tribesmen** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 11:48 am

Geoff Hurst and the goal that wasn't in the 1966 World Cup Final .............

what_no_pies · Post by **what_no_pies** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 12:05 pm

The FA banning womens football from being played on affilliated pitches.

Could have been as big as the mens game but a bunch of self important blokes just wouldn't allow it.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... justify-it

Tricky Trevor · Post by **Tricky Trevor** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 12:42 pm

dsr wrote: ↑
Sun Jul 23, 2023 11:16 pm
Failing to amputate Norman Hunter's foot before he became a professional "footballer".

Actually, the cumulative decisions that led to the carnage and thuggery of the seventies (on and off the field) made a whole string of bad decisions.

Spot on, Revies thugs changed football. Appalling refereeing didn’t help. They just stood back and let them get on with it.

ElectroClaret · Post by **ElectroClaret** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 12:52 pm

Rick_Muller wrote: ↑
Mon Jul 24, 2023 7:04 am
Hand of God

This.

spt_claret · Post by **spt_claret** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 1:02 pm

Forming PGMOL.

Everybody's problems with refereeing, including the scapegoating of VAR technology for incompetent, biased, or dare I suggest, possibly corrupt, officiating, stems from PGMOL's formation in 2001 from what I can see.

Formed to improve refereeing standards, but in my opinion standards have only gotten worse and more 'consistently inconsistent' since.

Rowls · Post by **Rowls** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 1:05 pm

Lee Mason's decision not to award a penalty and issue the red card for handball vs PNE in 2007.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 134187.stm

houseboy · Post by **houseboy** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 3:48 pm

Hipper wrote: ↑
Mon Jul 24, 2023 10:54 am
Not everything. Up to date safer grounds, better groundsman training and technology leading to top class pitches, superior training for coaches and other staff leading to excellent fitness (including nutrition, psychology and who knows what else). We now have highly technical football matches.

We can add to that access to football for those that can't make it to matches. I suspect attendance at matches are higher as a result but that exposure to live football has gone through the roof.

What I don't like is the greed, club ownership, ridiculously high wages at the top (but that presumably allows players at step 3 - if Premier League is One, step 3 is Seven - to earn money too). But that's an issue throughout, not just football.

May be you include cheating in the criticisms but I reckon that is just a reflection on all of us. If you can get away with it.....

Betting of course has increased too I suspect but perhaps it would anyway because of the various changes to gambling laws.

It's difficult to know what the alternatives were to The Premier League model once live football became acceptable. Other models were individual clubs having broadcasting agreements, which would likely be even worse.

I agree with a lot of this and you are right on many aspects. My problem, first and foremost, is the money involved. In no other industry I know of can a business (club) spend such a high percentage of its turnover on wages, it wouldn’t be sustainable (and frequently isn’t with many clubs). The transfer fees also are causing many clubs who aspire to PL level or indeed maintain it to spend money they do not, and in many cases may never, have. Inflation in football seems to outstrip anything like the ‘real’ world. And it seems to be trickling down to the lower leagues too. Much if it is caused by owners with wealth beyond the dreams of a avirice finding ways of getting around fair play (City?) and Sky spending too much on it rather than reducing the ridiculous charges they have to their customers.
Add to this the insane kick off times that makes buying a season ticket questionable, the moving of fixtures for TV and the fact that there is, I my opinion, far too much football on TV which must be having a detrimental effect on lower league club attendances. And the cheating that such high stakes brings.
Other than that it’s great.

Croydon Claret · Post by **Croydon Claret** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 4:31 pm

Abolition of the maximum wage

CaptJohn · Post by **CaptJohn** » Tue Jul 25, 2023 7:57 am

Burnley deciding to stop serving peas with the pies. I've never recovered

Seriously I'll always question the FA/Prem league allowing the massive conflict of interest when Sky originally won the tv rights. Alan Sugar was a chairman of Spurs around that time thus he could directly influence how the voting went and his company Amstrad made a lot of the electronic gear for Sky thus profiting from the deal. I couldn't understand how it went through at the time and still can't.

Jakubclaret · Post by **Jakubclaret** » Tue Jul 25, 2023 8:18 am

Far too many to mention, southgates selection of penalty takers & the introduction of VAR stick out like a sore thumb, if I was to think about it I'd be here all day.

Woodleyclaret · Post by **Woodleyclaret** » Tue Jul 25, 2023 8:20 am

Fao Capt John its amazing what you can fit in a brown envelop.You thought that Blatter and Platini were the only dodgy football administrators ?

Cirrus_Minor · Post by **Cirrus_Minor** » Tue Jul 25, 2023 8:58 am

Allowing Arab dictators to own English football clubs