This Forum is the main messageboard to discuss all things Claret and Blue and beyond
-
jdrobbo
- Posts: 10589
- Joined: Sun Dec 27, 2015 8:01 pm
- Been Liked: 5400 times
- Has Liked: 1020 times
- Location: Leeds
Post
by jdrobbo » Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:19 am
Anthony Backhouse (Cumbria) v Sunderland
How to Score
A. Decision Making (including use of advantage) - out of 25
B. Consistency - out of 25
C. Fitness and Positioning - of 25
D. Control and Authority - out of 25
Please only Rate the Ref if you attended the game and only do so, after the game has ended.
-
Aclaret
- Posts: 4530
- Joined: Tue Jul 10, 2018 3:16 pm
- Been Liked: 1421 times
- Has Liked: 1568 times
Post
by Aclaret » Fri Jan 17, 2025 10:17 pm
Unlucky Mr Backhouse....you did your best to beat us.
This user liked this post: MT03ALG
-
Milltown1882
- Posts: 3475
- Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2016 5:47 pm
- Been Liked: 1253 times
- Has Liked: 902 times
Post
by Milltown1882 » Fri Jan 17, 2025 10:17 pm
0 0 0 0
1 point to take back on the Sunderland coach
-
123EasyasBFC
- Posts: 6499
- Joined: Sat Jul 23, 2022 11:09 pm
- Been Liked: 1246 times
- Has Liked: 290 times
Post
by 123EasyasBFC » Fri Jan 17, 2025 10:18 pm
No need to rate the ref, just absolutely shite all night
-
box_of_frogs
- Posts: 5063
- Joined: Sat Jan 23, 2016 11:47 am
- Been Liked: 1105 times
- Has Liked: 1014 times
Post
by box_of_frogs » Fri Jan 17, 2025 10:18 pm
Oh, this is a serious thread.

-
RammyClaret61
- Posts: 3459
- Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2016 9:46 pm
- Been Liked: 1218 times
- Has Liked: 319 times
- Location: Melbourne, Australia.
Post
by RammyClaret61 » Fri Jan 17, 2025 10:19 pm
Milltown1882 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2025 10:17 pm
0 0 0 0
1 point to take back on the Sunderland coach
Only watched second half. Got to agree with you, although 0000 might be a generous.
-
BurnleyFC
- Posts: 6708
- Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 11:51 am
- Been Liked: 2100 times
- Has Liked: 1047 times
Post
by BurnleyFC » Fri Jan 17, 2025 10:20 pm
Lee Mason-esque from this fat, little useless ******.
I hope he stands on a plug.
-
Longsider
- Posts: 2739
- Joined: Fri Jan 22, 2016 6:03 pm
- Been Liked: 925 times
- Has Liked: 801 times
Post
by Longsider » Fri Jan 17, 2025 10:23 pm
Tw@t
-
Rowls
- Posts: 14648
- Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2016 11:00 pm
- Been Liked: 5644 times
- Has Liked: 5864 times
- Location: Montpellier, France
Post
by Rowls » Fri Jan 17, 2025 10:35 pm
I thought he was good - for 70 minutes.
I'll mark properly later.
-
Taffy on the wing
- Posts: 5455
- Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2016 3:41 am
- Been Liked: 1178 times
- Has Liked: 3666 times
Post
by Taffy on the wing » Fri Jan 17, 2025 10:41 pm
Rowls wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2025 10:35 pm
I thought he was good - for 70 minutes.
I'll mark properly later.
Was that the 70 mins before kick off?
This user liked this post: FCBurnley
-
Lip
- Posts: 932
- Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2023 2:35 pm
- Been Liked: 298 times
- Has Liked: 227 times
Post
by Lip » Fri Jan 17, 2025 10:42 pm
-25
-25
-25
-25
What a chunt!
-
Goobs
- Posts: 4581
- Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 8:43 am
- Been Liked: 1540 times
- Has Liked: 1059 times
- Location: Burnley
Post
by Goobs » Fri Jan 17, 2025 10:44 pm
A. 3
B. 2
C. 10
D. 9
-
RalphCoatesComb
- Posts: 8256
- Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2016 2:38 pm
- Been Liked: 2482 times
- Has Liked: 2222 times
Post
by RalphCoatesComb » Fri Jan 17, 2025 10:47 pm
Don't think I've ever seen a worse performance.
"Backhouse"... perhaps it should be "Backhander"
Was that the 70 mins before kick off?

-
THEWELLERNUT70
- Posts: 4000
- Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2016 11:13 pm
- Been Liked: 1258 times
- Has Liked: 2318 times
Post
by THEWELLERNUT70 » Fri Jan 17, 2025 10:50 pm
Rowls wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2025 10:35 pm
I thought he was good - for 70 minutes.
I'll mark properly later.
We're you stuck in traffic and listening to it on the radio

-
CrosspoolClarets
- Posts: 6746
- Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 9:00 pm
- Been Liked: 1973 times
- Has Liked: 504 times
Post
by CrosspoolClarets » Fri Jan 17, 2025 10:54 pm
A-1 Many crucial decisions wrong including a penalty for us and for them
B-1 Too much missed from SAFC, and it should have been us given the penalty not them (Flemming)
C-5 Can only assume positioning was bad, either that or he was a blind ref
D-5 Didnt show a yellow till late despite constant niggles
A rank ref who ruined the game, probably cost us a win (we barely deserved) and nearly handed it to them through incompetence.
-
xxmunkyennuixx
- Posts: 585
- Joined: Sat Jan 23, 2016 1:38 am
- Been Liked: 134 times
- Has Liked: 371 times
Post
by xxmunkyennuixx » Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:01 pm
I normally rate but wasn't at the Turf. He was ****. Missed pen on Flemming and two that shouldn't have stood. He'd be below five on decision making.
-
fungus_the_bogeyman
- Posts: 630
- Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 5:16 pm
- Been Liked: 180 times
- Has Liked: 130 times
Post
by fungus_the_bogeyman » Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:02 pm
A 5
B 5
C 5
D 5
Up there with Kevin Lynch, Trevor Kettle and Lee Mason. Absolutely dreadful!
-
dougcollins
- Posts: 9139
- Joined: Sat Jan 23, 2016 12:23 am
- Been Liked: 2371 times
- Has Liked: 2342 times
- Location: Yarkshire
Post
by dougcollins » Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:05 pm
fungus_the_bogeyman wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:02 pm
A 5
B 5
C 5
D 5
Up there with Kevin Lynch, Trevor Kettle and Lee Mason. Absolutely dreadful!
Two out of those three admitted they didn’t like Burnley.
I wonder what this guy’s excuse was.
-
HurstGrangeClaret
- Posts: 299
- Joined: Thu Aug 29, 2024 11:43 am
- Been Liked: 137 times
- Has Liked: 88 times
Post
by HurstGrangeClaret » Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:12 pm
The referee got a lot wrong. Not sure there was enough in the Fleming one to give a penalty.
The two Sunderland penalties were wrong. Ref can only give them if he’s sure. First one clearly outside the box, and maybe CJ lucky not to see a red card. Second one is very dubious so the ref has guessed both decisions.
Having said all that, massive well done to JT, maybe taking gamesmanship to the limit but who cares. And secondly the block by CJ in the 93rd minute was just sensational.
All in all, not a great performance but still a point against a very good Sunderland side.
UTC.
-
Claretrew
- Posts: 211
- Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2016 10:19 pm
- Been Liked: 29 times
- Has Liked: 88 times
Post
by Claretrew » Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:16 pm
No I didn't.
-
Silkyskills1
- Posts: 6584
- Joined: Wed Jan 27, 2016 6:39 pm
- Been Liked: 1929 times
- Has Liked: 2869 times
- Location: Rawtenstall
Post
by Silkyskills1 » Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:21 pm
'Not sure there was enough in the Flemming one'
What does that actually mean? It's either a foul or not a foul. Do fouls have a grading system? Anywhere else on the pitch that is a foul so why the doubt in the penalty box? Not a bad referee but rather a disgraceful one enjoying the limelight on a Friday evening.
These 2 users liked this post: Damo fungus_the_bogeyman
-
Cheshireclaret
- Posts: 929
- Joined: Sat Jan 23, 2016 4:43 pm
- Been Liked: 383 times
- Has Liked: 26 times
Post
by Cheshireclaret » Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:25 pm
I’m not going to bother rating him - he was an absolute stinker of a ref who should be ashamed and embarrassed at that performance tonight. But no, he’ll be back reffing midweek somewhere.
Also a special mention for the linesman in front of The Longside - he absolutely 100% should have known it was outside the box, how the hell did he not say anything?
-
Bordeauxclaret
- Posts: 11192
- Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2016 10:36 pm
- Been Liked: 3611 times
- Has Liked: 2229 times
Post
by Bordeauxclaret » Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:28 pm
Awful performance.
We are stuck with VAR in a lot of football because of people like this.
Last edited by
Bordeauxclaret on Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
HurstGrangeClaret
- Posts: 299
- Joined: Thu Aug 29, 2024 11:43 am
- Been Liked: 137 times
- Has Liked: 88 times
Post
by HurstGrangeClaret » Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:29 pm
Silkyskills1 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:21 pm
'Not sure there was enough in the Flemming one'
What does that actually mean? It's either a foul or not a foul. Do fouls have a grading system? Anywhere else on the pitch that is a foul so why the doubt in the penalty box? Not a bad referee but rather a disgraceful one enjoying the limelight on a Friday evening.
If a similar one had been given against us, you would have criticised it.
Pity the ref wasn’t as scrupulous when awarding the Sunderland pens.
-
Goodclaret
- Posts: 1165
- Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 12:44 pm
- Been Liked: 574 times
- Has Liked: 1738 times
Post
by Goodclaret » Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:31 pm
I think I'll give him:
0
0
3
5
That really was an awful "performance". I always say I can (kind of) get when a ref has missed something so therefore not made a decision it's forgivable but to give two pens when neither are then he has clearly guessed and that is definitely the sign of a true bad un. Maybe it was his first game in front of the Sky camera's so was unduly excitable but it really was an awful evening for him.
-
ClaretTony
- Posts: 76611
- Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 3:07 pm
- Been Liked: 37336 times
- Has Liked: 5701 times
- Location: Burnley
-
Contact:
Post
by ClaretTony » Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:34 pm
A. 4
B. 6
C. 8
D. 4
Absolutely appalling right from the start. For what it's worth, I don't think Flemming's is a pen but if the second Sunderland one is then Flemming's is worth three. As for their first penalty, how on earth do he and the lino not get that right between them.
One free kick we won in the first half despite foul after foul which of course were not given.
Shocking referee
-
quoonbeatz
- Posts: 5231
- Joined: Mon Jan 04, 2016 11:03 am
- Been Liked: 2942 times
- Has Liked: 829 times
Post
by quoonbeatz » Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:39 pm
We’re all used to the incredibly low standards of referees in this country but it’s still a surprise when they give plus someone who plumbs new depths like this wasteman.
No understanding of the game or the laws. Ridiculously weak - how did Ballard not get a 2nd yellow at the end? Neither penalty is a penalty. Constant shirt pulling, which he occasionally pulled up but where were the cards?
It’s a good job justice was done with the penalties because this was a disgraceful performance from the officials. The liners were both crap as well.
-
LincsWoldsClaret
- Posts: 718
- Joined: Sun Feb 04, 2024 5:35 pm
- Been Liked: 178 times
- Has Liked: 97 times
Post
by LincsWoldsClaret » Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:44 pm
This year’s winner of the Tony Harrington Award for the Most Inept and Incompetent Refereeing Performance goes to…
Tony Backhouse
Just how clueless can you get
-
sjb
- Posts: 1488
- Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2023 2:15 pm
- Been Liked: 561 times
- Has Liked: 526 times
Post
by sjb » Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:46 pm
0
0
10
5
I thought the Sonne penalty was probably correct but as for the other 2 decisions - sheer incompetence.
-
Luppy
- Posts: 390
- Joined: Mon Aug 12, 2019 2:46 pm
- Been Liked: 97 times
- Has Liked: 25 times
Post
by Luppy » Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:51 pm
A - 2 -
B - 4
C - 6
D - 2
As bad as I’ve seen, though not helped by his assistants or 4th official
The first is never a penalty but surely the liner has to help him out there - surely? It’s not even close
The second I actually thought he’d given for handball but having got home and watched it on sky he’s clearly given it for a foul. There is no foul! Nobody knows what he’s given in the first instance. Absolutely laughable. The full back steps into Sonne - joke
If the second challenge is a penalty then the challenge on Flemming is 100% a penalty. Just staggering he can wave that away and give theirs
Ballard at the end. He’s been booked and then completely wipes Cullen out - ok it’s late on, but it’s a second yellow all day long. He has to send him off - nothing
The foul on Roberts which again is nowhere near the ball, it’s naughty, it’s probably a yellow. What’s the 4th official doing? It’s clearly, clearly a foul and they play on with Sunderland in possession.
A shambles from start to finish - embarrassing. If he and his team go home and watch that back tomorrow and are anything other than embarrassed I’ll be amazed
-
nonayclaret
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2016 4:30 pm
- Been Liked: 64 times
- Has Liked: 76 times
Post
by nonayclaret » Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:54 pm
A) 5
B) 8
C) 15
D) 3
-
Cirrus_Minor
- Posts: 4874
- Joined: Fri Jan 22, 2016 8:20 pm
- Been Liked: 1245 times
- Has Liked: 1468 times
Post
by Cirrus_Minor » Sat Jan 18, 2025 12:01 am
Absolute shocker. The first penalty was outside the box (although i did think at first it was inside, but i am way back in the upper tier not a referee/linesman within ysrds of the action). The second seemed to be incredibly soft.
I was also wondering at one stage in the first half if we were ever going to get a free kick.
A 7
B 4
C 12
D 4
-
RalphCoatesComb
- Posts: 8256
- Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2016 2:38 pm
- Been Liked: 2482 times
- Has Liked: 2222 times
Post
by RalphCoatesComb » Sat Jan 18, 2025 12:06 am
Luppy wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:51 pm
If he and his team go home and watch that back tomorrow and are anything other than embarrassed I’ll be amazed
I'll be amazed if he isn't dropped for next week's games.
-
bobinho
- Posts: 10573
- Joined: Fri Jan 22, 2016 7:48 pm
- Been Liked: 4612 times
- Has Liked: 7255 times
- Location: Burnley
Post
by bobinho » Sat Jan 18, 2025 12:11 am
I thought he had a great game.
Then there were two penalty shouts…
First looked nailed on. No problem ref well done. Turns out it was outside the box.
Second one looked like a poor challenge, turns out there was NO challenge.
Dunno what to score him.
-
martin_p
- Posts: 11070
- Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2016 3:40 pm
- Been Liked: 4059 times
- Has Liked: 743 times
Post
by martin_p » Sat Jan 18, 2025 12:13 am
Worst performance I’ve seen from a referee at the Turf for a long, long time!
-
mybloodisclaret
- Posts: 2895
- Joined: Tue May 03, 2016 8:04 pm
- Been Liked: 920 times
- Has Liked: 5699 times
Post
by mybloodisclaret » Sat Jan 18, 2025 12:15 am
A - 1
B - 2
C - 1
D - 1
Absolutely terrible. From start to finish. Completely and utterly ruined the game.
He won't be fined or punished for that abortion of a performance, no rather that he will get a game to ruin next week and still get paid far more than me and the majority of clarets on here.
-
MDWat
- Posts: 2777
- Joined: Fri Dec 25, 2015 12:42 pm
- Been Liked: 947 times
- Has Liked: 288 times
- Location: Bradford
-
Contact:
Post
by MDWat » Sat Jan 18, 2025 12:17 am
A - 3
B - 3
C - 3
D - 3
I thought their second penalty was the correct decision but he still absolutely honked the whole way through. Dreadful.
-
DCWat
- Posts: 9934
- Joined: Mon Jan 04, 2016 11:04 am
- Been Liked: 4471 times
- Has Liked: 3882 times
Post
by DCWat » Sat Jan 18, 2025 12:21 am
I’m not sure we got a free kick until around the 34th minute.
I’ve no problem with referees let the game flow, but in doing so, they have to be consistent. He wasn’t.
The penalties were poor decisions - Sonne’s was very soft - if that’s a penalty, the Flemming one should have been too. Really, neither were enough for a penalty, for me.
The first one was a shocker. I just can’t see how he can have been so certain, so quickly. What was his linesman watching!?
Decisions like these, on live TV. He really should be questioned on his performance. He won’t be, he’ll probably be in the PL in a year or two!
-
agreenwood
- Posts: 4458
- Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 12:22 pm
- Been Liked: 2461 times
- Has Liked: 352 times
Post
by agreenwood » Sat Jan 18, 2025 12:25 am
ClaretTony wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:34 pm
A. 4
B. 6
C. 8
D. 4
Absolutely appalling right from the start. For what it's worth, I don't think Flemming's is a pen but if the second Sunderland one is then Flemming's is worth three. As for their first penalty, how on earth do he and the lino not get that right between them.
One free kick we won in the first half despite foul after foul which of course were not given.
Shocking referee
It took him 34 minutes to award us a free kick. Can’t remember anything like it.
-
jdrobbo
- Posts: 10589
- Joined: Sun Dec 27, 2015 8:01 pm
- Been Liked: 5400 times
- Has Liked: 1020 times
- Location: Leeds
Post
by jdrobbo » Sat Jan 18, 2025 12:27 am
LincsWoldsClaret wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:44 pm
This year’s winner of the Tony Harrington Award for the Most Inept and Incompetent Refereeing Performance goes to…
Tony Backhouse
Just how clueless can you get
Brilliant

-
Damo
- Posts: 4570
- Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2016 12:04 pm
- Been Liked: 1798 times
- Has Liked: 2776 times
Post
by Damo » Sat Jan 18, 2025 12:39 am
Cheshireclaret wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:25 pm
Also a special mention for the linesman in front of The Longside - he absolutely 100% should have known it was outside the box, how the hell did he not say anything?
The liner in front of the North stand had a great view of several wrong decisions and bottled out of raising his flag. He was an absolute chocolate fireguard.
As for Backhouse. He was absolutely dreadful.
1
15
3
3
-
dsr
- Posts: 16197
- Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 12:47 pm
- Been Liked: 4855 times
- Has Liked: 2580 times
Post
by dsr » Sat Jan 18, 2025 12:44 am
5 - 0 - 10 - 2
His only defence is that his linesman was as bad.
Even before the late meltdown, his free kick decisions were random. And his mental coin flip came down Sunderland side up too often for my liking.
-
CrosspoolClarets
- Posts: 6746
- Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 9:00 pm
- Been Liked: 1973 times
- Has Liked: 504 times
Post
by CrosspoolClarets » Sat Jan 18, 2025 12:55 am
Would like to give my thanks to Anthony Backhander for that first pen, because that was CJ suspended for Plymouth and maybe Leeds (unsure if it is 2) because if that was a freekick it is a red, but a penalty there has to be no challenge for a red, unless I have misunderstood the rules?
-
Rileybobs
- Posts: 18547
- Joined: Fri Jan 22, 2016 4:37 pm
- Been Liked: 7609 times
- Has Liked: 1582 times
- Location: Leeds
Post
by Rileybobs » Sat Jan 18, 2025 1:33 am
We’ve had much worse. Anything else is recency bias. But apart from the hideous first penalty decision, and questionable second, the rest of his performance was so random. There was no logic or consistency with the majority of his decisions. To not send Ballard off at the end was just incomprehensible.
-
dsr
- Posts: 16197
- Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 12:47 pm
- Been Liked: 4855 times
- Has Liked: 2580 times
Post
by dsr » Sat Jan 18, 2025 1:36 am
CrosspoolClarets wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2025 12:55 am
Would like to give my thanks to Anthony Backhander for that first pen, because that was CJ suspended for Plymouth and maybe Leeds (unsure if it is 2) because if that was a freekick it is a red, but a penalty there has to be no challenge for a red, unless I have misunderstood the rules?
It's anybody's guess what the ref thought he saw. But he surely can't have imagined that Egan-Riley was making a tackle when his leg touched the forward's, in which case it would have been a red card whether penalty or free kick - unless, as was presumably the case, the ref believed that it was not a clear goalscoring opportunity. Perhaps that Trafford would have got to the ball first, or that the other defender provided cover.
What I don't agree with is why it was a foul anyway. The two players' legs barely touched, though it was enough to knock the Sunderland man's left leg on to his right and trip himself up. How does an official decide, when Smith and Jones who are moving to the same spot, touch each other - who is the toucher and who is the touchee?
-
bfcmik
- Posts: 4220
- Joined: Thu Jan 14, 2016 2:03 pm
- Been Liked: 1012 times
- Has Liked: 1197 times
- Location: Solihull Geriatric Centre
Post
by bfcmik » Sat Jan 18, 2025 1:37 am
A. 8
B. 8
C. 20
D. 20
-
FCBurnley
- Posts: 11477
- Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 3:56 pm
- Been Liked: 2249 times
- Has Liked: 1357 times
Post
by FCBurnley » Sat Jan 18, 2025 1:48 am
RalphCoatesComb wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2025 10:47 pm
Don't think I've ever seen a worse performance.
"Backhouse"... perhaps it should be "Backhander"
Was that the 70 mins before kick off?
Or Shithouse
This user liked this post: RalphCoatesComb
-
FCBurnley
- Posts: 11477
- Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2016 3:56 pm
- Been Liked: 2249 times
- Has Liked: 1357 times
Post
by FCBurnley » Sat Jan 18, 2025 1:51 am
Anthony Shithouse. The man who makes VAR look perfect