Gavin Ward (Surrey) v West Bromwich Albion

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.

******* clown.

An absolute disgrace, the worst bit is, it isn't a one off.

Should be good.

The insane EJ red could cost us promotion

Might’ve finally secured his Oscar tonight

What I would say is he’s not biased. He’s consistently awful for both teams.

Surprised he can tie his own laces, let alone officiate a game of football. Completely clueless.

Same performance as every time. A joke.

A - 3
B - 3
C - 3
D - 3

He's known throughout the whole league as the worst referee in the League

From TV the commentary pair both thought he had a good game
Apart from the free kick goal which was taken further back he got all the major decisions correct

Sorry, can't be arsed giving him any scores. He is fckg useless, one of the worst of a very bad bunch who just do not have a clue about the game.

Genuinely lost for words at this utter joker.

DAVETHEVICAR wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 11, 2025 10:16 pm

From TV the commentary pair both thought he had a good game
Apart from the free kick goal which was taken further back he got all the major decisions correct

He got a few decisions correct, but the free kick for the goal shouldn't have been a foul in the first place. He also let Esteve get abused the whole game with no repercussions.

really need minus points for him. Every ******* game

1. Foul on Esteve where he wins the ball but is clattered late, he misses it and then has no awareness to see that both players are badly hurt.
2. WBA hit the bar after Egan-Riley is smashed in the face with a blatant forearm, again he misses it.
3. Three players down in the box, Ward trots fifty yards up the field to have a word with the WBA forward, again he is oblivious to the situation in the box, his overall awareness of things going on around him is astounding.

Another ref who let them push, pull, kick and break up play every time we turned the ball over. Only yellow cards dished out when he had no other choice. Edwards particularly targeted. He let a blatant yellow go for Cullen too, just completely useless and zero control

I have a few favourites:

1. Giving a non foul after Josh pulled out of the tackle and the guy dived, then allowed them to move it 3 yards to a perfect position.
2. Esteve getting whacked in the head when the ref was already looking the other way.
3. Sending off CJ for a trip after he had blown the final whistle, the guy was breaking with the ball, it was instinct to bring him down

Probably the worst ref I have seen for many a year, which is saying something, and unfortunately did affect this (and future) game.

Once again I'm left with the unmistakeable impression of a referee who runs out and thinks "wow, all these people come just to see me".

Absolutely inept, disgustingly so.

DAVETHEVICAR wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 11, 2025 10:16 pm

From TV the commentary pair both thought he had a good game
Apart from the free kick goal which was taken further back he got all the major decisions correct

You really can't believe that was a red card
It was one of the softest fouls of the whole night
Surely we will appeal it lol

DAVETHEVICAR wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 11, 2025 10:16 pm

From TV the commentary pair both thought he had a good game
Apart from the free kick goal which was taken further back he got all the major decisions correct

Just like not being able to score the Ref if you didn't attend, I am less likely to believe someone commentating in a TV studio miles away from the ground, than the fans at the ground.

Both sets of fans thought he was absolutely woeful.

DAVETHEVICAR wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 11, 2025 10:16 pm

From TV the commentary pair both thought he had a good game
Apart from the free kick goal which was taken further back he got all the major decisions correct

When did you last hear a commentary team say a referee has had a shocker? They don't.

If you think he got all the major decisions correct you were NOT watching the same game I was watching.

5
6
10
5

****ing ****

A. 5
B. 4
C.10
D. 3

Absolute shocker of a performance and I have not seen anything back yet on TV.

On Saturday we had a Homer.
Today we had the opposite, a referee determined not to allow a Burnley win.
3
3
3
3

DAVETHEVICAR wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 11, 2025 10:16 pm

From TV the commentary pair both thought he had a good game
Apart from the free kick goal which was taken further back he got all the major decisions correct

I'd stick to being the apologist for the odd half-competent refs.. ..this chap is as bad as a referee can be...he's simply not defendable.

A 9
B 4
C 10
D 5

A disgrace to the profession every time he refs.

Absolute shite with countless bad decisions and 2 pens missed for trip in first half and handball in second

A. some truly baffling decisions both ways 1
B. Would give something 1 minute then let the same thing go a minute later 1
C. Out of position loads and not up with playe which is why he never knew what was happening 5
D. None whatsoever 1

A. 5
B. 5
C. 12
D. 6

Boy was he bad. For both sides.

Although he should be credited with an assist for their goal. No way was it a foul in the first place then whilst ensuring the wall was back 10 yards, he was oblivious to Swift moving the ball back a further 2 yards, making it considerably easier to get the ball up and over the wall and into the net.

Well done sir.

The liner in front of the BLS, joker 1st half , there was a couple of obvious throws not given to Burnley. One you could actually hear the ball come off their player in the stands, liner was stood next to the challenge and then just looked at the ref waiting for his decision , reluctant to make the right call and just went with the ref. His pre match chat with his assistants maybe is that he makes the calls.

I'm going to wait until tomorrow before voting in case my temptation to give 0 all round is tempered by time.

But I'm not inclined to give credit for positioning when he gets it just as wrong if he is looking closely at the incident as he does if he is waving to his granny in the crowd. He simply should not be refereeing at this level. He has been shockingly badly trained by the PGMOL (which is why they promoted him so fast, because they like refs who do as they are told) and he ruins any game that he is involved with. Surely it can't be beyond the wit of any referee, even a PGMOL pet, to work out that sometimes players dive when they want a free kick?

Not fit to referee.

We were never going to get anything from this ref who seems to get worse with age. I hope his next bowel movement is a large, prickly pineapple.
A. 10
B. 10 Consistently wrong
C. 10 Lack of spatial awareness
D. 10 Fit enough but again no awareness to control a game

More terrible decisions than I can be bothered to list. Appalling for both teams and his lack of correct oversight of the free kick has potentially cost us 2 vital points.
I sometimes take criticism of the referees on here with a pinch of salt but he was truly awful . And as for the linesmen …. Are they told “dont intervene under any circumstances” ?
3
3
10
3

11
9
8
6

I find it interesting that the other teams in the top 3 or 4 seem to get "decent" refs dropping down a division for a decent amount of the games they play yet we have to put up with the absolute dregs like this cretin ( his 4th appointment of the season for us of each time he gets progressively worse ! )

5
5
5
5

Is it right that he comes from Sutton Coalfield?

We’ve had select group 1 refs three times this season in the league

Michael Salisbury both times at Home to Cardiff and Away at Sheffield Wednesday.

Andrew Madley at Norwich

The rest have been select group 2.

Gavin Ward has given 7 red cards this season which is League high

rockerdaleclaret09 wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 12, 2025 10:58 am

We’ve had select group 1 refs three times this season in the league

Michael Salisbury both times at Home to Cardiff and Away at Sheffield Wednesday.

Andrew Madley at Norwich

The rest have been select group 2.

Gavin Ward has given 7 red cards this season which is League high

Sorry make that 4 Tony Harrington against them lot at home

What a plonker.
Not even fit for Sunday League.

A - 3
B - 3
C - 10
D - 3

It's all about Ward every time he officiates - he is a shocker. He's has no idea what's going on around him most of the time. How he misses the handball at the end - staggering. Think it was a Stoke game last season (stand to be corrected) where the fans were singing "Gavin Ward - it's all about you" from minute one - and they are bang on.

The linesman in front of the Bob Lord was equally horrific - the number of decisions he got wrong was staggering, the fantastic goal saving clearance being the icing on the cake - even West Brom were setting up for a corner! Just staggering.

He never fails to disappoint does he.

I would like to think I am fair minded and someone who gives the benefit of the doubt. However hard I try, not to get to get frustrated with him but the frustration builds, not really much wrong with the first half free kick award was probably right although equally could have given one in a similar position at the other end. However the positioning of the ball and then wall where down to his lack of awareness.

He should have booked Cullen, he left two Burnley players on the ground whilst having a chat with a WBA. He missed a forearm smash on CJER. At the end of the game not sure what he saw of the incident but it wasn’t a red.

Even without giving ratings when both sets of fans sing you’re not fit to referee, you know you’re a bad un.

5
5
7
5

I’m telling you now, IF we end up in the playoffs, this clown will get one of our semi finals. It must be a conspiracy- the buffoon NEVER improves. You would think that by luck alone, he’d get at least one big decision right, but no. It really is all about him.
Oh, and he looks like he’s had a sex change. Utter dog s**t.