Jeff Winter Column 12/2: The Powerless FA

Jeff talks about Steve Bennett's refereeing revelations, the powerless FA and the recent Premier League sackings.

If you're unfamiliar with the column then here's how it works; each Thursday Jeff will voice his opinion on the week's big talking points but you're the one who sets the agenda. Whether you want to ask him about a dodgy refereeing decision, a question about Hartlepool United or football in general, you can!

If you want to ask Jeff Winter anything, refereeing related or not, you can email vital.hartlepool@hotmail.co.uk with your question or leave an article comment and they'll be put to him in the next column.



Jeff, what did you make of Steve Bennett's revalations in the newspapers last weekend? Are players getting booked on purpose something you've come across?
Adam

Players often went out of their way to get booked to get a ban over quickly. Remember Beckham doing it in a World Cup qualifier so that he was available for an important game.

It was often suspected that foreign players got themselves sent off in early December so that they got games off over Christmas. If a player did something that warranted a booking or a sending off you had to do it and report it, even if you suspected him you could not prove it.

Why are the FA so powerless Jeff? After the Jermaine Beckford elbowing incident the FA should have the power to suspend the player. Why are the rules laid out in such a bizarre manner?
Paul

For some bizarre reason the authorities feel that it undermines the referee if they change or upgrade a decision that the officials have made.

It is ludicrous they should act and get the decision right, if players know that even if they get away with it on matchday they might still be disciplined afterwards it might act as a deterrent. That would make the refs jobs easier.

What did you make of the recent sackings of Tony Adams from Portsmouth and Luiz Felipe Scolari from Chelsea? Should they have been given more time and do you think Gareth Southgate is next?
BoroLad

It is unbelievable the way clubs are acting. Everybody wants and expects instant success, it just does not happen that way. It took Fergie years to build Manchester United into what they are now.

Nowadays if you don't succeed immediately at the big clubs you are out. Surely at the smaller clubs they have to be sensible, at the end of the day they can't compete with the big clubs anyway.

If Gibson sacks Southagte, which he won't, who is he going to replace him with. Anyone new cannot spend any money, so he is stuck with the same group of players. I cannot think of anyone I would want at the club who would want to come anyway.



Each week Jeff predicts the scores off Pools next match and you can try and beat him. To compete against Jeff and fellow Poolies by predicting the score of Pools next match and the first goalscorer.

You can play this game by simply being a member of Vital Hartlepool. To sign up follow the link at the end of this article and the posting your prediction in the Vital Hartlepool Prediction League forum.

Click here to visit the Vital Hartlepool Prediction League forum

MK Dons 3-1 Hartlepool
First Scorer: Joel Porter

Hartlepool 2-2 Leicester
First Scorer: Liam Henderson



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Which former Poolie has been playing for Orient for the last couple of seasons?

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