Bolton's former top Premier League referee talks football - every Wednesday

FROM next season, the Championship is finally getting the top class refereeing it deserves, and about time!

Plans are in place to provide 12 full-time and four part-time referees, falling within the remit of the Football League’s development group.

I’m sure Neil Lennon would agree with me but the standard of referee you see week-in, week-out in the division is too up and down. One week you will get a good referee on top of his game, the next something entirely different.

No disrespect meant to Leagues One and Two, but you need the best officials operating in the Championship because the money at stake is phenomenal. There is too much at risk not to have your very best referees and assistants doing the job each and every week.

I hope it works well for all the leagues, and that includes the opposite ends of the spectrum in the Premier League and the Conference.

As a referee you’d start out by doing games outside the top two divisions and then move on when you are ready. Too often at the moment we’re seeing people dragged out of League One games who just can’t cope with the speed of the Championship.

I think there will be a healthy competition which can benefit the top leagues too because they will be able to select from referees who have really deserved their place in the Select Group.

In the past, I feel it has too often been a case of ‘if your face fits’. People are promoted because they are liked, rather than because of their work on the pitch. This should weed out the top officials from the so-so officials and get the conveyor belt moving again.

I’m sure Bolton Wanderers could use a pick-me-up by beating their old boss Dougie Freedman this weekend. It’s been grim reading so far this season.

I’m sure there will be a good atmosphere at the Macron this weekend with that bit of extra spice about the fixture and I’d hope for a strong refereeing performance to suit.

It concerns me to see the club where there are at the moment and by the sounds of things, like Neil could use all the luck he can get!

I’m on the comeback trail as well this weekend, strapping the old boots on again to help a charity fundraiser at Meadowhall in Sheffield with proceeds going to St Luke’s Hospice.

Thankfully I don’t think the assessors will be there. I might be a bit rusty!

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BOURNEMOUTH will need a bit of good fortune if they are going to stay in the Premier League this season – but they got absolutely nothing on Monday night against Liverpool.

First they had a legitimate goal disallowed then Liverpool’s winner was clearly offside but not spotted by referee’s assistant Harry Lennard.

Tommy Elphick’s early goal should have stood. If you give that man-handling as a foul on Dejan Lovren then, fine, but you have to be consistent and there were at least two more occasions in the game when similar things occurred and absolutely nothing was given.

The mess made on Liverpool’s goal was entirely of our own making.

People keep going on about there being a change in the offside law but there hasn’t been one. The only thing that has altered is the interpretation of the rule, which has now finally come into line with the rest of Europe.

For the last three or four years we’ve been out of step with other major leagues in when we classify a player as active or non-active.

Christian Benteke’s goal should not have stood – Phillipe Coutinho makes a move towards Jordan Henderson’s cross and that distracts Artur Boruc. It’s offside in any league, anywhere, and considering referee’s assistants are paid good money to get these decisions right, up to £800 a game, it’s very disappointing when they don’t flag or at least pause for conversation when you see something as clear-cut as that.

I can’t help but feel the Premier League is reaping what it sows because for too long we’ve had our own interpretation of the rule and made it complicated for ourselves.

I said last week that confusion would spread after Marc Albrighton’s goal against Sunderland for Leicester City and it gives me no pleasure to say that has been the case once again.

I do have to praise the performance of Martin Atkinson in the Manchester City v Chelsea game, however, because I thought he managed it really well.

There were a few moans about Fernandinho and whether he should have been sent off for making contact with Diego Costa with his elbow, but I’m backing Martin on that one.

The City man was using his arm to get up and jump and didn’t direct it with intent towards the Chelsea striker. It was not violent conduct, so there was never a question in my mind it should be a red card.

Martin has come back looking fit and sharp – so long may it continue.

* * * *

I’M not sure what Francis Coquelin had to do to be sent off by Lee Mason in Arsenal’s 2-1 win at Crystal Palace.

This was a big opportunity in a televised game but nobody would have blamed the Bolton referee for showing a red card to the Gunners midfielder after persistent infringement.

After showing the first yellow card Lee could have shown him another almost straight away, and, yes, I think a bit of good judgement was used there. But when he went through the back of someone straight after half time, it should have been game over for Coquelin.

I’m all for managing the game but sometimes you have to have the courage of your convictions and make the ultimate decision to send a player off. Instead, Arsene Wenger acts quickly and hauls his player off, taking the decision away from Lee and making sure he hits the headlines.

Having said all that, it’s disappointing to see Lee made a fourth official this weekend. When you’ve been criticised for your performance you want to get straight back out there and put things right but he’s been denied that chance and I feel for him.

* * * *

I’M not sure Jose Mourinho would thank me for saying this but I feel sorry for his medical team after what went on last week.

The Chelsea boss has got himself in all sorts of bother after criticising his doctor and physio for entering the field of play to treat Eden Hazard on the opening game of the season, even ordering them off the bench for Sunday’s game against Manchester City.

But he should know that when a player goes down injured the referee asks him if they want medical treatment – so Hazard has clearly said yes.

It wasn’t the medical staff’s decision, so I’m afraid I can’t side with my old mate Jose in this instance.