Since the Portugal FA spent millions and millions on building new and updated stadiums for Euro 2004, they would want their team to stay in for as long as possible to ensure full attendances to try to make back some money. It was blatant that the ref was against England and did everything in his power to get Portugal to win, including disallowing a perfectly good goal that the linesman had already given. How much was this **** paid off with?

£50,001 :D

We should've had Collina again

Cheating gets....

Still Im a betting guy and I've had my money on france now to win the thing for over 2 months...

Something about zidanes farewell just made me splash the cash

Originally posted by dinp
£50,001 :D

We should've had Collina again

Collina is great.

If its possible to have a lucky referee I think he's ours!

50 grand in Switzerland is bugger all considering the how much Nazi gold they've stashed and their record on keeping the fortunes of holocaust victims. hypothetically if this should have happened I reckon it must have been considerably more than this. Keep your eyes skinnned for future property acquisitions on the portugese coastline by this chappy.

I don't think the ref was bribed. If he was it wouldn't have been so close.

Originally posted by Sidla
I don't think the ref was bribed. If he was it wouldn't have been so close.

Yes it would. He gave nearly every decision Portugals way, not just the disallowed goal. It is testament to our defence that it was so close. The ref did his level best to be Portugal's 12th player, and succeeded.

How could he have fixed the penalties though?



Unless Beckham was bribed too...........

Look we are all pis*ed off whats happened, the only thing to blame is the team face facts we are not good enough.least the team get paid loads of dosh, do you think they really care :mad:

I think they do care to be honest, wouldn't you??

They may get payed lots of money, but I'm sure they would have got a massive bonus if they'd have won. Not that they were playing just for the money though...

the fact is we won! However the ref decided to change the rules and disallowed a goal.
I think back to the world cup and i was ashamed of our performance then. this year i go away proud. We should have gone through, but the team cant be held responsible for the ref.

And to answer the above question about the tea being bothered. FFS! yes they are all trained actors, thats why a load of them cried at the end of the match. If you don't believe in supporting a team and just want to criticise, then please don't read or post on this thread and keep your thoughts to yourself.

Ps. i, like all of the true fans here, am gutted! at least this year i still have pride in how we played.

pps. how good was owens goal. he changed his mind mid flight, composed himself and scored a great strike. Good to see him back again. it's just a shame that he won't get the chance again for a while.

Extra time and penalties were beside the point..

We may have played like complete gumbies for 80minutes but facts are facts.. England won fair and square.

Now persuade me otherwise.

I will sit with anyone and the ref, with a video and a remote control and let them tell me why that wasn't a goal. And spare me the goalkeeper was impeded rubbish.

Cheated again.

Penalties are a cruel way to end a game

Originally posted by beckb
Collina is great.

If its possible to have a lucky referee I think he's ours!

He is the scariest looking ref without a doubt though!

the cruelest way to end a game is to brazenly cheat..

At the end of the day England played against 12 men the 12th man being the bent ref.

The ref should be investigated.

No more cover ups

As most people I imagine I was fuming last night (still am) - trying to think of words to sufficiently describe what happened... but the best I can come up with are CHEATED and ROBBED.

I absolutely agree with Wavey - I challenge anyone to be able to look at that GOAL (!) and tell me why it shouldn't have been allowed.

Niether Sol Campbell or John Terry "impeeded" the goal keeper at all, and there was certainly no push (which the referee indicated to the England players that was what he gave the decision for).

The fact of the matter is this: Terry and Sol both jumped to try and head the ball - if anyone was impeeded it was either other! The gk jumped with them to try and claim the ball - saw he wasn't going to make it and went down (you could see just after he reaches the height of his jump - with no contact from anyone else - he leaned his upper body towards Terry and Campbell so that he fell towards them as if pushed).

Unfortunately the (Swiss) ref clearly had either been payed off or still had a grudge against England from last week (3-0) and so decided he would ignore the blatent cheating and disallow the goal.

As for the penalty spot - it looked like they were taking penalties in a sand-pit!! Knowing now that Sven and the England players had complained about both penalty spots BEFORE the game I wonder what UEFA's response will be?

So there you have it - once again England cheated out of progression in a major competition, this time by a sh*t and/or bent and/or bias ref and a cheating, diving gk.

Typical. :(

far be it for me to condone any malicious actions, but if anyone was to happen across...say... http://www.ursmeier.ch/referee/ and click on the feedback option what would you have to say to him?

Classic Barra!! That link will be round the world within the next hour, i guarentee it!!
The ref was a disgrace! I think Portugal played better football than we did for 70 minutes of the match, but without a doubt we won fair and square!
Surely England FA will put an official complaint against the ref's performance??!!
He's ruined every Englishman/woman's dream of winning this tournament, which i believe we could have done for sure!!

CHEATING B*****D!!!!!

Nah......im not annoyed though!

And ill tell you something else for free!!!!!!!!!!
How can FIFA assign a SWISS referee to a country who had just beat them 3-0 in the group stages???!!!! Surely he's going to have been bitter!?!
Ludicrous!!!!

I felt like crying last night and I still feel that way this morning. I am so proud of the England team, they played their little hearts out.

That ref needs to be investigated!!! I know we didn't play brilliantly but we still won that game fair and square!

I'm so angry I feel like writing to UEFA/FIFA/FA myself!!

I'm almost more miffed by how he contrived to book Rooney for tussling fairly with the Portuguese defender, when Rooney lost a boot and broke his metatarsal. Crazy Swiss man.

Anyway, heres that link again, just in case you've forgotten already:

www.ursmeier.ch/referee

Okay.. Portugal played better football but bear this in mind.. from the off England were disuaded from putting in big challenges with a handful of hasty yellow card decisions against us. They were all followed by EXACTLY the same offence by Portuguese players that for the most part went unpunished.
I hope Ronaldo remembers he's got to play in England for the next few years where big challenges WILL be allowed. Cole had him in his back pocket and will remember every dive and trick he pulled.

Originally posted by t020
Since the Portugal FA spent millions and millions on building new and updated stadiums for Euro 2004, they would want their team to stay in for as long as possible to ensure full attendances to try to make back some money. It was blatant that the ref was against England and did everything in his power to get Portugal to win, including disallowing a perfectly good goal that the linesman had already given. How much was this **** paid off with?
You are ignorant to blame a referee for England losing the game. England were lucky at that stage to still be be the game let alone having a chance of winning having played so poorly...we only have ourselves to blame...who's to say Portugal wouldn't have gone up the other end and equalised anyway?? Its about time you stopped looking for excuses and looking at Engalnd through rose tinted specs...they played shocking..thats why they lost!!

Do you know the rules of football?

The game isn't awarded to the team that keep the ball longest or do the most step overs.. its who scores the most goals. Simple. If you believe England didn't score more than Portugal in normal time then you are ignorant of the rules of football.. like the ref.

Oh well. Mustn't grumble - at least Sweden are still in.. for the time being at least hehehe

Schadenfreude isn't as bad as i thought... :D :D :D

England played crap..goal was disallowed..END OF...England still had another half an hour after that to win but they didn't..they didn't lose because the ref disallowed a goal. If you want to spout on about rules of football then heres one for you...referees decsision is final...NO GOAL..so that measn it doesn't count so in fact England didn't score more goals that Portugal. There isn't a rule that says if loony fans don't like a decision a ref has made then it doesn't really count. Its a well known fact that goalkeepers are over protected and he was always going to blow for a foul. Bet you wouldn't be calling the ref a cheat if Portugal had the same decision go against them. The fact is you all just can't see past the fact England were poor and lost as a result of that.

Sounds to me like you're pleased they lost? Cheating is cheating.
Had the goal been given you'd have still been telling how good Portugal are. I've said England played like gumbies.
I think we'll agree to differ eh?

But we need someone to blame...

The 'hard luck' element goes some way to softening the blow that England have been knocked out of a competition that we could quite conceivably have gone on and won.

Admittedly the midfield were woeful, James is not a world class keeper, and Phil Neville should never ever be allowed near a stadium in which England are playing a vital game. But you have to admit that some of the ref's decisions were a little perplexing. If he had been consistent throughout the game perhaps there wouldn't be such an uproar about the goal he disallowed (hey...who am i trying to kid?!).

Roll on Germany 2006...

Course I'm not pleased..I was gutted..I'm as much an England fan as you are. I just see things as they are. I agree it was a poor decision by the ref..it should've been a goal...but at the end of the day it wasn't. That bit of action was maybe 10 seconds within nearly 2 hours of football during which England had the opportunity to try and win the game.To say that little segment cost us the game is wrong...I can pick lots more reasons why we lost..too many for me to list on here. Why as English do we always blame something else?.Its about time we accpet the real reasons for defeat...we choked on the big occasion.
As I said previous..would you be calling him a cheat if the decision had gone the other way?? I think not. Cheat is a strong word to use...Useless, blind, to$$er would be more pertinent

I agree, we need someone to blame, and although the lads were outplayed, it doesnt discount the fact that we were robbed!!! And after that was disallowed, it must be so hard to have the will to carry on for them, especially being so knackered!!
Just in case anyone wants to know, the email FIFA have for "comments" on past matches is datainfo@fifa.org , im sure you will all use it wisely??

I dont think the ref was bribed,just oblivious to the rules of fair play.
England were poor for the majority of the game,but when you play against 12,you are up against it from the start.

The team needs a complete overhaul in my opinon.Drop some of the under achievers from the squad.Certain members should never be allowed near the England camp again,(P Neville),and others should be dropped from the next game to waken up their ideas,(Beckham,Scholes).

But,when it comes down to one of the most important members of the team,Sven has persisted with a complete bufoon who is a liability and mut have the opposition laughing while preparing in the dressing room.
David James

Wibbles.. my initial remarks were not aimed at you. You suggested (indirectly) that I was both ignorant and a loony fan.. I assure you I'm neither.
Your replies are also littered with 'what ifs'.
Cheat is a big word.. so I'll use it again, the Swiss referee welshed out of the big decision (his linesman didn't) and cheated us.
I respect your right to a different opinion because thats what footballs all about.

Yep..
James, though a good shot stopper, hasn't got the basics of goalkeeping. His decision making is awful and puts a lot of pressure on what is a pretty good defence.. and don't tell me the defence didn't play well last night.
HOW ON EARTH has Phil Neville won FIFTY England caps eh? even the staunchest Man U fan must wonder.
Becks has had a poor season, if he's not fit he shouldn't play.
Sven ought to be questioned about the aimless long ball tactic which admittedly got our first goal but shouldn't have been used throughout, bypassing the midfield.

I've sent that ref an e mail telling him just what I think and have demanded a replay.

It was sickener last night. What was wrong with Beckham with that first penalty? It just couldn't have been taken worse. How are the rest of the team expected to react when their captain blows it like that?

Originally posted by Sam Miguel
I've sent that ref an e mail telling him just what I think and have demanded a replay.

It was sickener last night. What was wrong with Beckham with that first penalty? It just couldn't have been taken worse. How are the rest of the team expected to react when their captain blows it like that?
A Portugese mole stuck his head out just at the moment of truth..I have seen it in slow motion...the ball moves!!!

Originally posted by Wavey
Wibbles.. my initial remarks were not aimed at you. You suggested (indirectly) that I was both ignorant and a loony fan.. I assure you I'm neither.
Your replies are also littered with 'what ifs'.
Cheat is a big word.. so I'll use it again, the Swiss referee welshed out of the big decision (his linesman didn't) and cheated us.
I respect your right to a different opinion because thats what footballs all about.
Strictly speaking he didn't welsh out of big decision..he made a HUGE decision that would affect so much..it just didn't go our way...that aint welshing.
What would be your comments if it had gone for us???

It didn't.

Had it happened to us I would have been relieved, turned to my loony mates and said 'phew, what a cheating b*stard.. glad he's on our side'.

What if the referee had given England two dodgy penalties? What would you have said?

We disagree thats all, I've no reason to get into a war of words mate.

If his decision had been the CORRECT one then it would have gone our way!!!

Like you said.. the decision stands, we can agree on that, and no amount of shouting will or should change a result.
If, however, EUFA or FIFA can review the refs performance (which I believe they're going to) he should never ref an international game again. That guy referees games between teams like Grasshoppers and Basle on a weekly basis.. compare that to the equivalent Spanish, Italian, French or English ref.

Originally posted by Sam Miguel
I've sent that ref an e mail telling him just what I think and have demanded a replay.



I have also e-mailed the ref,thanking him for accepting his money from the portugese fa.
He will no doubt be getting thousands of them,but it will not bother him when he is sat on the algarve in his holiday home provided by eusabio!

Come on lads, stop whinging. We lost. Let's be noble & gracious in defeat. The referee made a dodgy decision - but that's also known as home advantage... and happens everywhere from Old Trafford on Saturday afternoons to Wembley in 1966 to The Stadium of Light in Lisbon.

On his performance at the tournament, David Beckham is no longer an international class player and should be dropped for a bit. I was also disappointed by other performances including Gerrard

Thought a few people might be interested in letting Urs Meier (the Swiss ref who robbed England of a perfectly good goal!) your thoughts on his appauling lack of the ability to tell the difference between a foul and a goal.

If so, here is the link to the feedback form page of Urs Meier's official home page!

http://www.ursmeier.ch/referee/ref60.html

Have fun (and be brutal!)

Craig

Oh, and you might also fancy buying these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=68288&item=5104686620&rd=1

;)

Craig

Does anyone think it might be an idea to think how England could have played better last night to win the match, rather than blame the referee?

There have been far worse referees, and the constant bleating makes some of our fans look as bad as the Italians at being sore losers. People might say that they are being "light hearted" about it, but the Italians are never allowed that excuse.

Originally posted by t020
Since the Portugal FA spent millions and millions on building new and updated stadiums for Euro 2004, they would want their team to stay in for as long as possible to ensure full attendances to try to make back some money. It was blatant that the ref was against England and did everything in his power to get Portugal to win, including disallowing a perfectly good goal that the linesman had already given. How much was this **** paid off with?

That's by far the ****'n most stupid stuff I read about that game (except the pages of the Sun online). How can someone not accept the spirit of a football game. That's how it is - and by the way the foul and the free kick as a starting point for that disallowed goal was also not a foul, so what!!??
The game was great and exciting until the end - would be quite cool with another result - but if we don't accept the spirit of a game than we don't deserve to play there at all.

It's a good chance to think about seriously how the squad should act 2006 in Germany.

Finally, mixing up politics, history and football (supposed to be a game) is destroying a peaceful game. To blame Portugal as a host, which spent much money to build new stadiums is stuff for conspiracies of a small group of idiots who probably also destroying windows after a loosing game.

Chin up and fight against nationalism in our own rows!!

Originally posted by Barra
But we need someone to blame...

The 'hard luck' element goes some way to softening the blow that England have been knocked out of a competition that we could quite conceivably have gone on and won.

Admittedly the midfield were woeful, James is not a world class keeper, and Phil Neville should never ever be allowed near a stadium in which England are playing a vital game. But you have to admit that some of the ref's decisions were a little perplexing. If he had been consistent throughout the game perhaps there wouldn't be such an uproar about the goal he disallowed (hey...who am i trying to kid?!).

Roll on Germany 2006...

Fair and clever statement!

Originally posted by Bedhead
that's me done for the day!

off to varsity to get hammered - hopefully i'll be celebrating in the streets rather than walking home with the 'ump!


COME ON ENGLAND!!!!

well little did i realise that this was to come true
i went barmy when celebrating (prematurely) the now infamous goal that never was - so much so that i fell off the chair i was stood on, tore the ligament in my knee and did in fact 'walk' home with the 'ump!! in fact i've been 'walking' with the bloody 'ump ever since then and the doc has said i will be for a few more weeks!

still, i got hammered. :(

Originally posted by Yodameister
Does anyone think it might be an idea to think how England could have played better last night to win the match, rather than blame the referee?

There have been far worse referees, and the constant bleating makes some of our fans look as bad as the Italians at being sore losers

I am offended that you liken the above venting as`BLEATING` and thought the team were professional, composed and dignified as was the manager.

Not sure if some of the people commenting on this game watched the same one as I did, every decision went against us long before the blatant blunder that has rightly got us ranting.

Not our best attacking performance, or fielded team, but we were cheated!

As ridiculous as it sounds, i think that our `fair play` is sometimes our weakness.

So many people love-to-hate England for their own reasons.


Thankfully we have Sven another 4 years.

Originally posted by wibbles
You are ignorant to blame a referee for England losing the game. England were lucky at that stage to still be be the game let alone having a chance of winning having played so poorly...we only have ourselves to blame...who's to say Portugal wouldn't have gone up the other end and equalised anyway?? Its about time you stopped looking for excuses and looking at Engalnd through rose tinted specs...they played shocking..thats why they lost!!

What are you talking about......................

Originally posted by GoodEngland
That's by far the ****'n most stupid stuff I read about that game (except the pages of the Sun online). How can someone not accept the spirit of a football game. That's how it is - and by the way the foul and the free kick as a starting point for that disallowed goal was also not a foul, so what!!??
The game was great and exciting until the end - would be quite cool with another result - but if we don't accept the spirit of a game than we don't deserve to play there at all.

It's a good chance to think about seriously how the squad should act 2006 in Germany.

Finally, mixing up politics, history and football (supposed to be a game) is destroying a peaceful game. To blame Portugal as a host, which spent much money to build new stadiums is stuff for conspiracies of a small group of idiots who probably also destroying windows after a loosing game.

Chin up and fight against nationalism in our own rows!!

Why? I think the possibility that there is some kind of behind the scenes bribery going on is quite possible. It wasn't just the disallowed goal that the ref got wrong - he gave nearly everything against us. I'll be watching Portugal's semi final very carefully to see if the ref of that match shows a bias.

You're so cynical it scares me.

Originally posted by venger
What are you talking about......................
erm..seems obvious to me. If you can't read it or want some of it translating I will gladly do so for you

I agree it was like the referee was on their side.

I bet he has received thousands of e-mails about it. Has anyone actually received a reply?

Originally posted by Fireondaroof
I agree it was like the referee was on their side.

I bet he has received thousands of e-mails about it. Has anyone actually received a reply?

According to Ananova the tiny brainers who have emailed the ref have forced him to go into hiding.

Ref goes into hiding (http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1005815.html?menu=news.quirkies)