Gosport v Bashley

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19589825

After reading this story do you think Bashley deserve a replay? I mean...18 players saw it go in and believed it. surely 18 people can convince a referee or even the FA to replay it.

I imagine a problem will lie in that the referee's say is supposed to be final, and the letter of the law probably says that there isn't allowed to be a replay.

However I do think they should get it, just not convinced the FA will.

well do they need recorded proof of the goal?

The Gosport manager doesn't sound too sympathetic:

"A replay would be a futile gesture. What would they do? They are only writing to the FA because they ended up losing. They had the same opportunity to score in extra-time as us."

Not sure i agree with this. They shouldn't have even been playing extra time. As for the replay, i know there's a lot at stake, but i wouldn't to win in that way so if i were Gosport i'd be happy to replay the match.

It won't happen in a million years though.

Uryu Ishida wrote:

After reading this story do you think Bashley deserve a replay? I mean...18 players saw it go in and believed it. surely 18 people can convince a referee or even the FA to replay it.

Not wishing to drag up an old, dead thread for the sake of it, but the question raised above is one that is not even permitted by the laws so is not possible.

Law 5 (The Referee) is quite clear:

The decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play, including whether or not a goal is scored and the result of the match, are final.
The referee may only change a decision on realising that it is incorrect or, at his discretion, on the advice of an assistant referee or the fourth official, provided that he has not restarted play or terminated the match.



From that, it can be seen that no matter how many other people saw the incident, or whether God himself thundered down from the heavens above, the only other people who can advise the referee on the correctness of a decision are the assistant referees or the fourth official.   Not either or both team managers.... not the fans.... not the bloke on the touchline with his little spotty dog.....  They are an irrelevance no matter what they say they saw, or how many of them say they saw it.

It is not permitted by the laws of the game.

Note also that the decision cannot be rescinded after play has restarted, or the match is terminated.  There is no article in the "Guidelines to Referees" that indicate any discretionary option available.



The next question that may arise is whether the FA could order the game to be replayed.  Answer:  No, they cannot.

The decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play, including whether or not a goal is scored and the result of the match, are final.

The referee's decision is final.  Full stop.  Finito.  End of.



I do wish fans would take the trouble to read the laws of the game.  It would prevent so much misunderstanding and nugatory argument.