Hillsborough Ref Reflects 20 Years On
23/04/09 11:52
It was the second FA Cup semi final Ray Lewis had
refereed... and it ground to a halt at six minutes
past three amid scenes of devastating tragedy.
JENNIFER SCOTT speaks to the man whose whistle was,
for many, the first indication something terrible had
happened at Hillsborough
SIX minutes past three. If a referee's whistle sounds so early on in a football game, it's normally to signify a foul, a free kick, an injury.
Not to end a match that's just kicked off, not to lead the players back to the dressing rooms, not to make way for ambulances.
For those reasons, every detail lives large in the memory of Ray Lewis, 65 – the referee who called time on the match as police informed him there was some kind of problem among the spectators.
Liverpool fans in the Leppings Lane end of the ground were being crushed to death, trapped in a surging crowd that police had failed to control.
But neither Ray nor the players were aware of the fatalities as they walked back to the changing rooms.
For Ray, the 20 years since Hillsborough have flown by although, as he sensitively observes, the same probably isn't true for the families of those who died.
"To me, though, it seems like only yesterday," he says.
Ray was already a well-known referee among fans and players when he took charge of the Nottingham Forest-Liverpool match at Hillsborough that day.
A referee for 27 years, 15 at league level, he had already refereed one FA Cup semi-final prior to Hillsborough – the Watford-Tottenham tie of 1987.
It is a terrible irony that the pitchside fence blamed for crushing the 96 Liverpool fans at Hillsborough were introduced in the name of safety.
The fences, says Ray, certainly made him feel safer. He remembers pitch invasions from the '70s, prior to the fencing going up. "There was a problem with people running on to the field of play and confronting the referee or the players," he says. "The fences made you feel safer – but Hillsborough highlighted what a danger they were."
Ray had refereed twice before at Hillsborough, home of Sheffield Wednesday FC. "It was an excellent stadium," he says. "It was a regular venue for FA Cup ties due to the number it could hold." Like everyone else that day, Ray was excited about prospects for the game and honoured to be asked to take charge of his second FA Cup semi final. "It shows you must be doing all right as a referee," he says.
He had officiated for both Forest and Liverpool before. "They were the top sides in the country without doubt," he says.
"There was nothing unusual leading up to the game," he recalls. "Everything seemed to be running smoothly. We'd done a warm-up. We got back in the dressing room, then I led the teams out at five to three."
The game got going. "You could see down the Leppings Lane end there was a problem with people moving from one section to another but that happened on a lot of occasions," recalls Ray. "There were fans on the dust track around the outside of the grass but there was nothing that indicated a major catastrophe was unfolding." By necessity, Ray had to concentrate his attentions on the match.
He says it was only when a policeman tapped him on the shoulder and asked him to stop the match that he realised something was seriously wrong – although quite how serious he could not begin to appreciate.
"At first, the police suggested it would be a five to ten minute job to reorganise the crowd," he says. The match, they implied, would restart soon after.
"I don't think even they realised the seriousness of it," says Ray. The ten-minute time-out was extended and Ray went into the players' dressing rooms to tell them. He remembers being full of questions for the police which nobody could answer. "What's going to happen? How long is this going to be?'"
The players were equally in the dark.
Then, at around 3.40pm, Ray was shocked to learn there had been a fatality. "After that, there was no likelihood they would continue the game," he says. Behind the scenes at Hillsborough, shocked players, officials and groundstaff were rallying to support the emergency services in any way they could. Ray and his colleagues moved out of the referee's rooms to allow them to be used as an emergency first aid centre for the injured.
"We were just wandering around trying to get information about what was happening," he recalls. Ray still did not know the scale of the disaster when he left the ground at quarter to seven.
"I had no idea of the numbers of people who had died," he says. "I was driving back home with the radio on and I heard there had been around 25 casualties," he recalls. It wasn't until a few days later that he learned the number had risen to more than 90. "It was a bad day for everyone; for the families and for football in general," he says.
However, he points out there are good things that have emerged from the disaster – namely the advent of all-seater stadia. "Today the game doesn't have anything like the problems it had in the past," he says. There were many voices raised in protest at the FA's decision to stage a replay of the tie at Old Trafford, rather than abandon that season's competition in respect of the dead.
However, once a replay date had been confirmed, Ray and his three colleagues (two linesmen and a reserve referee) were appointed to oversee it.
"It would have been unfair to expect anyone else to step in," says Ray. The game was not a memorable one. Liverpool won 3-1 and, appropriately, went on to win the FA Cup. For Ray, Hillsborough will always define the darkest moment of his life as a referee.
"I don't think many referees have had as low a day as Hillsborough in their careers," says the man who went on to referee the first FA Cup semi at Wembley when Spurs defeated Arsenal to earn their place in the final ... against Nottingham Forest. Ray retired from the game in 1993. He lives in Surrey and runs a sports and leisurewear company. He also acts as chairman of the Football Association's Referees' Committee.
He continues to mark Hillsborough's anniversaries. This year, he was invited back to the Sheffield stadium to commemorate the tragedy but will instead honour a prior invitation to a memorial service at Anfield – the home of Liverpool Football Club. Six minutes past three on April 15 will see him stand in silence, shoulder to shoulder with those who lost their loved ones on that day 20 years ago. He says: "I felt it was important to support the families as well as remembering the event."
SIX minutes past three. If a referee's whistle sounds so early on in a football game, it's normally to signify a foul, a free kick, an injury.
Not to end a match that's just kicked off, not to lead the players back to the dressing rooms, not to make way for ambulances.
For those reasons, every detail lives large in the memory of Ray Lewis, 65 – the referee who called time on the match as police informed him there was some kind of problem among the spectators.
Liverpool fans in the Leppings Lane end of the ground were being crushed to death, trapped in a surging crowd that police had failed to control.
But neither Ray nor the players were aware of the fatalities as they walked back to the changing rooms.
For Ray, the 20 years since Hillsborough have flown by although, as he sensitively observes, the same probably isn't true for the families of those who died.
"To me, though, it seems like only yesterday," he says.
Ray was already a well-known referee among fans and players when he took charge of the Nottingham Forest-Liverpool match at Hillsborough that day.
A referee for 27 years, 15 at league level, he had already refereed one FA Cup semi-final prior to Hillsborough – the Watford-Tottenham tie of 1987.
It is a terrible irony that the pitchside fence blamed for crushing the 96 Liverpool fans at Hillsborough were introduced in the name of safety.
The fences, says Ray, certainly made him feel safer. He remembers pitch invasions from the '70s, prior to the fencing going up. "There was a problem with people running on to the field of play and confronting the referee or the players," he says. "The fences made you feel safer – but Hillsborough highlighted what a danger they were."
Ray had refereed twice before at Hillsborough, home of Sheffield Wednesday FC. "It was an excellent stadium," he says. "It was a regular venue for FA Cup ties due to the number it could hold." Like everyone else that day, Ray was excited about prospects for the game and honoured to be asked to take charge of his second FA Cup semi final. "It shows you must be doing all right as a referee," he says.
He had officiated for both Forest and Liverpool before. "They were the top sides in the country without doubt," he says.
"There was nothing unusual leading up to the game," he recalls. "Everything seemed to be running smoothly. We'd done a warm-up. We got back in the dressing room, then I led the teams out at five to three."
The game got going. "You could see down the Leppings Lane end there was a problem with people moving from one section to another but that happened on a lot of occasions," recalls Ray. "There were fans on the dust track around the outside of the grass but there was nothing that indicated a major catastrophe was unfolding." By necessity, Ray had to concentrate his attentions on the match.
He says it was only when a policeman tapped him on the shoulder and asked him to stop the match that he realised something was seriously wrong – although quite how serious he could not begin to appreciate.
"At first, the police suggested it would be a five to ten minute job to reorganise the crowd," he says. The match, they implied, would restart soon after.
"I don't think even they realised the seriousness of it," says Ray. The ten-minute time-out was extended and Ray went into the players' dressing rooms to tell them. He remembers being full of questions for the police which nobody could answer. "What's going to happen? How long is this going to be?'"
The players were equally in the dark.
Then, at around 3.40pm, Ray was shocked to learn there had been a fatality. "After that, there was no likelihood they would continue the game," he says. Behind the scenes at Hillsborough, shocked players, officials and groundstaff were rallying to support the emergency services in any way they could. Ray and his colleagues moved out of the referee's rooms to allow them to be used as an emergency first aid centre for the injured.
"We were just wandering around trying to get information about what was happening," he recalls. Ray still did not know the scale of the disaster when he left the ground at quarter to seven.
"I had no idea of the numbers of people who had died," he says. "I was driving back home with the radio on and I heard there had been around 25 casualties," he recalls. It wasn't until a few days later that he learned the number had risen to more than 90. "It was a bad day for everyone; for the families and for football in general," he says.
However, he points out there are good things that have emerged from the disaster – namely the advent of all-seater stadia. "Today the game doesn't have anything like the problems it had in the past," he says. There were many voices raised in protest at the FA's decision to stage a replay of the tie at Old Trafford, rather than abandon that season's competition in respect of the dead.
However, once a replay date had been confirmed, Ray and his three colleagues (two linesmen and a reserve referee) were appointed to oversee it.
"It would have been unfair to expect anyone else to step in," says Ray. The game was not a memorable one. Liverpool won 3-1 and, appropriately, went on to win the FA Cup. For Ray, Hillsborough will always define the darkest moment of his life as a referee.
"I don't think many referees have had as low a day as Hillsborough in their careers," says the man who went on to referee the first FA Cup semi at Wembley when Spurs defeated Arsenal to earn their place in the final ... against Nottingham Forest. Ray retired from the game in 1993. He lives in Surrey and runs a sports and leisurewear company. He also acts as chairman of the Football Association's Referees' Committee.
He continues to mark Hillsborough's anniversaries. This year, he was invited back to the Sheffield stadium to commemorate the tragedy but will instead honour a prior invitation to a memorial service at Anfield – the home of Liverpool Football Club. Six minutes past three on April 15 will see him stand in silence, shoulder to shoulder with those who lost their loved ones on that day 20 years ago. He says: "I felt it was important to support the families as well as remembering the event."
FA Stands Tough On Yellow Card Appeals
23/04/09 11:50
The Football Association has no plans to change its stance over yellow card appeals after Harry Redknapp dubbed the system "crazy", BBC Sport understands.
Spurs boss Redknapp is unhappy Fifa rules do not allow him to appeal the second yellow card that led to Wilson Palacios' recent sending-off.
Redknapp was furious with the second booking for a foul on David Dunn in last weekend's defeat at Blackburn.
But the FA supports Fifa rules that do not allow reviews of yellow cards.
Authorities are worried if such a system was introduced it could cause bureaucratic chaos.
"It's a flawed system that you cannot appeal against a yellow card and get it rescinded if it was blatantly wrong," said Redknapp.
"It's crazy really, they surely could look at that and say it was a wrong decision. He hasn't made contact with the player so it shouldn't count."
Palacios was booked twice against Blackburn on 4 April in the space of a few minutes leading to his dismissal in the 80th minute.
The decision opened the door for Blackburn to score two late goals through Benni McCarthy and Andre Ooijer, to overturn Robbie Keane's first-half penalty.
Palacios will be now be suspended for Spurs' clash against West Ham at White Hart Lane, a vital game in their quest to qualify for the Europa League next season.
Game Postponed Due To Absent Ref
23/04/09 11:50
BUENOS AIRES, April 19 (Reuters) - An Argentine third
division game was called off on Sunday because nobody
told the referee he had been to selected to take
charge, officials and media reports said.
A club official said referee Ariel Montero was sleeping at his home, nearly 600 kilometres away, when worried colleagues called him two hours before kick off to ask his whereabouts.
The Clarin newspaper said that around 1,000 fans had travelled to see the game between Alumni de Villa Maria and Racing de Cordoba.
"The linesmen were in the hotel and Montero hadn't arrived and so they started to get worried," Alumni president Guillermo Morelatto said in a radio interview.
"They called his house and he didn't know anything. He was sleeping.
"Apparently, the Council (championship organisers) said that they hadn't told him. The assistants spoke to him and he said he hadn't been told. There was a mix-up."
Clarin said that Racing refused to accept a substitute official and the police would not allow the kick off time to be put back to give Montero time to arrive.
A club official said referee Ariel Montero was sleeping at his home, nearly 600 kilometres away, when worried colleagues called him two hours before kick off to ask his whereabouts.
The Clarin newspaper said that around 1,000 fans had travelled to see the game between Alumni de Villa Maria and Racing de Cordoba.
"The linesmen were in the hotel and Montero hadn't arrived and so they started to get worried," Alumni president Guillermo Morelatto said in a radio interview.
"They called his house and he didn't know anything. He was sleeping.
"Apparently, the Council (championship organisers) said that they hadn't told him. The assistants spoke to him and he said he hadn't been told. There was a mix-up."
Clarin said that Racing refused to accept a substitute official and the police would not allow the kick off time to be put back to give Montero time to arrive.
Webb Appointed to FA Cup Final
23/04/09 11:48
Chelsea v Everton
The FA Cup Sponsored by E.ON 2009 Final
3pm, Saturday 30 May 2009
Wembley Stadium
Webb (Sheffield and Hallamshire) has been appointed for the showpiece Final next month along with Assistant Referees Michael Mullarkey (Devon) and David Richardson (West Riding), with Martin Atkinson (West Riding) the Fourth Official.
The 37-year-old, who has officiated at the highest level of European and international football, said that The Final will be the culmination of a lifelong dream.
"When I started out as a referee 20 years ago The FA Cup Final was the absolute pinnacle even though it was a very distant dream," Webb explained.
"Realistically when I started out it was very unlikely to ever happen, but the fact that it has is the realisation of a dream. I'm thrilled to bits."
Webb will have the experience of being Fourth Official at the first Final back at Wembley two years ago, and also of refereeing the West Brom v Portsmouth Semi-Final last season.
"I'm lucky enough to have been there twice before," Webb said. "Looking back on The Final in 2007, it was the perfect way to get an introduction to the stadium. I was a step removed from the heat of the action and I was able to fully absorb an incredible day.
"That was a great grounding for me, and then to come back last year at the Semi-Final stage was another tremendous moment with a full house and a great atmosphere. Hopefully I will see the benefit of those experiences come Saturday 30 May.
"Wembley is an awesome stadium. I have been lucky enough to referee in some amazing grounds, the Nou Camp, the Bernabeu, Allianz Arena, but when it comes to the real home of football - Wembley is it."
A FIFA referee since 2005, Webb was involved at Euro 2008 last summer and will also take the whistle this summer at the Confederations Cup in South Africa. The Yorkshire official believes that his experiences can serve as an inspiration to young aspiring referees.
Webb reflected: "I was talking at a refereeing conference recently and there were some youngsters there, in their late teens and early twenties, and I told them that someone is going to be refereeing the FA Cup Final 2025, and the World Cup in 2030 - why can't it be you?
"I would never have dreamed in 1989 when I started that by 2009 I would referee in The FA Cup Final. There is nothing wrong with having dreams and every boy and girl who starts refereeing needs to set some realistic goals but they also need to have the mind that anything is possible, and think 'why shouldn't it be me?'."
UEFA Ref Admits Chelsea Concern
23/04/09 11:43
Referee Claus Bo Larsen has revealed Chelsea secretary David Barnard told him they did not want to see certain players booked ahead of their clash with Liverpool.
The Blues travelled to Anfield on Wednesday for the first leg of their quarter-final clash with John Terry, Ashley Cole and Nicolas Anelka one yellow card away from missing the second leg.
Guus Hiddink's side triumphed 3-1 at Anfield to move to within touching distance of the semi-finals, but will be without skipper Terry at Stamford Bridge after he was cautioned during the game.
And Bo Larsen has admitted he was taken aback by a comment from Barnard before the match.
Shocked
"I've never experienced anything like this," the Danish official told BT.
"When we had a safety meeting on Wednesday morning, a representative from Chelsea said, 'Claus Bo, you should just remember that we have some players who have a yellow card already and we are not so excited if they get one again'."
The organisational meeting is standard procedure and was also attended by Liverpool secretary Ian Sylvester, Barnard, Merseyside Police and the UEFA match delegate.
"We were quite shocked," added Bo Larsen. "I have been to more than 100 safety meetings and this is the first time I experienced such a thing.
"It was while Liverpool and UEFA and other people were there. I responded by saying that if a player does something for a yellow card, he gets a yellow card."
Appropriate
Chelsea have insisted they had every right to raise the issue of players on yellow cards.
The Blues issued a statement in which they said the meeting was an appropriate moment to point out that a number of players, including two from Liverpool, were one booking away from a ban.
A spokesman for Chelsea said: "UEFA organisational meetings are opportunities for all parties to raise valid issues in relation to that day's game.
"Therefore, it was an appropriate meeting in which to raise the issue of both teams fielding players on yellow cards.
"Chelsea did not raise the issue solely in relation to Chelsea players."
Liverpool's Alvaro Arbeloa and Andrea Dossena were also walking a disciplinary tightrope ahead of the game but neither were cautioned