Please log in or register. Registered visitors get fewer ads.
Ashton: Referees' Chief Webb Agreed On Certain Things But Defended His Corner On Others
Tuesday, 19th Nov 2024 13:50

Town chairman and CEO Mark Ashton says referees’ chief Howard Webb was in agreement on some points he and manager Kieran McKenna made to him during their recent meeting at Portman Road, while defending his position on others.

Webb, the chief refereeing officer of the The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), travelled to Ipswich just under a fortnight ago after Ashton made Town’s frustrations known to him after a series of VAR decisions had gone against the Blues in the games against Everton, Brentford and, most notably, Leicester when Town were denied what was widely viewed as a blatant penalty.

While all parties have said the discussion will remain private, Ashton says Webb didn’t argue with some of the points he and McKenna made.

“With VAR in the Premier League, I’m looking for consistency around what is VARed, the communication, what the decision-making process is, what the bar is for overturning decisions, because we were told at the start of the season that it was a very high bar,” Ashton told talkSPORT.

“I made my points to Howard and his team and on certain things he agreed and on certain things he made his point and defended his corner.

“But as chairman of Ipswich Town, I am going to defend my football club. Just because we’re Ipswich, I can’t have us as perceived as being ‘little Ipswich’. I have to defend our football club and make our point and try and do that professionally and clearly, and respectfully, which I believe we’ve done.”

Regarding the controversy regarding suspended Premier League referee David Coote’s on-camera comments about former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp which were recently leaked, Ashton said: “I’ve been travelling in the US all week, so I’ve only seen what’s been in the media. There’s a Premier League meeting on Friday, so I guess we will find out more than that.

“But, other than what I’ve read in the media, I don’t know. Obviously, what you read in the media is concerning, so we’d like to hear the facts.”

However, he added: “Any kind of noise that comes around a subject like this is not good for the game, it’s concerning, extremely concerning.”

Asked whether, in the wake of the recent controversies, he still had trust in officialdom, he paused before adding: “Yes, until I have a real evidence and proof-based position not to. So at the moment, yes I do. But we want to understand the facts.”

Having said he would now have voted against VAR when the matter was put to Premier League clubs in the summer, Ashton admits that ship has almost certainly sailed.

“It’s probably too integrated now to take out,” he reflected. “But, as we’ve just said, there are substantial areas I think for improvement, we need more consistency.

“[EFL chairman] Rick Parry talked earlier about how the in-bowl fan experience needs to be improved and there needs to be more work done on it. But it’s the pure consistency which is the key factor for me.”

This evening, Ashton will be joined by manager Kieran McKenna, chief operating officer Luke Werhun and chief financial officer Tom Ball at the season’s first Fans’ Forum, which is being screened live on Town TV.


Photo: TownTV



Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.



chorltonskylineblue added 14:07 - Nov 19
The 'the in-bowl fan experience'?! Hells bells, has Rick Parry been at the toot as well?
4

Jeff added 14:20 - Nov 19
"the in-bowl fan experience" - the jargon is astonishing!
It is football for god sake!
22 men kicking one ball about, to try and get it in the net more times than the other team. Preferably with rules, the players, the referress and fans can understand. What could be more simple?
I don't want an "in bowl experience" - I just want to watch a game that is properly and fairly referreed!
And if Ipswich lose,so be it - at least I'll understand what the referee saw/decided; and I won't have to carry on moaning for the rest of the season that we have been cheated!
11

Fermi_Parradox added 14:31 - Nov 19
No problem with the comment on the bowl. Maybe that is the plan for Portman Road! But yeh, we need to better understand what is going on during the 4 minutes of a VAR call.

Maybe some subtitles on the big screen......
-2

Bluespeed added 14:49 - Nov 19
@ Fermi

By BIG screen I take it you mean the SMALL Big screen that is very difficult to decipher from the SBR lower ! ☹️
5

blues1 added 14:59 - Nov 19
Bluespeed. What are you on about? The small big screen? It's perfectly bigger enough. Certainly for var decisions couldn't be any clearer in fact. Only time it is difficult to read is when they put the 2 teams besides each other. Bcse the type is too small.
-4

Steelmonkey added 15:00 - Nov 19
“We’re going to need a bigger screen”
3

blues1 added 15:00 - Nov 19
Jeff. The in bowl experience. Quite easy really, simply means within the ground. Not of grounds being a bowl.
-1

flykickingbybgunn added 15:25 - Nov 19
Can you see VAR decisions on the screen ?
Who knew ?
Cant see it from Block B in the Cobbold.
2

cookra added 15:49 - Nov 19
@blues1 at it again.
Difference on opinion is a thing. SBR lower the screen can be hard to see.... sir alf upper you struggle to see it too

4

Writtleblue added 16:09 - Nov 19
Can't read it in block C cobbold. either , also can barely understand a word of the tannoy system, there's a speaker directly in front of me with no sound coming from it.
2

Cakeman added 16:28 - Nov 19
Well at least Mark and Kieran have made their feelings known to Howard Webb which wouldn’t have done any harm.
Also well said Jeff, fully agree with you.
VAR as it is used now is really spoiling the game.
Why can they not adopt what happens at cricket. The discussion around potential LBW’s and Caught decisions can clearly be heard. This transparency is not only good for spectators but protects the officials too.
3

Bluespeed225 added 16:41 - Nov 19
And Bluespeed, please don’t write anything silly so I get the blame, lol!
0

Jeff added 17:09 - Nov 19
blues1 - yes I get what he means by "in bowl experience"....I assume he means "within the football ground" - it is just stupid jargon!
English football is played within football grounds or stadiums. It doesn't matter what shape they are. Hopefully, Ipswich Twon will end up with a bowl shaped ground, but it sill still be a stadium or a foootball ground, or better still Portman Road. I don't need an "in bowl experience" just saying :)
0

Kickingblock added 17:23 - Nov 19
Having just been to the loo, I am grateful for an in bowl experience.
0

armchaircritic59 added 17:51 - Nov 19
Very simple solution to all this VAR nonsense, as I've commented before. Whether it's an actual VAR decision or an on moniter referees review. Just give them a maximum of 60 seconds to come to a decision. If they can't do that because the margins are so tiny, the original on field referees decision should stand, rightly or wrongly!
0


You need to login in order to post your comments

Blogs 298 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls





About Us Contact Us Terms & Conditions Privacy Cookies Advertising
© TWTD 1995-2025