Arsenal’s penalty on Sunday, gained following an offside pass, changed the game and thus their position in the league. Manchester United have scored a large proportion of their goals this month from offside positions, and Chelsea too have benefitted from some dodgy decisions in and around the box. Is this a general problem affecting all teams in the league, or is it a conspiracy supporting the big clubs?
In truth, there is no way of knowing whether referees are affected by larger crowds or more prestigious clubs. There are, and always have been, contentious decisions. These decisions are the most scrutinised when they involve high ranked teams because they are mostly broadcast on television and commentators nowadays struggle to talk about anything involving the actual football being played.
As a result, referees know that the decisions they make in the Premier League are far more consequential than in the lower leagues. Mike Dean, for example, was recently demoted to the Championship following some controversy in the first division.
This hierarchy also applies within the Premier League. If a big team, such as Arsenal, have decisions that go against them, the referees will undoubtedly be met with much more criticism. This is due to their huge fan base, large stadium, financial power, and influence. Naturally, this pressure placed on all officials might have an influence on their decision-making, however small.
Additionally, managers of big clubs often feel more entitled to complain to referees. Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger are famous for being sent to the stands, as was seen in Wenger’s victory over Burnley on the weekend. This melodrama and exploitation of status undoubtedly has an effect on refereeing decisions.
Ultimately however, these decisions are just a small part of the game, which frustratingly takes up a disproportionate amount of time when analysing matches. I am no better than anyone else; shouting at the ref every game when a decision goes against Arsenal. Abusing referees has been a footballing tradition for generations, however morally shameful this may be. Leicester City won the league without having this so-called ‘big team bias’, so it should be no obstacle to victory. However, refereeing decisions do have the potential to change the course of a season, favouring big teams or not.
Whether this is simply a part of the game and provides more entertainment, or is an error that must be corrected by introducing video replays, one thing is certain: the desperate football fan’s thirst for excuses for their team’s failure is unquenchable. Even if referees were replaced with flawless robots, there would always be another reason for Arsenal finishing fourth, or Spurs finishing even lower. A football fan’s love, much like the ref, is blind.
Joshua Korber Hoffman is a 15-year-old football fanatic and Arsenal supporter. He writes a football blog called The Young Gun, in which his love for writing and the beautiful game intersect
