Straw Poll

There was a time when Graham Poll was widely regarded as the best referee in this country and one of the best in the world. His embarrassing incompetence in the 2006 World Cup, when even simple arithmetic seemed to be beyond him, put paid to that and since his return there has been further evidence of decline – so much so that the narcissistic Mr Poll is drifting further and further towards ‘Uriah Rennie Land’.

The truth is that his performance in the F.A. Cup replay between Blackburn Rovers and Arsenal at Ewood Park did far more than Benni McCarthy’s stunning 86th minute goal to send the home side through to the quarter finals and the players, officials and fans of the Gunners are perfectly entitled to be incensed at his ineptitude.

As early as the 4th minute, he set the tone by allowing Pedersen get away with raking the Achilles tendon of Eboue without the sanction of a yellow card. In the 22nd minute Friedel clearly pulled down Aliadiere by the ankles without so much as a hint of a penalty and four minutes later Emerton committed a sequence of fouls on Freddie Ljunberg, the last of which was inside the box, and once again Poll waved play on.

The inconsistency of Poll’s display was typified by the fact that Tugay was permitted a whole catalogue of ugly fouls before a yellow card was issued shortly before half-time, while Arsenal’s teenage full back Traore was carded for a routine infringement and later Clichy was booked for his first offence. By contrast, Blackburn’s substitute Dunn was yellow carded, then allowed the luxury of a second similar offence without any further action.

Poll, who embarrassingly fell over in his efforts to keep up with play as Dunn (who should by this point have been off the field) sent McCarthy through for Blackburn’s goal, has always lacked something in the pace department. Now that even quickness of thought and accuracy of judgement seem to have eluded him, the man who was once an outstanding referee seems destined, like most of his colleagues, for bumbling mediocrity.