What I will not miss about the Premier League

[Nick Bateman]

Someone posted earlier whether anyone would prefer to stay in the Championship rather than get promoted.

The answer 99% would probably say is to get promoted, but while we are here I will make the most of the the difference between the two divisions.

I do believe the Premier League is not a genuinely competitive league - the referees are completely under the control of the 'so-called' big clubs, namely Chelsea, Arsenal and recently Liverpool, though Manchester Utd (under Fergie) did dominate in the past.

What I will enjoy is because of the lack of multi-billions at stake from Rupert Murdoch's coffers, the officials in the Championship will be under less pressure to favour certain teams and by and large, make more honest (correct or incorrect) decisions.  It will mean, Fulham will be allowed to be judged more on how good they really are, rather than how good a certain individual can "con" the referee.

Of course, 'con-artists' exist in the lesser leagues and many will be rewarded and encouraged by lax or 'weak' officials, but one can accept a few bad calls rather than a conspiracy preventing teams like Fulham from breaking into the top four in the PL.  I am not saying we were ever good enough to be in the top four, but the mechanism to ensure we did not get there was in effect.

And when one sees the numerous "dives" committed by Ramirez, Hazard, Giroud, Wilshire, Sturridge, Suarez, Raheem Sterling and co. which aided those teams successes last season, Fulham have NEVER been receiving of such biased refereeing. 

Had we been so favourably adjudicated, perhaps we would be in the top four too!
051

[Woolly Mammoth]

I agree with all you say, full of spoilt little rich boys, far too many average players from abroad, referees in the premier league lay an egg when awarding decisions against the big clubs, if referees haven't the courage to make an honest decision, do not become a referee, added to the fact that the cancer brought in by overseas players and managers years ago  to cheat, by diving, feigning injury, showing imaginary yellow cards, falling over when you brush past the TV, pretending to be hurt, and falling over as if they had been shot, all of them should ashamed of themselves, acting like wimps and cowards, and biting spitting pulling hair etc, was an overseas disease,  before they brought their cheating habits to England, this doesn't help referees, but your right, officials do favour the so called big clubs, and that in itself is another form of cheating,  but the bigger they are the harder they fall. Ask Manure, their glory days will probably be few and far between from now on. They have been living in Cloud Cuckoo land for far too long.

[Fernhurst]

 Always admired Alan Whiley, recently retired Premiership referee.  Treated Fulham evenhandedly, and appeared completely unbiased whenever on the pitch.

He was so fair SAF was reduced to gathering his Fleet Street cronies around him and briefing the man was unfit to referee and was indeed fat.

Big team bias is rife .......... Has any organisation got the guts to stamp it out?..... INMHO...... No

[Woolly Mammoth]

Graham Poll was a half decent referee, but I have seen him bottle out when refereeing Chelsea v Anyone else. He was a blue nose, and he often denied Fulham a penalty when we played them, he was in awe of the team he secretly supported.