Ray Chamberlin is a ******* ****** who agrees?

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  • SwansFan1972
    On the Rookie List
    • Nov 2008
    • 621

    Originally posted by ScottH
    An article by Martin Blake in the Today's Age.

    Life on Razor's edge
    reads like a press release from the AFL. A few assertions of Blake's should be challenged:

    What's his problem? Chamberlain gets in the players' faces. He's bound to make a big call somewhere along the line; in fact, he wants to make that call. Armed with that whistle, there is no mistaking who's in charge. Fans, who like their umpires to be submissive, cry foul.
    This is Bubbles* (he is no more a razor than a spoon is a steak knife) big problem. He is looking to make the big call all the time. Being in the play gives him oxygen and you can see that when he is in the mood, he delights in being the focus. He can obviously be unobtrusive (it has actually happened!!) when he umpires, but it is obviously not how he prefers it!

    * Bubbles - for those who missed it - Gieschen in his report on the game last week described Ray as 'bubbly and gregarious', which were reasons to like him! I think Bubbles is therefore an infinitely better moniker for him than Razor!


    As for the fans wanting their umpires to be submissive, what a load of BS. We only want them to be CONSISTENT and incidental to the game! I think the majority of the AFL's rules in regard to the umpires (no excessive backchatting, no touching them) are incredibly important and are spot on. One of the worst images in world sport is in the EPL and other major world soccer leagues where players get in the face of the referees, wrap their arms around them and pat them condescendingly. Equally, officials should NOT get in players faces either - that Blake thinks it is a good thing that Bubbles does is patently stupid.

    The thing is, he can umpire. In 2010, his best year, he officiated his first grand final, and then the replay, and did a brilliant job. In fact, he was hardly noticed, which is rare. But last weekend, a bit of the old Ray bobbed up.
    The question surely then is 'why is it rare that he is hardly noticed'? If he does his job like the other 29 umpires on the senior panel, he would be less noticed more often surely - WHICH IS HOW IT SHOULD BE. Bubbles clearly gets some kind of fix from being out there and it is ridiculous. If he wanted to be famous, he should have tried out for Neighbours, So You Think You Can Dance or Australia's Got Talent!

    I suspect he makes most of the other umpires cringe as much as the rest of us, not that the AFL empire would ever admit as much. Derek Humphrey Smith sees the problem, so it beggars belief that HQ is honestly happy with how Bubbles goes about it.

    So here's the postscript to last weekend. I watched the game, then went through the tape and looked at the big moments and decisions. Sydney did not lose because of Ray or the other umpires. The Swans lost their rag, started carping and behaving out of character.

    Here's another thing. Chamberlain did not pay the 50-metre penalty against Tadhg Kennelly at the end, nor the free kick against Heath Grundy for a throw that led to Fremantle's sealing goal. It was another umpire.
    Really? Blake watched the game? Sorry, but I doubt that very much. If he did, he watched it with one eye shut and must ducked off for a pee a lot - missing much of what was contentious in the game. Sure - the two frees at the end of the game he refers to were there - but the damage was done much earlier than that!

    Unsurprisingly, he makes no mention of the joke paid to Ballantyne when the game was barely minutes old nor the fact that Ballantyne's free for being held away by Grundy like the little pest he is was never warranted. The message out of that game is that (1) staging is alive and well in the game and will not be curtailed by the umpires and (2) if you are an annoying little twat and start the niggly weak stuff, you are a fair chance to suck in an umpire and get yourself a free. Neither should be a feature of the game, but umpiring like last week's will do bugger all to stop it.


    Typically, these things get lost in the noise that surrounds Ray Chamberlain. I asked former umpire Derek Humphery-Smith, a valuable commentator on the topic, for an opinion. ''I think the best umpires are those who complement the contest, not attract attention away from the contest. That's the danger that Ray falls into on occasions,'' he said.

    I agree with that. So you work it out, Ray.

    Because footy needs people like Ray Chamberlain.


    There, I've said it.
    Derek Humphrey Smith hits the nail on the head! Then Blake shows how thoughtless his whole article is by agreeing that Bubbles has a problem and needs to sort it out, but is NEEDED by the game.

    In short - if Bubbles continues to the act the way he wants to act, rather than the way he should and can act - No, the game doesn't need people like him. The heroes and villans should come from the playing group (and they do) - there is simply no place for umpires who think themselves to be part of the action and entertainment.

    If I ever needed someone to defend me - I'd go for someone other than Martin Blake. His puff piece intended to support Bubbles does more to highlight his faults than support him!

    And finally- if you're still reading - apologies for taking up so much cyberspace on an umpire! But it does feel better for having spewed it all out and I hope I haven't bored you to death!
    Last edited by SwansFan1972; 23 July 2011, 09:56 PM.

    Comment

    • unconfuseme
      Regular in the Side
      • Jan 2009
      • 681

      There, I've said it.
      by Martin Blake

      ... well yes, like the AFL, you've "said" PART of it ... so what?! ... as Giesch said "most of them were there"

      ... bit it's not about the ones that "were there" that were penalised, its about all the other ones that "were there" but were not penalsised - BOTH WAYS!

      ... oh, and btw, no issues with the officiating from me today ... we won!

      Comment

      • Bob Neil
        Opportunistic Join Date
        • Sep 2005
        • 313

        Originally posted by ScottH
        An article by Martin Blake in the Today's Age.

        Life on Razor's edge
        I read this a few days ago. I'm still work out why Martin wrote it if there was no problem, as seems to be the whole point of the article.
        Seems to be OK that the other umpires made mistakes too, since it wasn't Ray.

        Justice for Ballantyne today. Football Gods.

        Comment

        • Nich
          Senior Player
          • May 2010
          • 1291

          Geischen's explanation of some decisions over the Weekend didn't include the free paid against Sam Reid. I know I requested he look at when they asked for feedback on the decisions over the Weekend. I know they can't examine all of them but it would be nice of them to admit a few mistakes.

          If you get a chance to watch the vid check out his explanation of the free that wasn't paid to the Hawks player when Sylvia kicked him in the face when taking a mark. Can't believe he thinks his explanation is right. It's laughable.


          Comment

          • Cardinal
            Regular in the Side
            • Sep 2008
            • 932

            Looks like spud on after the bounce agrees today

            Comment

            • Matt79
              Bring it on!
              • Sep 2004
              • 3143

              Originally posted by Cardinal
              Looks like spud on after the bounce agrees today
              A couple of decisions he paid in the WB v WC game on Saturday particlulary late in the game was discraceful.
              Swannies for life!

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              • cos789
                Warming the Bench
                • Jan 2003
                • 222

                Originally posted by Matt79
                A couple of decisions he paid in the WB v WC game on Saturday particlulary late in the game was discraceful.
                Listening to the game on the radio the commentators were crucifying him .
                Seemed they were justified on replay .
                give it to the game

                Comment

                • Red
                  Foreign Correspondent
                  • Jan 2003
                  • 651

                  Originally posted by Cardinal
                  Looks like spud on after the bounce agrees today
                  Frawley also gave Brian Taylor a serve for creating the mokiner 'Razor Ray', and Ray's subsequent ego and desire to be a bigger part of the whole production.

                  I don't often agree with Spud, but I think he has a point there.
                  To all those people who waited 72 years to see a South Melbourne/Sydney Swans premiership HERE IT IS!!

                  Comment

                  • 707
                    Veterans List
                    • Aug 2009
                    • 6204

                    Listened to the ABC before the Collingwood-Essendon game yesterday and the commentators there said Chamberlain paid a couple of the worst frees possible late in the Eagles-Bulldogs game. SAid they were howlers and reckon Ray just can't help himself wanting to be the spotlight. They called for him toi be axed. Tough words from the normally conservative ABC.

                    Comment

                    • Primmy
                      Proud Tragic Swan
                      • Apr 2008
                      • 5970

                      Time to burst the bubble.
                      If you've never jumped from one couch to the other to save yourself from lava then you didn't have a childhood

                      Comment

                      • neilfws
                        Senior Player
                        • Aug 2009
                        • 1826

                        Originally posted by Matt79
                        A couple of decisions he paid in the WB v WC game on Saturday particlulary late in the game was discraceful.
                        I didn't see the dubious HTB against WC. But the "holding the arm" against the Dogs, just after they'd taken the lead was ridiculous. Two blokes tumbling head-over-heels, neither a chance to control the ball, a hand brushes an arm and it's called holding. Right in front of WC goal, they score, completely altered the momentum and feel of the game. One of the stupidest things I've ever seen.

                        Comment

                        • Bas
                          Veterans List
                          • Jan 2003
                          • 4457

                          Mike Sheahan also gave it to him on On the Couch last night. He pointed out the same free as what Spud did and comments about his behaviour.

                          Sooner or later the Chamber Pot will have to pull his head in and join other umpires who remain anonymous or get dropped. You can't compare him to Billy Bowden because Bowden makes himself obvious by the way he communicates his decisions wheres the Chamber Pot makes decisions that promote himself.
                          In memory of my little Staffy - Dicey, 17.06.2005 to 1.12.2011- I'll miss you mate.

                          Comment

                          • erica
                            Happy and I know it
                            • Jan 2008
                            • 1247

                            So the commentators are now vocal about him because a Melbourne team was involved in the game?
                            All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. - Edmund Burke

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                            • CJK
                              Human
                              • Apr 2006
                              • 2170

                              Originally posted by erica
                              So the commentators are now vocal about him because a Melbourne team was involved in the game?
                              Yes.
                              -

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                              • Jewels
                                On the Rookie List
                                • Oct 2006
                                • 3258

                                Originally posted by erica
                                So the commentators are now vocal about him because a Melbourne team was involved in the game?
                                Yer, funny thing that......

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