Share

Middendorp rants about refs

Johannesburg - Ernst Middendorp has vowed to talk out against poor officiating until the Premier Soccer League acts to improve the standard.

The Maritzburg United manager was speaking after his side was beaten 3-1 by Orlando Pirates on Wednesday night and he made a passionate plea to the PSL to put an end to bad refereeing.

The men from the Midlands were denied a penalty in the second half by Harry Lekitlane after the ball appeared to hit Rueben Cloete's hand before he cleared on the goal line.

"What I'm asking for in this moment is that the league must show it to the public that the referees are under observation. It is time we do something about it. In this game (against Pirates) I know what I could have done if I was in the referee's uniform," he said.

The former Kaizer Chiefs coach, who was sent off by Daniel Bennett in their Telkom Knockout semi-final match against Pirates back in November, admits he is fed-up of the referees' poor judgement.

He said: "I have a different opinion in terms of some decisions. I think it was a hand ball (cleared by Cloete off the line). Pirates deserved to win, let's be fair, but had we got the penalty we could have gone 2-1 up and maybe the game could have ended differently.

"It was the same when we played Moroka Swallows last month. (The referee) was butchering the match. Swallows could have got five yellow cards and even Gordon Igesund had to take out some player to protect him from getting a yellow card, because he could see. We've had matches this side in Gauteng that are unbelievable - it is unbelievable.

"I have an impression that something is going on; we have to do something about it. I will not stop talking about it," Middendorp added.
We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1814 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1774 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1082 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 459 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 186 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 252 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE