Last 6 games

Proof over last 6 games!

Recent games...

Based just on last 6 games, so not chosen specifically to illustrate my point!

Added time with Man Utd losing or drawing (at 90)...

Man City (final whistle = 96 mins 51 seconds)
Everton (final whistle = 95 mins 26 seconds)
Wigan (final whistle = 95 mins 12 seconds)


Man Utd winning (at 90)...

Villa (final whistle = 94 mins 08 seconds)
QPR (final whistle = 93 mins 01 seconds)
Blackburn (final whistle = 93 mins 18 seconds)

Averages:

When winning an average of 209 seconds of injury time.
When losing or drawing an average of 350 seconds injury time played.


(times from official bbc website match reports live text)

Man City 1 Man U 0

Added time 5 mins.
Minutes played 96ish!

It happens all the time, but it's always brushed under the carpet. Why?
People even deny it happens.
But on about 89 mins tonight I was wondering what stoppages I could recall. A couple of subs, no goals, no real injuries to speak of, and then the board went up 5 mins! WTF?

Remember the last game at the Reebok? Swansea was it? There were several stoppages and they were time wasting at every break in play, so many times that the ref told them to hurry up on several occasions and also pointed at his watch several times as though he was stopping the clock or adding it on... and we got 3 mins, played 92 mins 45 seconds.

myth

Myth or not, it was the end result that mattered. City will now be all guns blazing against QPR for their final game at the Etihad. If Norwich can turn QPR over on Saturday and we can get a point from our two home games then we can go to Stoke and relax. City were the better team tonight. Another perfect result for the Wanderers.

Hipster_Nebula wrote:myth

Sorry but wrong.

jayjay23 wrote:

Hipster_Nebula wrote:myth

Sorry but wrong.

and your proof is? lol

Hipster_Nebula wrote:

jayjay23 wrote:

Hipster_Nebula wrote:myth

Sorry but wrong.

and your proof is? lol

Not telling you. But I defo have it. Somewhere. I got it in a fax from PGside.

Fact. If Man U is behind, the game continues for at least another 5 minutes. Or until Fergie gives the signal.

I worked it out that there were only 3 minutes worth of injury time + 30 seconds for the City substitute. So where did the extra 2.5 minutes come from?



But that is typical of United - they always seem to find an extra 2 to 3 minutes worth on injury time for them - unless, of course, they are winning, then they always play under the alloted amount of injury time. Just check out the you-tube clips from thsi season and one will see that injury time has every time fallen in-favour for United.

Reebok Trotter wrote:Myth or not, it was the end result that mattered. City will now be all guns blazing against QPR for their final game at the Etihad. If Norwich can turn QPR over on Saturday and we can get a point from our two home games then we can go to Stoke and relax. City were the better team tonight. Another perfect result for the Wanderers.

I could be mistaken but I thought QPR had Stoke at the weekend.

You are correct. It's Villa who still have to play Norwich. Saturday's game against Stoke looks like QPR's last chance to pick up any points.

It does look as though the officials are a bit scared of Fergie. If this is so it's a worrying situation. What other decisions go in his favour I wonder?

Penalties - rarely given against Man U at Old Trafford.

Honestly it was this thread that got to me and inspired me to join up. I can't agree about Fergie time. As a Referee myself I can categorically tell you that it does not happen. If any referee were found to be favouring one team the authorities would be on them like a tonne of bricks and you would be lucky to see them for some time. It's not worth it. A Referee is to be impartial at all times and 99.99% of the time this is true.

It infuriates me when football fans dwell on things like this and drag referee's through the mud at every opportunity!

Referees are only human but whichever way you cut it, Old Trafford is an intimidating venue for any ref.

PROOF

The Guardian did a study of how much injury time was added on average when United are losing or drawing compared with the average when they are winning.

In the four complete seasons analysed how many games do you think the time swayed in United's favour?

That's right! Every single one!

"In 2006-07, for example, United were winning 15 times on entering stoppage time and referees added an average 194.53sec. In the four games when United were not winning there was an average of 217.25sec. The following year the disparity was greater, Opta's figures showing an average 178.29sec added when United were winning and 254.5sec when they were not. Last season it was 187.71sec compared to 258.6sec."

The article was published after United won in injury time against City in 2009. The board showed 4 mins to be added. The ref played seven. The winner was scored in 96th minute. Unbelievable.

On average, there has been over a minute extra added by referees when United do not have the lead after 90 minutes, compared to when they are in front. In 48 games when United were ahead, the average amount of stoppage time was 191.35 seconds. In 12 matches when United were drawing or losing there was an average of 257.17sec.

Go figure! (http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/sep/22/manchester-united-goals-stoppage-time)

bigref wrote:

Honestly it was this thread that got to me and inspired me to join up. I can't agree about Fergie time. As a Referee myself I can categorically tell you that it does not happen. If any referee were found to be favouring one team the authorities would be on them like a tonne of bricks and you would be lucky to see them for some time. It's not worth it. A Referee is to be impartial at all times and 99.99% of the time this is true.

It infuriates me when football fans dwell on things like this and drag referee's through the mud at every opportunity!

I'm sorry but referees simply refuse to follow the law when it comes to added time. It's almost always 3 or 4 minutes regardless what has gone on, and never more than 5.

Let me give you an example, the recent Wigan victory at Arsenal. Wigan spent the whole of the second half wasting time, I read a report that technically the referee should have added 11 minutes of extra time.

But what really pissed me off was he added 5 minutes to the end of the match, and during those 5 minutes Al Habsi did a fantastic job of not taking a goal kick, for which the ref booked him - but then didn't add anymore time on and actually blew up early.

It really isn't a difficult law to adhere to.

I know it goes on bigref - I am a referee too - maybe not at your level (maybe higher) but I hear pretty much the same advice as you. I know for a fact that Natasha is onto something there because I raised that exact question at a meeting and was told by a high profile member that I should add on a "sensible" amount of stoppage time. I was even given a rule of thumb which I thought was well out of order "if nothing happens in the first half add one minute, if nothing happens in the second half add two... if anything happens add three, unless it's major then use your judgement but you should never go above 4 or 5 minutes" -almost to the letter that is what I was told. (I know that is a different debate than the Fergie time issue but it shows that stoppage time is not managed properly if that is happening at higher levels.) I bet if every match from the season was analysed there would not be much of a correlation between real stoppages and time added.

The most Unbelievable stoppage time I ever saw was when we played United at Old Trafford when Stuart Holden got Injured. He must have been down injured for 4-5 minutes, plus substitutions and other stoppages. United scored pretty late on and the ref added 2 minutes injury time.

OneOinCoyle wrote:The most Unbelievable stoppage time I ever saw was when we played United at Old Trafford when Stuart Holden got Injured. He must have been down injured for 4-5 minutes, plus substitutions and other stoppages. United scored pretty late on and the ref added 2 minutes injury time.

I remember that match as there should have been 7-8 minutes worth of injury time, but the 4th Official flashed up 2 and the ref played about 2.5. And yet Holden was on the ground/strechered off in a time delay of 5-6 minutes!!!

Yep. And how long would have been added if United were losing? A lot more!

Did anyone read the proof?