Tony Steele !

[Peter]

The one decision I thought Tony got wrong was the race to the line between Nicki and Bjarne...

I'd say it was impossible to call looking at the replay because Nicki was out of shot when they crossed the line.

[dark spanner]

Don't think Nicki touched Iversen at all, so no problem with that decision either.

 

One of the replays clearly showed Iversen's leg taken by Nicki's back wheel causing him to fall.

 

What i couldn't understand was why Tony Steele was not looking at the replays before making his decisions. Surely if the tecnology is there use it.

 

In the Iversen incident he took an age to put the red lights on indicating that he had already made his mind up.

[Squirelnutkins]

Tony Steele made a bad decision exlcluding Matej Zagar last night! He should have excluded Scotty! It was obvious that Scotty was in the wrong!

[lupus]

Well, I appear to be in a minority of one on this, but I reckon the ref made the right decision.

 

Yeah, Nicholls hit Zagar going down the straight - I suppose you could argue a case for unfair riding there - but he didn't knock him off.

 

Watch the replays. Zagar does the old 'shut the throttle and bail out' trick that has become common place these days to get a race stopped.

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I think he did 'make the most of it' but he was definatly hit pretty hard - hard enough to make him lose momentum and balance and therefore lose the vital 2nd place. The alternaive would be to stay on - ala B Pedersen in the race with Crump - and miss out or drop the bike and possibly get a rerun! I'm not saying this is right but the fact remains that it was Nicholls move which caused Zagar to lose his balance. The same was true of Iversen - Nicki hit him and he came off.

 

What Tony Steele does (and I've seen him do it before in Britain!) is he uses the 'person on the deck caused the stoppage so is excluded' line! I think this is the easy option personally - it takes a lot more balls to exclude the person who actually caused the fall!

[boxer123]

I dont think Tony Steel is a biased ref. but as we are geting used to biased comentry on sky maybe a little of that is rubbing off on him.

 

A terrible call , Nicholls lumped straight into him, knocked him off and then got put back in the re-run.

[Triple B's]

I didn't think Heats could be awarded in FIM meetings , if at anytime the red lights come on during a heat I was under the impression that the race has to be Re Run

[rabbit]

What i couldn't understand was why Tony Steele was not looking at the replays before making his decisions. Surely if the tecnology is there use it.

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Some referees prefer to just use their initial feeling and judgement - the rationale being that they don't have the technology available to them most of the time to use so why should the cameras being there make a difference. It is a valid point - how many times has a rider been exonerated or vindicated depending on which camera angle you watch it from. At least not using the technology he's calling it how he sees it and isn't influenced.

[ruckerroo]

i really like him as a ref,most of the riders seem to respect him,wouldnt have made any difference to zagar but he shouldnt have been excluded,feel sorry for hancock tho who always seems to get the rough edge of the stick.

[boxer123]

Some referees prefer to just use their initial feeling and judgement - the rationale being that they don't have the technology available to them most of the time to use so why should the cameras being there make a difference. It is a valid point - how many times has a rider been exonerated or vindicated depending on which camera angle you watch it from. At least not using the technology he's calling it how he sees it and isn't influenced.

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Its up to him what method he chooses to use , but simple fact is he got it wrong.

[sweet_lil_mystery]

Yeah I think he got it wrong too. I mean, you could see that Scott gave him a right clout on the replays! Good on Scott for coming second in the GP and all, but he really shouldn't have been there.

 

I also feel really bad for Greg as well, cos he was going through to the final when the race was stopped. Jason's just zipped even further in front of him now! He must be so bummed.

[Vince]

Put me down for the minority vote - I think that Nichols was going a lot faster than Zagar and reasonably expected him to take the wider normal line. Undoubtedly Zagar was hit hard enough to cause him to fall but it is difficult to see how Nichols could have avoided it.

The Pederson / Iverson incident was one of those 50/50 jobs that could have gone either way and may be an argument for Refs not being forced to exclude a rider in all cases after the first corner.

The race to the line was impossible to call from what I saw on the TV although my first reaction was that Bjarne had got there first I did have my doubts when I saw the replay.

[AndyM]

Question: Does the FIM or anyone else monitor the performance of refs and given them an annual appraisal, much as FIFA do to senior football refs? If not, what sanctions (if any) are taken against refs when they make serious booboos?

[sweet_lil_mystery]

I doubt there are any sanctions taken, the ref's word is final isn't it?

[AndyM]

So, for example, if a ref showed blatant bias towards a rider of his own nationality, nothing would be done about it? The ref wouldn't be sacked? Would they continue to award him top meetings, regardless? How do they get appointed to ref a GP?

[Rob B]

One thing I've not seen anywhere is that Tony Steele obviously doesn't know the FIM rules (Although he should as he has done enough of them!)

 

The heat when the Italian nearly took Gollob off, at that point Gollob was 2nd, the Italian 3rd and Hampel 4th. The Italian fell and nearly took Gollob with him, Gollob just managed to stay on the bike, that let Hampel through to second, the red lights didn't come on and Gollob carried on slowly to the finish line waving his arms at the referee. Now Steele excluded the Italian which was fine but then awarded Gollob second place. You can't do that in an FIM meeting, either Hampel should of been given second or the race should of been rerun. The red lights should of come on straight away when Gollob was impeded.

[SCB]

I pointed that out to my dad. Very weird! maybe Tony Steele had an off day? Or maybe just used a bit of common sense?

[spook]

I pointed that out to my dad.  Very weird!  maybe Tony Steele had an off day?  Or maybe just used a bit of common sense?

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As much as i'm a huge Tomasz fan I would have said tough cookie and given him the third.................he was trying it on for a rerun when in reality he was nowhere near to passing for 1st

 

 

I also think Scott should have been excluded although I understand what people are saying about Matej's speed and line.......the simple plain fact though is that Scott rode through the guy.......as others have said though these things even themselves out over a season

[Paleco]

Tell me why should Matej fall down at 110 km/h to risk his life?

If ref. were no Brit or Scott were no Brit there could be diffrent decisions...

[Subedei]

One thing I've not seen anywhere is that Tony Steele obviously doesn't know the FIM rules (Although he should as he has done enough of them!)

 

The heat when the Italian nearly took Gollob off, at that point Gollob was 2nd, the Italian 3rd and Hampel 4th. The Italian fell and nearly took Gollob with him, Gollob just managed to stay on the bike, that let Hampel through to second, the red lights didn't come on and Gollob carried on slowly to the finish line waving his arms at the referee. Now Steele excluded the Italian which was fine but then awarded Gollob second place. You can't do that in an FIM meeting, either Hampel should of been given second or the race should of been rerun. The red lights should of come on straight away when Gollob was impeded.

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This was one of the few races I saw last evening - this one and the final.

Gollob wasn't any more impeded than he was when he rode into the back of Stead in the SWC last year - and he carried on when that happened. But either way, it's a poor decision, Hampel should've had second or there should've been a re-run.

[spook]

Tell me why should Matej fall down at 110 km/h to risk his life?

If  ref. were no Brit or Scott were no Brit there could be diffrent decisions...

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to be fair we have seen this many many times in recent seasons when it comes to Polish riders and in particular Mr Gollob...........considering Tony Steele has officiated the most times I have few (if any!) memories of a 'homer' decision that favoured the Brits........or do my rose tinted glasses cleanse my memory as well?