Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson made headlines this week when the said he was considering retiring from football due to the standard of refereeing in the EFL.
Penalties, or the lack of them, have been a huge source of frustration on the south side of Bristol, and a similar tale was shared by the blue half on Saturday as Bristol Rovers were on the wrong side of controversial calls in either 18-yard box in their 3-1 defeat at Portsmouth.
“I’ve got to be honest with you, I thought about it last year, and I’ve thought about it again this year and that is basically to pack up being involved in the sport," Pearson told Sky Sports News after his side beat Luton Town on Tuesday.
“And that is not because how shallow the modern game is and how some of the aspects of the modern game irritate me but the standard of officiating, as far as I’m concerned, is at an all-time low.”
Pearson's comments have been a big talking point and have split opinion. Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey has backed his comments, while TalkSPORT pundit Danny Murphy disagrees.
Gavin Ward was the latest referee to annoy Barton, awarding Joe Pigott a penalty in the final 10 minutes with the score at 1-1 on Saturday when the manager believed Harry Anderson won the ball. That was followed soon after by Aaron Collins having a penalty claim turned down, leaving Barton and his players incensed.
After a frustrating afternoon for the Gas at Fratton Park, Barton said he believes Pearson is right about the standard of officiating.
"I don’t want to be talking about officials because they only fine you, but it is very rare that you’ll hear this, Bristol City and Bristol Rovers in absolute cahoots," he said in his interview with the club's media department.
"I heard what Nigel Pearson said last week and I echo it. The referee here, every decision, he goes with the crowd. They’ve got to be better than that, they cost people their jobs.
"I’m lucky, I’ve got a great owner and you feel a lot more solid than most lads probably do up the food chain, but these mad, barmy decisions from part-time officials are killing the game."
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