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Wiganer.net back Paul Jewell

Last updated : 12 February 2007 By Greg Farrimond
The Wigan boss is in hot water this week after the Arsenal game, due to the incompetence of referee Phil Dowd. Wigan were denied a blatant penalty which Flamini should have been sent off for and later Flamini crossed the ball from on offside position to create Arsenals equaliser, Jewell publically blasted the referee and will surely be fined for his troubles by the FA.

In the interview following the match, Jewell claimed that the result could cost Wigan Athletic in excess of £50,000,000 if we are relegated. Jewell branded the officials decisions as 'incompetent' and a 'joke'. Pauls words here, are most certainly FACT and are on the lips of every fan of every team in the country, including Arsenal.

· Failing to book Thierry Henry for his pathetic attempt at a dive, trying to win a penalty

· Failing to award Wigan a stone wall penalty which would also have resulted in dismissing Flamini

· Flamini, later crossed the ball from an OFFSIDE position to set up Arsenals equaliser, this obviously wouldn't have happened, had Flamini been dismissed

· Failing to allow Wigan midfielder Josip Skoko to return to the field when he had received treatment. During the time Skoko was absent and Wigan were down to ten men, Arsenal equalised.

· Booking Wigan's Lee McCulloch for timewasting after he rolled the ball back, this maybe has something to do with the Arsenal players telling him to do so and the Arsenal fans screaming at him

· Foul and abusive language directed at the Wigan players from Dowd.

Phil Dowd has now cost Wigan points on two seperate occasions. Last year he

officiated the away fixture at Blackburn Rovers.

Wigan had a goal disallowed when skipper Arjan De Zeeuw struck home, this may not be 100% the fault of Phil Dowd as it was given for off-side, BUT he later allowed Blackburn an equaliser in the dying moments of the game, when Lucas Neill fouled Wigan 'keeper John Filan as he was about to catch the ball and Shefki Kuqi slotted home into an empty goal.

The match also consisted of numerous decisions by Dowd that put Wigan on the backfoot and we were most certainly cost 2 points because of his actions.

This wasn't the first time Dowd had angered Paul Jewell though. Months earlier he was the referee for the Carling Cup Semi-final second leg away at Arsenal. That night, Wigan were denied two ridiculously obvious penalties, even more so than the one we witnessed at the Emirates.

These 3 occasions really seem to suggest that Mr Dowd either has a personal problem with Wigan Athletic OR possibly even Paul Jewell.

This season, Everton boss David Moyes compiled a video tape of footage showing Andy Johnson being treated 'unfairly' by referees due to his bad reputation. Maybe Paul Jewell should compile a tape of footage showing Phil Dowds incompetence against Wigan Athletic, this must surely come to some effect.

To make matters worse, Wigan players reported to Paul Jewell and Dave Whelan that referee Dowd used foul and abusive language to them on the pitch, telling them to "F**k off" on numerous occasions. Is this REALLY how a premier league referee should be acting?

The FA must acknowledge everyones concerns as this time, this muppets decisions could really cost us!