Oh, of course I agree - there IS a difference. And what distinguishes a good referee from a poor one is always a matter of perspective. Like you, I have more than 1000 games under my belt in 25 years in the game, in this country and internationally. I guess this makes us a little bit more insightful when it comes to appreciating the finer points of an official's performance, as we both know (from personal experience) that 99.99% of what we do in the middle is done by instinct and by trusting our own judgement, not that of the onlooker who by definition always has a different perspective on any decision we make.I like your username - I guess it kind of hints at your background, and perhaps some Italian influence, Franco

's funny - the number of people on here who think refereeing is simply a question of rolling up to a game and having a go... You don't get anywhere as a referee without taking part in thousands of games, during which time you see it all. The advantage that most referees have over the mindless yobs plying their trade as players, is that decision making and evaluation of complex situations quickly, objectively and fairly requires a modicum of intelligence and a good degree of integrity. Intelligence and integrity being two of the key characteristics sadly lacking at ALL levels in the sorry spectacle that football has become. The lack of understanding is entirely on the side of the spectator (who if they had any balls would pick up the whistle and have a go) and definitely on he part of the players who, in my experience even at the highest levels in the game, refuse to study and abide by the Laws of the Game. To say top level referees lack understanding of the game is complete B0!!ox.

I dunno, perhaps you'd have some insight if you'd ever bothered to pick up the whistle and have a go yourself? It isn't easy, but it is much easier for people on the sidelines to criticise.. And I would say that there is no referee in this country who deliberately goes out to spoil the spectacle of a game - the players are to blame by and large for that, with referees (often under observation by the FA) having to apply the laws of the game to the incidents that they perceive to have taken place. Agreed the refereeing was good for the Chelski Napoli game, although there were still some baffling decisions (such as Drogba getting wrestled to the ground right in front of the goal-line official (clear penalty IMO) and nothing given). Another baffling one was Drogba's dramatic throwing of himself to the ground as if poleaxed by an arm to the face - tv coverage clearly showed no contact at all, and Drogba opening one eye to gauge reaction & see if he'd got away with it. Unsporting behaviour at it's finest. Tosser