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| JEFF WINTER - WHO'S THE B*****D IN THE BLACK? |
Confessions of a Premiership Referee
"Back to your usual self Jeff, fucking useless"
Sir Alex Ferguson
'Who's The B*****d In The Black?', Confessions of a Premiership Referee by Jeff Winter was published by Ebury Press on 2nd February 2006.
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"He drives me nuts. An absolute prat - and you can print that as well."
Steve Bruce
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Ever wondered what it is like to step out on to a pitch with 50,000 fans screaming abuse at you while you try to make informed decisions? Or how to control twenty-two angry young men when all hell breaks loose? Or what really gets said between players, officials and managers in the tunnel or the white heat of the game?
Who's The B*****d in the Black? finally reveals the truth about being the man in the middle of the beautiful game.
Frank, forthright and outspoken, Jeff Winter was one of England's most colourful and controversial top-class referees. From his roots as a skinhead terrace hard case to his career as Premiership official, he was not afraid to speak his mind and was never one to shy away from confrontation. Now, with the same trademark candour, he gives a unique insider's view of the last thirty years of English football.
Previously officials have continued to work within the game after their retirement, and so have been unable to speak out about their experiences. Since the end of his career, however, Jeff Winter has broken all ties with the FA and is now free to reveal the secrets from behind the scenes of the English Football League.
A boot boy Middlesbrough fan in the 1970s, Football League official as the Premiership was formed and one of the very first professional referees, Winter has been at the heart of football as the modern game has evolved. In 'Who's the B*****d in the Black?' he exposes the backroom stories and untold secrets of the key events in his remarkable career and football's recent history.
Born in Middlesbrough, Jeff Winter was an ardent 'Boro fan and terrace thug before a chance decision led him to take up refereeing. After taking charge of many tough local league games, he was promoted to the Football League and eventually became one the Premiership's first professional referees. His career stretched over some 25 years, concluding with the Manchester United vs Millwall 2004 FA Cup Final.
Since leaving the game he has become a sought after pundit and a regular guest on SKY, BBC Radio Five Live and TalkSport. He writes for The Sun, Nuts and Zoo and is now working for 96.6 TFM, his local Teeside radio station. Bust-ups have continued into his life as a commentator - with both Sam Allardyce and Steve Bruce banning him from their grounds for his comments.
He referees BBC Superstars, has appeared as the referee in Sky's football soap, Dream Team, and referees Sky's Legends vs Celebrities match. He is much in demand as a public speaker.
Jeff Winter on players
Ian Wright
"Wright is a complex character. Off the pitch he is one of the loveliest people you could wish to meet. He combines a wonderfully bubbly personality with being thoughtful and sincere. But once he crossed that white line as a player, he was a different animal. The red mist descended the second things didn't go his way. His language was colourful, and technically he could have been sent off virtually every time he opened his mouth. He came into the professional game late and maybe he felt that he had to make up for lost time, and be a winner whatever it took. I can't knock that, but it was always an eventful ninety minutes when you were out in the middle with him."
Beckham and star players
"Beckham looks every bit the superstar at close quarters and to be alongside him seeing his silky movement and precision passing is awesome. At ground level, his skills are even more evident than they look from elevated camera angles; the ref can see the game unfold as he does. The way he swings crosses in is incredible to see. While referees are charged with controlling games, we still see the big names as stars, even though they chat to us and we are virtually in touching distance as they unleash their skills. To the fans they may be even bigger stars than they are to us, but don't believe any referee who claims he is not delighted to be on the turf alongside the giants of the game. We can't be star-struck of course, because there's a job to be done."
Neville brothers
"Gary Neville and his brother Phil seemed to epitomise United's snarling and arrogant attitude in this era. They were always quickly in my face when things didn't go their way, but in the eyes of their manager didn't seem to do much wrong."
Neil Ruddock
"Ruddock is a brilliant character, the sort football needs. He is loved by the fans of his team, but hated by the opposition. He wears his heart on his sleeve just as I do, and always gave an edge and an atmosphere to a football match. If his name was on the team sheet, fireworks were likely."
Alan Shearer
"Newcastle fans have a collective blind spot towards Shearer. For ability and a winning mentality there have been few equals in the game. His goal-scoring record and his qualities of leadership have spoken for themselves down the years. But he was not an easy player to referee, because he was an aggressive challenger, and had learnt all the tricks of the trade. Add to that his god-like status in the eyes of the fans, and the task of the official was made even harder."
Graham Le Saux
"Le Saux was one of those players whose personality changed as soon as he stepped on to the field. He was a pleasant, articulate man. and a pleasure to be with but a complete contrast and difficult to handle when he was playing."
Darren Anderton
"I found Darren Anderton of Spurs difficult to referee in that game, as I usually did. Anderton was a right moaner and I couldn't get any sort of understanding going with him. He always appeared to have a surly look. On one occasion, when he approached me to have yet another whinge about something minor, I said to him, "Go on, smile, you can do it even if it's only wind." All was to no effect, however. Other referees, like David Elleray, had the same problem with him, though I don't suppose David would have tried my approach."
Jeff Winter on managers
Gordon Strachan
"There were few trouble-free games in the Premiership. And when Gordon Strachan was involved, it seemed there were no trouble-free games."
Harry Redknapp
"He is a gentleman, fair-minded, and always honest even though he takes the game seriously and is as animated as the next man.. Football needs more managers in that mould."
Jeff Winter on clubs
Manchester United
"believe they are above the law and have the right to bully refs."
Jeff Winter on the FA and other referees
"The governing bodies were much more understanding then, even though it was only a few years ago. They had a human touch which has since, in my opinion gone unless your face fits. I've found that it depends on who you are. There was, in the past, a degree of flexibility towards everyone. To my mind, that no longer exists."
"You would have thought that every referee would be focused only on their on-field performance, but the growing profile of the Premiership was beginning to affect some referees in the same way it affected the top players - they were developing big egos and would walk all over their colleagues to be seen as top dog. That's natural enough in any organisation, but in refereeing age seemed to counter ability, some senior referees overlooking their own failings to pass judgement on others."
"Canny referees sought not only to please the top referee, but also the assessors and the match appointment secretary. Referees learnt very early in their careers that if they had the right assessor appointed to their game they could progress quickly. In other words, there was more to progressing than making the right decisions on the pitch. Call me naïve, but I settled for trying to referee every game to the best of my ability. While the politics and machinations behind the scenes annoyed me, I tried not to let it affect me. Easier said than done, of course."
Professional referees
"Philip (Don) had laid the foundations for building a generation of fitter, more educated and more professional referees. However, his ideas didn't meet with universal approval. He was accused of creating an elitist group, which didn't go down well with Football League officials, and he also had had the problem of integrating a squad of officials who previously had only seen each other at brief weekend get-togethers into a proper and united team."
"The major issue was that some people in the group seemed to enjoy an element of favouritism with regards to the major appointments"
Developments since his retirement
"Throughout the season I took calls from many referees and some of the conversations were less than upbeat. The picture they were painting of life inside the job was dismal. The brave new world of refereeing had not materialised. In fact, things were worse than they had ever been."
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