There
is one league table of Division One teams that is not headed by Fulham and
that is the latest Nationwide Fairplay League on the right.
Fulham are in a reasonable third place and this helps to confirm that Fulham,
under Jean Tigana, have gained first spot in the Nationwide Division One
league by playing football rather than using brute force.
Only one squad in Division 1 and the Premiership have committed less fouls
than Fulham.
Unfortunately these same figures underline the fact that Referees are human
and, rather disappointingly, seem to treat certain clubs more harshly than
others.
This can be seen by calculating the average number of fouls a squad is judged
to have committed for every yellow card they are awarded
A clear bias in Referee decisions can be seen in a table based on the above
calculation. To see how Fulham and other clubs are treated differently by
Referees
|
|
| Team Name |
Fouls |
Yellows |
Reds |
Pts per |
| 19/01/01 |
(1 pt) |
(2 pts) |
(5 pts) |
Game |
| Crewe |
214 |
26 |
1 |
10.0 |
| Grimsby |
246 |
23 |
1 |
11.4 |
| Fulham |
243 |
46 |
0 |
12.9 |
| Watford |
269 |
31 |
1 |
12.9 |
| Gillingham |
279 |
37 |
2 |
13.4 |
| Wolverhampton |
302 |
38 |
2 |
13.9 |
| Preston |
302 |
36 |
3 |
13.9 |
| Sheff Wed |
306 |
40 |
3 |
14.3 |
| QPR |
285 |
42 |
1 |
14.4 |
| Bolton |
326 |
38 |
1 |
14.5 |
| Wimbledon |
304 |
40 |
3 |
14.8 |
| Huddersfield |
312 |
43 |
1 |
14.9 |
| Barnsley |
317 |
43 |
3 |
14.9 |
| Birmingham |
309 |
34 |
2 |
14.9 |
| Crystal Palace |
300 |
37 |
3 |
15.0 |
| West Brom |
356 |
39 |
0 |
15.5 |
| Sheff Utd |
325 |
53 |
3 |
15.9 |
| Stockport |
329 |
49 |
5 |
16.1 |
| Norwich |
350 |
43 |
0 |
16.1 |
| Blackburn |
360 |
41 |
2 |
16.1 |
| Portsmouth |
348 |
38 |
3 |
16.3 |
| Burnley |
346 |
40 |
2 |
16.8 |
| Nottm Forest |
342 |
49 |
3 |
16.9 |
| Tranmere |
365 |
46 |
3 |
17.5 |
|
|
The table shows indisputable
that Fulham players are being cautioned far more frequently than any other
squad in Division One and in fact the Premiership as well.
What is also clear is that all the other Division One promotion contenders
are being cautioned LESS frequently.
The difference in treatment between Fulham and other promotion contenders
is quite staggering and means that Fulham has been given an additional
18 yellow cards or 40%!!
It is hard to understand why this situation has occurred particularly
as Fulham have not received an unusually large number of cautions in one
or two games. Match by match they receive more yellows for less fouls
than other teams. The type of fouls they are judged to have committed
are no different to other squads, Fulham are one of the four squads in
the top two divisions that have not received a red card so far this season.
Why are Fulham being punished more than other teams?
|
|
| Divi
1 pos |
Team
Name |
Fouls
|
Yellows
|
Reds
|
Fouls
per
Yellow |
| 1
|
Fulham
|
243
|
46
|
0
|
5.3
|
| 8
|
Sheff
Utd |
325
|
53
|
3
|
6.1
|
| 18
|
Stockport
|
329
|
49
|
5
|
6.7
|
| 23
|
QPR
|
285
|
42
|
1
|
6.8
|
| 7
|
Nottm
Forest |
342
|
49
|
3
|
7.0
|
| 19
|
Huddersfield
|
312
|
43
|
1
|
7.3
|
| 16
|
Barnsley
|
317
|
43
|
3
|
7.4
|
| 13
|
Gillingham
|
279
|
37
|
2
|
7.5
|
| 11
|
Wimbledon
|
304
|
40
|
3
|
7.6
|
| 22
|
Sheff
Wed |
306
|
40
|
3
|
7.7
|
| 12
|
Wolves
|
302
|
38
|
2
|
7.9
|
| 21
|
Tranmere
|
365
|
46
|
3
|
7.9
|
| 14
|
Crystal
Palace |
300
|
37
|
3
|
8.1
|
| 17
|
Norwich
|
350
|
43
|
0
|
8.1
|
| 24
|
Crewe
|
214
|
26
|
1
|
8.2
|
| 9
|
Preston
|
302
|
36
|
3
|
8.4
|
| 2
|
Bolton
|
326
|
38
|
1
|
8.6
|
| 10
|
Burnley
|
346
|
40
|
2
|
8.7
|
| 5
|
Watford
|
269
|
31
|
1
|
8.7
|
| 3
|
Blackburn
|
360
|
41
|
2
|
8.8
|
| 6
|
Birmingham
|
309
|
34
|
2
|
9.1
|
| 4
|
West
Brom |
356
|
39
|
0
|
9.1
|
| 15
|
Portsmouth
|
348
|
38
|
3
|
9.2
|
| 20
|
Grimsby
|
246
|
23
|
1
|
10.7
|
|
Source figs from nationwide