0 users online

Ref for West Ham: Background

last updated Wednesday 10th January 2007, 10:31 AM
Graham Poll - Tring, Hertfordshire
Ref Poll of Tring Graham Poll was a mere whipper-snapper when he joined the Premiership League list, back in 1993. The previously self-employed sales consultant began refereeing in 1980, joining the football league list in 1991 and gaining FIFA approval in 1996. His career highlights include the 1998 Charity Shield and 2000/01's FA Cup final. When the F.A. introduced "professional" referees Poll was a founder member. Remembered by Fulham fans for what they believe were poor performance in a number of games in recent times. In the last three seasons Ref Poll has officiated at 11 Fulham games in the Premiership. Fulham have won 4, drawn 2 and lost 5 and received 18 cards without any one player being singled out.
Referee Stats - 2006/2007

Ref Poll continues to be a top puffer currently second busiest out of 22 refs.

His current 3.8 yellows per game rate is a personal high for Mr Poll and represents the 6th increase over the previous season on the trot.

But at 3.8 cards per game he is only 5th busiest in the Premiership. Clattenburg, Rennie and Styles are averaging between 4 and 5 a game.

  Mr. Poll's Av Premiership Ref
Total Match Avg Pos Total Match Avg
Games 18     12  
Fouls 511 28.4 2nd 306 25.3
Yellows 68 3.8 5th 39 3.2
Reds 2 0.1 11th 2 0.2
Pemalties 4 0.2 13th 4 0.3
Fouls per Yellow - 7.5 8th - 7.8
Homer? (2006-2007)
Total Home Away Total
Games Fouls Yellow Red Pen Fouls Yellow Red Pen Fouls Yellow Red Pen
18 264 21 0 2 247 47 2 2 511 68 2 4
  52% 31% 0% 50% 48% 69% 100% 50%        
Premiership Average
12 50% 42% 31% 62% 50% 58% 69% 38% 306 39 2 4

Ref Poll seems determined to be Mr Tough guy this season with one of the most anti-visitor attitudes of any ref in the Premiership.

Hopefully he has a quiet day on our visit to West Ham on Saturday.

Previous Fulham games what was refed by Graham Poll
2006/2007
27-12-2006 Premier Charlton 2-2 Fulham 0y 0r
Bookings: None
28-10-2006 Premier Fulham 0-1 Wigan 3y 0r
Bookings: Knight (Fulham) De Zeeuw, Scharner (Wigan)

26-08-2006 Premier Fulham 1-0 Sheff Utd 6y 0r
Bookings: Bullard, Diop, Helguson (Fulham) Alan Quinn, Leigertwood, Tonge (Sheff Utd)

2005/2006
11-02-2006 Premier Fulham 6-1 West Brom 5y 0r
Bookings: Boa Morte, Helguson, Radzinski (Fulham) Martinez, Wallwork (West Brom)
Mr Poll was not in a forgiving mood and tried to keep up with the score.
26-12-2005 Premiership Chelsea 3-2 Fulham 4y 0r
Bookings: Joe Cole (Chelsea) Christanval, John, Legwinski (Fulham)
The one when Fulham had a clear penalty turned down, by Mr Poll, after John Terry pulled off what looked like a goalkeeper's save from Boa Morte's shot on the edge of the area.
27-11-2005 Premiership Fulham 2-1 Bolton 9y 0r
Bookings: Bocanegra, Rosenior (Fulham) Ben Haim, Davies, Diouf, Nolan, O'Brien, Okocha, Speed (Bolton)
The one where 7 of that nice chap Sam Allardyce's team were yellow carded and one sent off after the match had ended. Sam of course was not at fault it was the ref what done it wearing an ear piece.
17-09-2005 Premiership Fulham 1-2 West Ham 3y 0r
Bookings: Boa Morte, Bocanegra (Fulham) Reo-Coker (West Ham)
2004/2005
04-05-2005 Premiership Fulham 1-3 Newcastle 2y 0r
Bookings: Van der Sar (Fulham) Taylor (Newcastle)
29-01-2005 FA Cup Derby 1-1 Fulham 2y 0r
Bookings: Idiakez (Derby) Cole (Fulham)
05-01-2005 Premiership Southampton 3-3 Fulham 4y 0r
Bookings: Phillips, Redknapp (Southampton) Cole, Rehman (Fulham)
20-11-2004 Premiership Everton 1-0 Fulham 1y 0r
Bookings: Diop (Fulham)
25-09-2004 Premiership Fulham 1-0 Southampton 1r 0y
Bookings: McCann (Southampton)
2003/2004
14-02-2004 FA Cup Fulham 0-0 West Ham 3y 0r
Bookings: Bocanegra, Hayles (Fulham) Connolly (West Ham)
West Ham were helped to a large slice of good fortune by Referee Graham Poll who waved away Fulham's penalty appeals when Repka and Dailly sandwiched Barry Hayles right on the edge of the box.

10-01-2004 Premiership Fulham 2-1 Everton 0y 0r

16-08-2003 Premiership Fulham 3-2 Middlesborough 2y 0r
Bookings: Legwinski (Fulham) Southgate (Middlesbro)
A penalty, saved by van der Sar, was given for a ball on hand that other Ref's may have ignored. A blatant second yellow for Southgate was overlooked when he pulled Malbranque down. As Malbranque went down on the edge of the box and there was no free kick for Fulham there should have been a card for Malbranque.
2002/2003
07-04-2003 Premiership Fulham 0-4 Blackburn 3y 0r
Bookings: Neill, Short, Tugay (Blackburn)
Mr Poll's performance was of no interest to Fulham fans as this was the first game after Jean Tigana got canned.
16-02-2003 FA Cup Fulham 1-1 Burnley 1y 0r
Bookings: West (Burnley)
Sean Davis had claims for a penalty, soon after teaming up with Malbranque for a neat one-two, when going down under Graham Branch's challenge in the area. Referee Poll, much to the derision of the home support, ignored the claims and awarded a free-kick to the Clarets. Poll continued to officiate in a onesided fashion in favour of Burnley indulging their crude physicality as if they were children playing grown-ups

23-11-2002 Premiership - Fulham 3-2 Liverpool 3y 1r
Bookings: Brevett, Goma (sent off 70 for second yellow) (Fulham) Traore (Liverpool)
Fulham won 3-2 despite Poll consistently giving decisions against Fulham and failing to punish Liverpool players in similar situations. Liverpools first goal came from a free kick given for shirt tugging by Finnan on a Liverpool player uninvolved in an attack that Van der Sar made a save on. Poll called the play back to outside our area and gave a freekick from which Liverpool scored. Liverpool's second goal came from Baros after he pole axed Rufus in the area and Poll extraordinarily failed to spot the event even though everyone else saw it. To finish off his unhelpful performance Poll sent Goma off in the 70th minute for a second yellow.

2001/2002
14-04-2002 FA Cup - Fulham 0-1 Chelsea 4y 0r
Bookings: Boa Morte, Finnan (Fulham) Ferrer, Gronkjaer (Chelsea)

02-12-2001 Premiership - Fulham 0-0 Leeds 3y 0r
Bookings: Legwinski (Fulham) Seth Johnson, Smith (Leeds)

30-09-2001 Premiership - Fulham 1-1 Chelsea 5y 1r
Bookings: Sean Davis (Fulham) Desailly, Gallas, Jokanovic (sent off 81 for second yellow), Terry (Chelsea)
2000/2001
No games with Fulham
1999/2000
28-08-1999 Championship Fulham 2-1 Charlton 28-08-1999 4y 0r
Bookings: Neilson, Peschisolido (Fulham) Robinson, Rufus (Charlton)
1998/1999
No games with Fulham
1997/1998
05-01-1998 FA Cup Tottenham 3-1 Fulham 4y 0r
Bookings: Dominguez (Tottenham) Neilson, Smith, Trollope (Fulham)
















Source
Since 1998
"It's been updated!"