Graham Poll - Tring, Hertfordshire
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 believed were poor performance in a number of games, last season he was parachuted in to the Fulham v Southampton game as the original ref, Mr Clattenburg, was deemed to be too inexperienced for tough guys Fulham, following Mark Halsey's inept performance during the Arsenal game and the fun and games during the West Brom match.
Poll was in the wars elsewhere last season, he reffed the Liverpool 2-1 win over Man City and sent off Dunne five minutes from time after a linesman decided the Irishman had pulled down Cisse, despite Poll initially deciding there was no offence from a much closer position.
When Norwich played Arsenal in August they were seriously unimpressed when Poll only issued Lauren with a yellow card after he hauled down Huckerby.
It appeared the Arsenal defender was the last man some 25 yards out, and as such should have been dismissed.
But after consulting his assistant, the Hertfordshire official gave Norwich a free-kick just inside the centre circle.
Obviously it was not only Ref Halsey who thought consulting the lino was a neat way of avoiding a run breaking decision against Arsenal.
In the last two seasons Ref Poll has officiated at 7 Fulham games in the Premiership. Fulham have won 1, drawn 1 and lost 5 and received 11 cards without any one player being singled out.
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Referee Stats - 2005/2006
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Ref Poll has been an average sort of whistler in the last few seasons however this season he has decided to get tough and is currently puffing some 10% more than the Premiership referee average.Last season saw an increase in the number of yellow cards issued by Ref Poll however the pace has increased even faster this season. Ref Poll is now the busiest ref in the Premiership issuing some 40% more cards per match so far this season.Unfortunately after a slow start he has now issued more than the average red cards.
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Mr. Poll's |
Av Premiership Ref |
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Total |
Match Avg |
Total |
Match Avg |
| Games |
18 |
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19 |
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| Fouls |
558 |
31.0 |
349 |
27.2 |
| Yellows |
73 |
4.1 |
42 |
3.2 |
| Reds |
4 |
0.2 |
3 |
0.2 |
| Fouls per Yellow |
- |
7.6 |
8.3 |
8.3 |
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| Homer? (2004-2005) |
| Total |
Home |
Away |
Total |
| Games |
Fouls |
Yellow |
Red |
Fouls |
Yellow |
Red |
Fouls |
Yellow |
Red |
| 18 |
275 |
31 |
2 |
283 |
42 |
2 |
558 |
73 |
4 |
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49.3% |
42.5% |
50% |
50.7% |
57.5% |
50% |
- |
- |
- |
| Premiership Average |
| 19 |
49.4% |
41.5% |
28% |
50.6% |
58.5% |
72% |
349 |
42 |
3 |
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It would appear that although Ref Poll has been issuing a lot more cards than other refs he at least trying to be even handed in which squads he upsets the most..
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Previous Fulham games what was refed by Graham Poll
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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.
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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) |
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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)
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05-01-2005 Premiership Southampton 3-3 Fulham y4 0r
Bookings: Phillips, Redknapp (Southampton) Cole, Rehman (Fulham)
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20-11-2004 Premiership Everton 1-0 Fulham 1y 0r
Bookings: Diop (Fulham)
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25-09-2004 Premiership Fulham 1-0 Southampton 1r 0y
Bookings: McCann (Southampton)
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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. |
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10-01-2004 Premiership Fulham 2-1 Everton 0y 0r
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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. |
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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 |
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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.
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14-04-2002 FA Cup - Fulham 0-1 Chelsea 4y 0r
Bookings: Boa Morte, Finnan (Fulham) Ferrer, Gronkjaer (Chelsea) |
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02-12-2001 Premiership - Fulham 0-0 Leeds 3y 0r
Bookings: Legwinski (Fulham) Seth Johnson, Smith (Leeds)
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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) |
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28-08-1999 Championship Fulham 2-1 Charlton 28-08-1999 4y 0r
Bookings: Neilson, Peschisolido (Fulham) Robinson, Rufus (Charlton)
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05-01-1998 FA Cup Tottenham 3-1 Fulham 4y 0r
Bookings: Dominguez (Tottenham) Neilson, Smith, Trollope (Fulham)
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