Rosco calls for more referees (From Bournemouth Echo)

Rosco calls for more referees

7:00am Monday 21st April 2008 in

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FORMER Pirates captain Alun Rossiter has backed growing calls for speedway to use more than one referee to officiate matches.

Swindon's current team manager has also jumped to the defence of Mike Posselwhite, labelling him "a top man" and "one of the best referees you can get".

Posselwhite came under fierce attack from irate Poole Castle Cover fans after he wrongly excluded Mads Korneliussen from a race at Wimborne Road last week.

Korneliussen, who had been guesting for Pirates, was inadvertently sent sprawling into the safety fence by Coventry's Chris Harris on the second bend.

It was clear to those fans with a clear view of the incident that Harris, who later admitted his mistake, should have been excluded for unfair riding.

But Posselwhite, who has officiated in the Grand Prix, controversially sent Korneliussen packing, even though he had been the innocent party.

Rossiter, forced to leave injured Korneliussen out of his own team for their next fixture while he recovered from a badly beaten up body, said: "I agree with Neil Middleditch, Peter Oakes and Mads.

"Another ref (situated on or near the second bend) could have had a discussion with the ref straight after the incident before a decision was made.

"There has definitely got to be a call for more refs. It will cost more money, but if you are going to get the right decision we need it.

"Speedway is moving fast forward into the 21st Century and if it wants to keep up as the world changes, it is something we have to do to keep our profile as high as it currently is.

"We have to keep speedway's momentum going and not waste the superb backing we are getting from Sky at the moment.

"There has to be a call for a second or third referee. It is something we need to sit down and discuss, and see what the best way is to go."

Looking back on the Korneliussen-Harris incident, Rossiter added: "(Coventry team manager) Peter Oakes knew a mistake was made by Chris, and even Chris admitted he was wrong.

"If most people in a 3,000 crowd saw what happened, but the ref didn't, it is wrong.

"A second referee standing on the other side of the track to help the ref in the box would give the officials more chance of getting the right decision.

"And that would have stopped all the insults flying around after what happened.

"The ref has decided wrong and there is resentment towards Chris and that wouldn't have happened if the ref had got it right, but because the ref made such a poor decision the resentment will keep going."

Rossiter, who has almost 30 years experience in the sport as rider, promoter and team manager, added: "It is not a personal attack on Mike Posselwhite.

"He is a top man. He is one of the best refs you can get. Mike's a great ref. I have the utmost respect for him.

"But if the whole stadium can see it apart from the ref, and some of those people sat near him, there is something wrong.

"It shows we need another official, and probably multi-angle video technology to help the ref as well. We can't berate Mike. We have to reach a solution.

"Middlo and Oakesy are right. There has to be more refs in place to protect their colleagues from the criticism they are getting now.

"If two people have made the decision, there is no argument. Everyone would have to accept it."