Ref Poll announces international retirement
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English referee Graham Poll has decided to retire from officiating at international tournaments after his high-profile blunder at the World Cup.
The official from Tring contrived to show Josip Simunic three yellow cards during Croatia's 2-2 draw with Australia, but failed to send the defender off having produced the second caution.
As a result, he was sent home from the tournament and has now decided to call time on his international career, although he will continue at club level.
"Certainly what happened a week ago is something I deeply regret," he explained in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News. "I'm really forced into doing this.
"Obviously, people will pick up on it and report what they will, but this is it - the only comment I make on TV, radio and newspapers. It's the only comment Graham Poll will be making on World Cup 2006.
"Basically, inexcusably, I made an error in law. Most mistakes are conjecture; most discussion, most controversy surrounds opinion. Was it a penalty or wasn't it? Should it be a goal? Was the ref right to disallow a goal or not? Was a red card correct?
The official from Tring contrived to show Josip Simunic three yellow cards during Croatia's 2-2 draw with Australia, but failed to send the defender off having produced the second caution.
As a result, he was sent home from the tournament and has now decided to call time on his international career, although he will continue at club level.
"Certainly what happened a week ago is something I deeply regret," he explained in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News. "I'm really forced into doing this.
"Obviously, people will pick up on it and report what they will, but this is it - the only comment I make on TV, radio and newspapers. It's the only comment Graham Poll will be making on World Cup 2006.
"Basically, inexcusably, I made an error in law. Most mistakes are conjecture; most discussion, most controversy surrounds opinion. Was it a penalty or wasn't it? Should it be a goal? Was the ref right to disallow a goal or not? Was a red card correct?
"They're things we can always debate. What I did was an error in law - there can be no dispute. It wasn't caused by a Fifa directive, it wasn't caused by me being asked to referee differently to in the Premier League. The others in my team were absolutely clear, however, the laws in the game are very specific. A referee takes responsibility for actions on the field of play.
"I was referee that evening, it was my error and the buck stops with me.
"It's not carrying the can, it's being honest. I've had a week to reflect. I've had the first two nights completely sleepless, it's been something that has hurt me deeply. It's not about carrying the can, it's about being open and saying to people I got it wrong, I'm sorry and it's time to move on.
"We were unaware of what had happened. Disbelief went around the dressing room when we were made aware of the error. We had to look at the DVD around 11.30 that evening and we realised, for me, that 26 years of hard work of refereeing, working up from park level, it meant my dream was over.
"Firstly, Fifa's reaction has been really, really impressive," he explained. "The head of refereeing came to me immediately and hugged me and said he was disappointed for me, not with me. That's important - it shows there's family here.
"I've had nothing but support from other referees, feeling it could've been any of us. Whatever communication system we have, for some reason, we've had it before and it does happen. What we don't want is it to happen on a big stage and it happened to me.
"Last night, at the farewell dinner, I had a personal call from Sepp Blatter to urge me to continue, not to doubt my ability as one of the best referees in the world. It has to touch you when the president of Fifa, the most powerful man in football, takes trouble to say not you're rubbish, you've let me down, you've ruined the tournament but, basically, nobody died. He said these things, it happens, you're a fantastic referee and I urge you to press on and carry on with your career."
He continued, "I will be back refereeing in the Premier League next season - August 19 we start. Keith Hackett has already organised a meeting for how we go forward. Five weeks of rest now will be good but I need to keep fit, keep in training and be ready for the start of the season but it's time for me to let go of the mistake.
"I reiterate that nobody got hurt from the error. Nobody died - remember football is a game, an important game, the world's game and what I did was a public mistake but it didn't affect qualification or the outcome of the match. It meant a player who shouldn't have been on the field stayed on the field for two or three minutes longer than they should've done. I'm not trying to minimise that error but, because of that, it makes it easier for me to move on.
"It's time to move on, time to let go, certainly not to retire and to come back fit and strong for next season."
"I was referee that evening, it was my error and the buck stops with me.
"It's not carrying the can, it's being honest. I've had a week to reflect. I've had the first two nights completely sleepless, it's been something that has hurt me deeply. It's not about carrying the can, it's about being open and saying to people I got it wrong, I'm sorry and it's time to move on.
"We were unaware of what had happened. Disbelief went around the dressing room when we were made aware of the error. We had to look at the DVD around 11.30 that evening and we realised, for me, that 26 years of hard work of refereeing, working up from park level, it meant my dream was over.
"Firstly, Fifa's reaction has been really, really impressive," he explained. "The head of refereeing came to me immediately and hugged me and said he was disappointed for me, not with me. That's important - it shows there's family here.
"I've had nothing but support from other referees, feeling it could've been any of us. Whatever communication system we have, for some reason, we've had it before and it does happen. What we don't want is it to happen on a big stage and it happened to me.
"Last night, at the farewell dinner, I had a personal call from Sepp Blatter to urge me to continue, not to doubt my ability as one of the best referees in the world. It has to touch you when the president of Fifa, the most powerful man in football, takes trouble to say not you're rubbish, you've let me down, you've ruined the tournament but, basically, nobody died. He said these things, it happens, you're a fantastic referee and I urge you to press on and carry on with your career."
He continued, "I will be back refereeing in the Premier League next season - August 19 we start. Keith Hackett has already organised a meeting for how we go forward. Five weeks of rest now will be good but I need to keep fit, keep in training and be ready for the start of the season but it's time for me to let go of the mistake.
"I reiterate that nobody got hurt from the error. Nobody died - remember football is a game, an important game, the world's game and what I did was a public mistake but it didn't affect qualification or the outcome of the match. It meant a player who shouldn't have been on the field stayed on the field for two or three minutes longer than they should've done. I'm not trying to minimise that error but, because of that, it makes it easier for me to move on.
"It's time to move on, time to let go, certainly not to retire and to come back fit and strong for next season."
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