Mark Burridge

Aircraft Engineer, Chelsea fan since 1967, who likes Art, cycling, music, planet Earth matters, space exploration and wildlife. also known to do a bit of yoga

[Mark Burridge @budge_mark]

@stevemoss10 The beautiful game is finished as we knew it 😏

[Mark Burridge @budge_mark]

@whitewall618431 Don’t have regrets mate, I hate that “effin” badge, remember when it first came out and thought what’s this shit we ain’t bloody Millwall!

[Mark Burridge @budge_mark]

@greenaway56 Wishing you a successful op & speedy recovery

[Mark Burridge @budge_mark]

@jojo1cfc Bless her ❤️

[Mark Burridge @budge_mark]

@ralpha060461 As always in times like these for our club “it’s the hope that kills you” but hey ho on we go #KTBFFH 💙

[Stan Collymore @StanCollymore]

VAR

I enthusiastically welcomed it. Was sold on the higher percentage of right decisions so we could all go home knowing football justice had been done and we could concentrate on which player was crap instead.

But I was wrong. Woefully and completely wrong.

Waiting 5 minutes for a decision to be made alone means the system isn't fit for purpose. Why? Because I sat with TV producers who said everything would be wrapped up in 10-30 seconds. It has literally taken the spontaneous joy from the most important part of the game. A goal.

Then, one thing completely blindsided me and many others.

Subjectivity.

I thought there would be science and a nailed on guarantee of a successfully and universally accepted decision. How wrong we were. Instead, arbitrary lines are drawn that simply can't with any certainty say whether a player is offside or not. So a human in a portacabin, 200 miles away only does what the referee can do, make a best guess.

Likewise handballs, dives, any penalty decision to be honest. A subjective decision decided out of stadium allowing an increasingly small and poor refereeing pool a get out of jail free card. Instead of them making a shit decision and owning it, they just pass it on 200 miles away so 3 men in a portacabin can make a shit decision instead. Lunacy.

For the love of the game, let's go back to investing in getting more referees, respecting them so that they join the trade and don't feel constantly abused. In short, treat them like rugby referees. Ultimate respect.

Then, fuck VAR off, it's ruined the game, made it petty and chaotic, and taken that one ingredient that you simply can't replace, instantaneous joy.

As a player and fan I accepted a referee making a bad decision in a game in the same way I accepted fucking up a shot or pass. We're all human.

Let's get back to that, humans doing their best, everyone walks away from the ground accepting that and less unrealistic pressure put on officials to be perfect when perfection doesn't exist in any walk of life.

VAR stinks. A system designed to help is a massive hindrance and it's about time pundits, fans, players, referees, clubs put pressure on authorities to get rid of it. We only need goal line tech, the rest can and should be refer refereed by humans making their best judgement. A best judgement that was over 98% right( audited fact pre VAR).

Enough is enough, fuck it off.

[Mark Burridge @budge_mark]

@brianpriest1 “Brain dead” spot on fella, surely to be goal side and man mark is in a defenders DNA! Absolutely clueless 😡

[Mark Burridge @budge_mark]

@ChelseaFanCast @Jonathankydd @chelseafanbite The club, owners, manager and entire squad should be made to watch your soundbite every week mate. They might actually learn something

[Mark Burridge @budge_mark]

@whitewall618431 🤦‍♂️

[Mark Burridge @budge_mark]

@NeilSpyBarnett @bonettithecats1 @ChelseaFC Chuckle brothers football, to me to you, to me to you 🥱

[Mark Burridge @budge_mark]

@Bantamchamp1927 @cfc1959BH @GBNEWS @TalkTV @talkSPORT @MartinDaubney @PatrickChristys @joeroganhq @metpoliceuk @SkySportsBoxing @SkyNews @TysonfuryFury Nothing is sacred anymore

[Mark Burridge @budge_mark]

@onlyapound Saw him play many times late 60’s early 70’s a tenacious tough tackling full back, proper Blues legend, RIP Eddie Mac

[Richard Hancock @richh81]

This cannot be real…..seriously?!!
With r*pe gangs and people stealing on an industrial scale, not to mention flooding into the country ILLEGALLY - the British police force find the time to arrest a clearly non-threatening individual FEEDING PIDGEONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
🤯

[Mark Burridge @budge_mark]

@tim_rolls Blue Co employee 🤷‍♂️

[Mark Burridge @budge_mark]

@tim_rolls 😂😂

[Mark Burridge @budge_mark]

@gate17marco After dominating the first half we looked lost and confused, no plan B and no idea how to react and as for the subs! Give me strength!!

[Mark Burridge @budge_mark]

@Jenny_1884 Never have

[Mark Burridge @budge_mark]

@whitewall618431 1st half Shed end, 2nd half under the North Stand, mental night for goals. Remember Hollins missed a penalty in the next round at 0-0 and we were out! Orient a terrible away day and as for Stoke we were by far the better side on the day but just wasn’t meant to be!

[Mark Burridge @budge_mark]

@whitewall618431 Played there myself mate in the Middx County Youth FA Senior Cup Final, May 74. Didn’t get the result we wanted but great memories of a great ol’ ground