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Premier League Referees Looking Daft (PICTURES)

Premier League Referees Looking Daft (PICTURES)
The Huffington Post UK
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Referee Mike Dean (left) points to the penalty spot as Manchester United's Wayne Rooney (centre) is fouled by Portsmouth's Michael Brown (right)
PA

A good referee, the cliché reminds us, is one who goes unnoticed. Unfortunately, the Premier League's referees are gifted media careers and book deals after years of dubious officiating.

Shame on the corporations and publishers who have allowed these pedantic jobsworths oxygen as they continue to lecture supporters and successors, oblivious to the irony.

Mark Halsey is one such rent-a-quote, and, inexplicably, a pundit with the dreadful BT Sport.

Referees looking daft
FBL-ENG-PR-EVERTON-CHELSEA(01 of25)
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Referee Howard Webb (R) gestures to Everton's Croatian forward Nikica Jelavic and Chelsea's Brazilian defender David Luiz during the English Premier League football match between Everton and Chelsea at Goodison Park in Liverpool, northwest England on September 14, 2013. AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLIS RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or live services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications (Photo credit should read PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Soccer - Pre-Season Friendly - Fulham v Real Betis - Craven Cottage(02 of25)
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Lee Probert, Referee (credit:PA)
Soccer - Barclays Premier League - West Ham United v Chelsea - Upton Park(03 of25)
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Referee Mike Dean disallows the first penalty taken by Chelsea's Frank Lampard for encroachment (credit:PA)
Soccer - Barclays Premier League - Portsmouth v Manchester United - Fratton Park(04 of25)
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Referee Mike Dean (left) points to the penalty spot as Manchester United's Wayne Rooney (centre) is fouled by Portsmouth's Michael Brown (right) (credit:PA)
Tottenham Hotspur v Everton - Premier League(05 of25)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 11: Referee Martin Atkinson gestures during the Barclays Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Everton at White Hart Lane on January 11, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Soccer - Nationwide League Division One - Wolverhampton Wanderers v Bolton Wanderers(06 of25)
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Referee David Elleray (credit:PA)
ENGLISH SOCCER(07 of25)
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PAUL GASCOIGNE gets to grips with REFEREE GEORGE COURTNEY. Z4 (credit:PA)
Soccer - Nationwide League Division One - Nottingham Forest v Wigan Athletic(08 of25)
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Referee Jeff Winter (credit:PA)
Soccer - Nationwide League Division Two - Notts County v Mansfield Town(09 of25)
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Jeff Winter, Referee (credit:PA)
Soccer - Nationwide League Division Two - Notts County v Mansfield Town(10 of25)
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Jeff Winter, Referee (credit:PA)
Soccer - Barclays Premier League - Birmingham City v Chelsea - St Andrews(11 of25)
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Rob Styles, Referee (credit:PA)
Manchester City's Argentinian striker Ca(12 of25)
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Manchester City's Argentinian striker Carlos Tevez (L) is spoken to by referee Stuart Attwell (R) during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Wigan Athletic at The City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester, north-west England on March 5, 2011. AFP PHOTO/PAUL ELLISFOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY Additional licence required for any commercial/promotional use or use on TV or internet (except identical online version of newspaper) of Premier League/Football League photos. Tel DataCo +44 207 2981656. Do not alter/modify photo. (Photo credit should read PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Referee Mark Clattenburg gestures during(13 of25)
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Referee Mark Clattenburg gestures during the English FA Cup fifth round football match between Manchester City and Aston Villa at The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, north-west England, on March 2, 2011. AFP PHOTO/ PAUL ELLIS FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY Additional licence required for any commercial/promotional use or use on TV or internet (except identical online version of newspaper) of Premier League/Football League photos. Tel DataCo +44 207 2981656. Do not alter/modify photo. (Photo credit should read PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Group F Croatia v Australia - World Cup 2006(14 of25)
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STUTTGART, GERMANY - JUNE 22: Josip Simunic of Croatia is shown a yellow card by English referee Graham Poll during the FIFA World Cup Germany 2006 Group F match between Croatia and Australia at the Gottlieb-Daimler Stadium on June 22, 2006 in Stuttgart, Germany. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Group F Croatia v Australia - World Cup 2006(15 of25)
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STUTTGART, GERMANY - JUNE 22: Josip Simunic of Croatia is shown a yellow card by English referee Graham Poll during the FIFA World Cup Germany 2006 Group F match between Croatia and Australia at the Gottlieb-Daimler Stadium on June 22, 2006 in Stuttgart, Germany. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Group F Croatia v Australia - World Cup 2006(16 of25)
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STUTTGART, GERMANY - JUNE 22: Josip Simunic of Croatia is shown a yellow card by English referee Graham Poll during the FIFA World Cup Germany 2006 Group F match between Croatia and Australia at the Gottlieb-Daimler Stadium on June 22, 2006 in Stuttgart, Germany. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Group F Croatia v Australia - World Cup 2006(17 of25)
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STUTTGART, GERMANY - JUNE 22: Referee Graham Poll of England makes a decision during the FIFA World Cup Germany 2006 Group F match between Croatia and Australia at the Gottlieb-Daimler Stadium on June 22, 2006 in Stuttgart, Germany. (Photo by Ben Radford/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Screen Shot 2013-10-10 at 12(18 of25)
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Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea - Carling Cup Final(24 of25)
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LONDON - FEBRUARY 24: Referee Mark Halsey gestures during the Carling Cup Final between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on February 24, 2008 in London, England. (Photo by Phil Cole/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Soccer - Coca-Cola Football League Two - Notts County v Rochdale - Meadow Lane(25 of25)
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Match referee Mark Halsey gestures during the Coca-Cola League Two match at Meadow Lane, Nottingham. (credit:PA)

After weeks of fence-sitting, Halsey is fed up of the splinters and has launched into a couple of tirades recently, drawing the ire of former colleague Graham Poll.

Poll, who once thought three yellow cards merited a red, has had his nose put out of joint by Halsey's new celebrity status and the two were on the phone bitching about each other this week. It is one fight where you hope both lose.

Click through the gallery to see how daft they really are.

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