I SIGN off my column with The Bolton News this season with a depressingly familiar tale.

Once again we’ve seen a series of decisions from Premier League referees based on the evaluation system rather than their own game-management skills.

We are seeing key match errors time and time again and you have to wonder when it is going to end?

How many times are we going to see players needlessly sent off because a referee has been too eager to reach for his pocket earlier in the game?

QPR’s Nedum Onuoha was a perfect example. On Saturday he pulled down Martin Skrtel for a penalty 11 minutes before the end against Liverpool with the game at 1-1.

Now why not just award the penalty? Why did Martin Atkinson issue a caution? The answer; he gets marked down if he doesn’t.

A few minutes later – and this after Steven Gerrard had missed the penalty – Onuoha drags down Jordan Ibe, a daft one considering he was already on a yellow card, and off he goes.

That situation should have been managed before it got started.

Jon Moss gave a nailed-on penalty to West Ham against Burnley but should never have sent him off as well. It is no wonder that the Clarets have appealed; it simply wasn’t a clear denial of a goalscoring opportunity.

Then you look at the penalty appeal involving Stewart Downing. The West Ham winger is clearly caught by Ben Mee, you only have to look at his reaction. Okay, if you have a doubt then don’t give the penalty – but don’t dish out a caution, you’re asking for trouble.

Mike Jones got it wrong when he sent off James Ward-Prowse for bringing down Jermain Defoe at the Stadium of Light. The Sunderland striker never had the ball under control and so it wasn’t an obvious goalscoring opportunity.

Kevin Friend got stick for giving a penalty to Chelsea in the Crystal Palace game. In real time I thought it was a stone-wall spot-kick. On the replays you could argue either way but I still think he was justified in giving it.

A few Palace fans wanted to see John Terry penalised for handball in the first half, again, I think Kevin got the decision right. The ball cannoned off Cesar Azpilicueta and there is no way you could claim it was deliberate.

It has been thoroughly enjoyable writing the column this season and I’d like to thank everyone for reading, plus sending me their views on Twitter.

I’ll be back next season. I’ll see you again in August.

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ENGLISH clubs might have dropped out of Europe early – but our referees are still flying the flag.

Martin Atkinson was in Champions League action in Turin last night as Real Madrid took on Juventus.

And I think Mark Clattenburg has got an excellent chance of getting one of the semi-final second-legs because of the permutations involved.

In fact, Mark might well make up for the fact he was criminally overlooked for the FA Cup final by getting the showpiece event in the Europa League. I’ve certainly got my fingers crossed for him.

He did the Super Cup earlier this season and the reports from his performances on the continent have been outstanding. He’s had high praise from Pierluigi Collina, and it doesn’t come much better than that when you’re a referee.

Looking back since I started this column at the end of last year, I can’t see anyone who has matched his consistency in the Premier League and made so few key match errors.

Mike Dean continues to be an excellent referee, while Anthony Taylor has also had a very good season.

Michael Oliver has got all the talent you’d ask for, he just needs to eliminate a few key match errors from his game and he’ll be right up there as well.

Another young ref, Craig Pawson, has had a tough second season. I’m sure he’s got the mental strength to improve again next year.

As for the rest I’m afraid it’s a case of “could do better”.

Like the Premier League itself, games within the division fall into three bands of quality. And looking down the list in the Select Group, there are not enough referees you would trust with the ones we like to call the “gold games”.

Of course every game matters. But when you are handling the pressure of a Manchester United v Liverpool or Chelsea v Manchester City, you need a safe pair of hands.

I still don’t believe enough quality young referees are coming through the system. I speak to Marc Iles at the paper and I know he hasn’t been impressed with the standard of official that Wanderers get on a weekly basis.

Maybe two or three could handle the step up in class but I genuinely worry where the next group of top class referees are going to come from. I don’t know that anyone is ready to lace the boots of a Mark Clattenburg or a Mike Dean just yet.

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IT’S onwards and upwards at Bury, so congratulations to them for an incredible promotion to League One.

I was made up to see the Shakers had secured a spot in the top three with a win at Tranmere.

My nephew, George Miller, plays in the academy at Bury and I’ve seen first-hand what a change there has been in that place over the last 12 months. Hopefully there are plenty more good times ahead for the club.

I also take my hat off to Bournemouth for winning the Championship. They’ve been great to watch this season and it’ll be great to see what all those Manchester United and Arsenal fans think of the Goldsands Stadium once they get there next season – it’ll be quite a culture clash.

As for Wanderers, well, there hasn’t been much to celebrate this season, has there?

I wish Neil Lennon all the luck in the world this summer because he’s got a big job on his hands. I just hope the club, or someone from the outside, steps in and gives him the cash he needs to get that squad up to scratch. It certainly needs a bit of refurbishment.

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MY heart goes out to Rio Ferdinand after the tragic loss of his wife Rebecca.

News like that brings everything into perspective. We talk about football being an important game but in the grand scheme of things it means absolutely nothing compared to family and friends.

I had the pleasure of refereeing Rio on a number of occasions and he was always a class act, so I’d like to take this chance to pass on my condolences, and I’m sure all my colleagues at The Bolton News would say the same.

Cancer is a disease that touched my life. My wife Michelle continues to battle against leukaemia, so Rio’s story really resonated with me.