Alyson Rudd of the Times assures me that VAR rightly confirmed that it wasn't a pen

[Alberto Balsam Rodriguez]

when that Sheffield United defender kicked his leg out and hit Pepe's leg as he tried to get by him in the box.

Alyson Rudd is a stupid c*nt. And VAR is a pile of sh1t. And Mike Dean deserves a violent and painful death.

Let no man contradict these truths

It isn't necessarily VAR that is **** but its implementation. Naturally, our referees association or whatever they are, are a total pile of cund with Mike Riley in charge.

Purely out of academic interest, what did Alyson Rudd actually say?

[Burney]

It isn't necessarily VAR that is **** but its implementation. Naturally, our referees association or whatever they are, are a total pile of cund with Mike Riley in charge.

Purely out of academic interest, what did Alyson Rudd actually say?

Quite so. The first rule of this should have been that it should take both the referral and the decision out of the hands of the on-field official. Their decisions are always going to be subject to confirmation bias. It should be based on the right of the on-field captains to appeal decisions.

[Sir C]

Quite so. The first rule of this should have been that it should take both the referral and the decision out of the hands of the on-field official. Their decisions are always going to be subject to confirmation bias. It should be based on the right of the on-field captains to appeal decisions.

Bank House review:

The 273 from St Mary Cray Station Approach takes 10 minutes and stops right outside the restaurant. 10/10, excellent service, although not cheasp at £1.50 per head. Each way.

Bank House is nice and buzzy, front of house excellent (he's the owner so he ought to be), service knowlegable and enthusastic. They mixed an excellent Negroni and a Cosmopolitan. 'Small plates' menu - everything chosen was extremely good. They recommended 2 - 3 per person. We ordered 3 per person and then desserts and weren't stuffed... the bill to include a bottle of decent Montalcino from the extensive but expensive wine list and a glass of Takaji came to over £150. Given that we weren't excatly stuffed and didn't drink a huge amount, that strikes me as steep.

Also, it doesn't feel like a destination, an event, a special ocassion.

Recommended for a nice meal if you're feeling flush. Not necessarily recommended for a birthday treat.

[Burney]

Bank House review:

The 273 from St Mary Cray Station Approach takes 10 minutes and stops right outside the restaurant. 10/10, excellent service, although not cheasp at £1.50 per head. Each way.

Bank House is nice and buzzy, front of house excellent (he's the owner so he ought to be), service knowlegable and enthusastic. They mixed an excellent Negroni and a Cosmopolitan. 'Small plates' menu - everything chosen was extremely good. They recommended 2 - 3 per person. We ordered 3 per person and then desserts and weren't stuffed... the bill to include a bottle of decent Montalcino from the extensive but expensive wine list and a glass of Takaji came to over £150. Given that we weren't excatly stuffed and didn't drink a huge amount, that strikes me as steep.

Also, it doesn't feel like a destination, an event, a special ocassion.

Recommended for a nice meal if you're feeling flush. Not necessarily recommended for a birthday treat.

TYVM. Duly noted. £6.00 for a round trip on a bus seems very steep to me. You could have spent not a lot more than that and Ubered it.

[Sir C]

TYVM. Duly noted. £6.00 for a round trip on a bus seems very steep to me. You could have spent not a lot more than that and Ubered it.

Ubered it home. £9. So that would have been £18 round trip, significantly more than £6.

[Burney]

Ubered it home. £9. So that would have been £18 round trip, significantly more than £6.

Is your dignity not worth £12?

[Sir C]

Is your dignity not worth £12?

I’m mad for the uncle Gus. You get some exercise walking to the bus stop and you meet all sorts of interesting people.

[Burney]

Bank House review:

The 273 from St Mary Cray Station Approach takes 10 minutes and stops right outside the restaurant. 10/10, excellent service, although not cheasp at £1.50 per head. Each way.

Bank House is nice and buzzy, front of house excellent (he's the owner so he ought to be), service knowlegable and enthusastic. They mixed an excellent Negroni and a Cosmopolitan. 'Small plates' menu - everything chosen was extremely good. They recommended 2 - 3 per person. We ordered 3 per person and then desserts and weren't stuffed... the bill to include a bottle of decent Montalcino from the extensive but expensive wine list and a glass of Takaji came to over £150. Given that we weren't excatly stuffed and didn't drink a huge amount, that strikes me as steep.

Also, it doesn't feel like a destination, an event, a special ocassion.

Recommended for a nice meal if you're feeling flush. Not necessarily recommended for a birthday treat.

Essentially, I have boiled this review down to 'We left hungry, sober and £150 lighter'

[Sir C]

Essentially, I have boiled this review down to 'We left hungry, sober and £150 lighter'

"We left sated, (just), half cut and £150 plus tip lighter."

[Alberto Balsam Rodriguez]

Quite so. The first rule of this should have been that it should take both the referral and the decision out of the hands of the on-field official. Their decisions are always going to be subject to confirmation bias. It should be based on the right of the on-field captains to appeal decisions.

I just remember how long it took them to get DRS right. Remember the days when the 3rd umpire would give the on field umpire the details and left it to the umpire to make the final call? It was carnage for a while. It's been refined and improved and refined again to what we have now

Although, in DRS, the on field umpire still has final say, the parameters are fairly well defined. There is a certain degree of out or not out and this took a few years. Imagine how Football, a constantly moving game with much wider room for interpretation, will work to refine and improve the VAR system.

Perhaps, the VAR should only be used to define black and white decisions. Was the ball over the line (throw, GK/corner/goal etc), was a foul inside or outside the box and offside. Strictly define the parameters and then apply them accordingly.

It might take 10 years to get to that point....