Goodbye JP...

[WonkyWasp]

Was he wearing rose-coloured spectacles?

[WonkyWasp]

(the query from me was meant foor Heathen; sorry - I type slowly)

[baldpaul101]

with Hymenoptra on this one.

There are potentially two reasons why he's lost his job:
1. The RFU, like EVERY organisation in this country & probably the world has a cash flow issue & they needed to save money, Plenty of other RFU employees have lost their job in similar circumstances
or
2. He wasn't good enough at his job. Given that his employer will have given him every chance to improve & had all the resources of the RFU referees organisation behind him it can only be his fault if he hasn't. It is also VERY  hard to actually sack someone for poor performance without being able to show as an employer that you've done all you can to help improve it.

I have a suspicion that its 1 being used because 2 would be harder to manage. (I am basing that on seeing many people removed from companies on various pretexts because the truth that they were incompetent is harder to establish)

As I mentioned in my first post in this thread. I have sympathy for him as a person, but I am sure he had an original career that he can fall back on.

[Heathen]

Was he wearing rose-coloured spectacles?

No.

[MarleyWasp]

You are not alone. I always remember being told that after an A team game in London, a certain referee and his sidekick, the aforementioned redundant one were well oiled in the bar afterwards. The former called Wasps a load of Cs and hoped that we got relegated. I think it does not take much to work out it was.

Heard exactly the same thing.

For me, JP had so much potential. His performance in the Northampton v Leicester Premiership semi final in 2014 was one of the outstanding referring displays. But he's never got close to that level since, getting significantly worse. He's been lucky to keep his job for as long as he has, and I'm sure his sidekick will find a role for him now...

[westwaleswasp]

Always thought he was good at the start and got steadily worse, to the point where it was time to shove him into a non reffing role a few years back.
The last three years have been embarrassing, although the decline probably started before that.

[Neils]

Apart from this club's sites it is amazing how much almost anger is being directed at the rfu for this action. Quite surprised others see him as one of the best refs.

Eg - https://mobile.twitter.com/RugbyInsideLine/status/1296481989197991943

[backdoc]

The RFU either needs 10 FT refs or it doesn't. It is a bit odd that he is sacked during the busiest period in the history of the premiership.

[Hymenoptera]

Apart from this club's sites it is amazing how much almost anger is being directed at the rfu for this action. Quite surprised others see him as one of the best refs.

Eg - https://mobile.twitter.com/RugbyInsideLine/status/1296481989197991943

Does twatter peeps opinions count for anything? Twatter will get angry about literally anything, half of them have probably never heard of JP Spoil.
Going to actual rugby sites, no one is even talking about it..

[Neils]

Apart from this club's sites it is amazing how much almost anger is being directed at the rfu for this action. Quite surprised others see him as one of the best refs.

Eg - https://mobile.twitter.com/RugbyInsideLine/status/1296481989197991943

Does twatter peeps opinions count for anything? Twatter will get angry about literally anything, half of them have probably never heard of JP Spoil.
Go to actual rugby sites, no one is even talking about it..

No they don't  matter - in fact neither does this site. Just pointing out that things like RiL, Fissler etc (who have quite a twatter following) are not of the same mind as this site. Your views stated are kind of why I have no social media presence beyond things like this.

[Hymenoptera]

Yeah i wasn't arguing the fact, more talking out loud..i'm in agreement.

[BdeB]

I posted this a year or so ago on the other site, from a purely Wasps point of view I won’t be too sad to see JP go we always seemed to be on the wrong end of things when he reffed.

So it was wet outside and I was bored so here is the full anaylysis of our winning percentages with different refs from the last 5 seasons. I find it amazing that we have never lost a game when Tom Foley has been the referee.



Wasps last 5 seasons
Total Win Loss Draw Winning % Rank
Doyle 16 6 8 2 37.5 13
Pearce 14 8 7 0 57.1 8
CMK 12 9 3 0 75 2=
Foley 11 11 0 0 100 1
Carley 10 4 6 0 40 12
Garner 10 7 2 1 70 5
Barnes 9 6 3 0 66.6 6=
Tempset 7 5 2 0 71.4 4
Rchards 4 3 1 0 75 2=
Dickson 3 2 0 1 66.6 6=
Jackson 3 1 2 0 33.3 14
Ridley 2 1 1 0 50 9=
Small 2 0 2 0 0 15
O’Grady 2 1 1 0 50 9=
Wglswth 2 1 1 0 50 9=
107 65 38 4 61%

[baldpaul101]

Thanks BdB, I knew there was a reason I didn't like him 

[Bloke in North Dorset]

Had to drop that in to Excel and "text to column" to make it readable.

Have we really won all 11 games with Foley as ref? Lets hope he remains on the Xmas card list 

On a more serious note, instructive as it is we'd need to look other  confounding factors such as who we played, perhaps most games with JP were against teams above us in the league and away from home? Or maybe when we were having a lean spell and losing other games in the same period.

That said, I'll bow to the wisdom of the crowd on here and without other evidence take his position in that league table at face value.

(Sorry, can't help being a bit of a data geek  )

[WonkyWasp]

Thank you, BdB - that is most interesting.  It must have taken you ages.  Much appreciated.