Lee Mason wins WAB Villain of the Season 2020-21
Had one of the Chuckle Brothers managed to dress as referee Lee Mason when Brighton played away at West Brom in February 2021? That was the question on the lips of every Seagulls supporter after an astonishing five minutes of indecision which was enough to see Mr Mason voted as WAB 2020-21 Villain of the Season.
The fun and games began when Mr Mason awarded the Albion a free kick midway through the first half. Things were already going pretty badly for Brighton; they trailed 1-0 to Kyle Bartley’s 11th minute header against a West Brom side with only one home win to their name all season.
Pascal Gross had then missed a penalty, one of two spot kicks that the Seagulls would slam against the woodwork at the Hawthorns inside of an hour.
If you didn’t laugh about Brighton’s inability to put on target an unchallenged shot from 12 yards, then you would have had to cry – so it was just as well really that Albion fans have a sense of humour and those penalty misses ended up winning our WAB Comedy Moment of the Season award.
Clearly, Brighton were going to need all the help they could get if they were to score a goal against West Brom. It initially looked like Mr Mason was going to offer some assistance when he told Lewis Dunk that he could quickly take a free kick and blew his whistle to signal play was restarting, even though the Baggies defence and goalkeeper Sam Johnstone were not organised.
Dunk duly took advantage, beating the unprepared Johnstone. Seconds before the ball crashed into the net, Mr Mason blew his whistle again to halt play after belatedly noticing Johnstone was not ready. An absolute farce of a situation which only become even more ridiculous thanks to Mr Mason’s indecision.
Firstly, the goal was ruled out. Dunk and Brighton appealed and Lee Mason changed his mind and decided it would stand. West Brom then appealed and so Mr Mason went and watched it back on the VAR screen.
Sam Allardyce had a baffled look on his face as if he had just been told Chinese restaurants are no longer allowed to sell pints of wine. Potter wore a confused expression, seemingly having even less of a clue what was happening than anyone else watching.
After consulting the replay, Mr Mason finally decided that he was not going to allow the goal. To me, to you, to me, to you… Barry and Paul Chuckle would have been proud, unless of course it was their beloved Rotherham United on the end of such a strange turn of events.
Dunk did not hold back in his assessment of Mr Mason afterwards, telling the Sky Sports cameras in his post-match interview: “I said to the referee ‘Can I take it?’ He blew his whistle and I took it.”
“Why doesn’t he come and speak to the press like me? Never. They hide behind their bubble. I don’t think he knew what he was doing. He gave the goal. Why did he give it? I don’t know why VAR was getting involved. He lost control of the game. Fact.”
That fact was enough for Lee Mason to take 34.28 percent of the vote as Brighton & Hove Albion’s Villain of the Season. For the sake of some sort of balance, we should probably add that Mr Mason was not the reason Brighton lost 1-0 to the relegated Baggies.
Two missed penalties and Aaron Connolly blasting over an open goal from six yards out had more to do with it than the free kick incident. Still, it was another reminder that you should always be wary of trusting a bald man, unless that bald man is Russell Slade.
Second spot in Villain of the Season went to the European Super League with 26.85 percent of the vote. Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs branded themselves as the continent’s ‘elite’ clubs and decided that they would set up their own closed shop competition.
What they had not banked on was the backlash from supporters, including those of their own clubs. It was a new league designed to make the rich richer at the same time as preventing the embarrassing scenario of these so-called biggest teams in Europe from losing to to minnows and being below the likes of Leicester City and West Ham United in the table.
Within 48 hours of the European Super League being announced, the idea was dead. Chelsea pulled out on the same evening as Brighton went and drew 0-0 at Stamford Bridge.
Such a result provided a wonderful sense of irony; here were Chelsea wanting to break apart English football because they considered themselves too good for it whilst at the same time failing to beat a #TeamLikeBrighton.
That was one of 11 points the Albion took from the European Super League elite over the course of the 2020-21 campaign. Brighton beat Manchester City and Spurs at home and claimed four points from Liverpool via a draw at the Amex and a win at Anfield. Presumably, Tony Bloom’s invitation to the ESL got lost in the post.
Money and greed is not the only modern-day footballing concept Seagulls supporters dislike. In third place in Villain of the Season with 18.32 percent came xG, those stats that tell you how many goals your football team should have scored.
For a side like Brighton, something like expected goals is more depressing than a Mrs Brown’s Boys marathon. Based on xG, Brighton should have finished fifth in the Premier League this season. Based on actual goals scored, the Albion were 16th. Fingers crossed we barely hear a murmur of expected anything in 2021-22.
WeAreBrighton.com Brighton Villain of the Season 2020-21 – The Results
Lee Mason – 34.28%
European Super League – 26.85%
Expected Goals – 18.32%
Gareth Southgate – 11.21%
Pep Guardiola – 5.52%
Premier League PPV – 3.79%
Previous Winners: Matteo Guendouzi (2020), Ricardo Gold (2019), Crystal Palace Fans (2018), Alex Pritchard (2017), Mike Dean (2016), David Burke (2015), Nigel Adkins (2014), El Hadj Diouf (2013), Glenn Murray (2012). Nigel Adkins (2011), Dean Hammond (2010)
