For very good reason, I am not my usual sunny self this week and, like all Bees fans, it is “referee” Stuart Atwell who is the object of my ire.

The ability to slag off a ref is obviously part and parcel of any football supporter’s make-up and, even though the standard of lower league officiating is particularly poor, I try to avoid doing it in the column. But this is a very different case.

Twelve-year-old Atwell, has already in a short career, made a list of dreadful errors, to which we can now add the ridiculous sending-off of Nathan Elder.

Of course, it all started earlier in the season at Vicarage Road when he gave “that goal” for Reading against Watford.

A goal, lest I remind you, when the ball didn’t go in the net, or on the net, or anywhere near the bloody net.

I would be closer to mark than that ball in saying it was probably the worst refereeing decision in the history of the game.

Now, if I made a mistake at work that carried with it an equivalent tsunami-like level of catastrophe, if i named a rape victim, say – particularly in a light-hearted football column – I would almost certainly be out on my ear.

But the fallout from the phantom goal was punishment for Aidy Boothroyd, who had the temerity to be annoyed by the decision, while Atwell has been allowed to carry on inflicting his incompetence on innocent football fans across the country.

It is often suggested referees were bullied at school and, if that is Atwell’s excuse for his pitiful performance on Saturday, then I just hope the bigger boys really made him suffer.

Because, while making a mistake is acceptable, not holding your hands up and making amends afterwards is a complete disgrace, particularly as losing Elder for four games has serious financial implications for a club such as ours.

When the opposition manager admits it shouldn’t have been a red, it is pretty clear something is not right – even if Notts County boss Ian McParland managed to sound like a bloke learning how to speak via a trial-and-error approach in his post-match interview.

Greg Dyke has spoken out, as has Andy Scott – but it won’t make any difference. The FA has rejected our appeal and that is it. They do rescind red cards – Shrewsbury had one overturned this week – but, unfortunately for us, it seems they are determined to stick up for their golden child, no matter how many times he gets things wrong.

PS This week the inaugral Ealing Road podcast is here for your listening pleasure. It's ten minutes of Bees chit-chat with Stuart Amos, chief sports reporter for the Richmond and Twickenham Times, Chris Wickham, BFC website commentator and myself. Here it is (right click to download).

Alternatively, press play on the media player below: