THERE is a widely-held view in football that has absolutely no foundation in fact. It’s the one that suggests referees’ decisions whether good or bad will even themselves out in the end.

Why should they? There is nothing in the Laws of the Game that orders referees and their assistants to dish out punishment on a share-and-share alike basis.

It is nothing more than a post-match sympathy quote to often trotted out to soften the blow after a disputed penalty, an off-side goal or a dodgy red card.

Neil Warnock is not a manager to hide behind a load of waffle about swings and roundabouts. The Cardiff City boss has been known to blow his top more than a few times during his 39-year ¬– and 17-job ¬–¬ career as a manager.

So when Chelsea equalised with a goal that was so far off-side that all the world could see it – except the official who mattered – he went into overdrive.

Chelsea eventually won the game 2-1, pushing Warnock’s team ever closer to a quick return to the Championship. =So maybe somebody should try telling him that things will even themselves out eventually.

His claim that the Premier League is “the best league in the world and probably has the worst officials” is too much of a coincidence for both at once and his suggestion that it may be payback time for his run-ins with authority down the years is also stretching a point.

“I don’t deserve officials like that and my players feel like they have been kicked in the teeth,” he added. “It’s almost like it’s not who you play, it’s who you get to referee and who is going to have a flag in their hand nowadays it’s just as important.”

Warnock may be 70 years old, but he is not going to apologise for being a man whose passion for the game is as strong as ever.

This is not the place to look for unconditional support for a manager who has divided opinion for nearly four decades and he will not doubt be asked to explain his outburst, but if it comes to that they might like to refer to another reason for his outburst.

“If you are not passionate when you see such an injustice going against the lads who have battled and fought – come on, it’s the bloody Premier League!”

* IT has had more makeovers than a troupe of circus clowns – everything from van hire firms, a paint company and glass makers – through to its present incarnation as a tradesman’s directory.

It started out as the Associate Members Cup back in 1984 and is now carrying the title of the Checkatrade Trophy.

For months, supporters have rattled around near empty grounds to watch lower league teams packed with reserves take on Premier League Academy squads wearing shirts numbered in the high 40s or 50s and nobody having any real idea where it was all heading.

Crowds gathered in their dozens as the competition shuffled along through its group stages and localised knock-out rounds. Even into the later stages the echoes around the ground suggested that the EFL Trophy, to give it a title somebody might recognise, passed by almost unnoticed.

The trophy needed more than another change of sponsors name that would only add to confusion about its status. On Sunday it got what the sponsors and organisers must have been praying for – an attendance to eclipse every Wembley occasion except the FA Cup Final.

The occasion was boosted by two clubs who have made visits to the stadium in the recent past and have since fallen on hard times, but whose fans wanted to remind themselves of the good old days.

Portsmouth and Sunderland turned the non-event of the footballing calendar into the biggest day in the competition’s history, drawing a crowd of 85,021 to see Pompey win a thrilling final 5-4 on penalties after the clubs were level at 2-2 after extra time.

Unfortunately it will soon be back to three-figure crowds in midwinter and with the holders not even wanting to defend their crown.

It will mean they have missed out on promotion – and that is far more important than a win at Wembley in front of 40,000 of your supports.

* SOME strange things happen in sport – but a car breaking down in an F1 race isn’t one of them.

It happened in Bahrain when the Ferrari of race leader Charles Leclerc developed a mechanical trouble, lost power and he was eventually overtaken by the reigning World Champion before finishing third.

Instead the race was Lewis Hamilton’s 74th career win and business as usual for the man chasing his sixth world title. Not so strange, that.

On the subject of dreams, by following the misfortunes of Fort William FC in this column – they lost 5-0 to Clachnaccudin on Saturday – maybe we have helped to make important people take notice and things are about to change for the better.

Sky Sports are about to take up the cause by sending a team to cover Fort’s next match in the hope they will end a losing run stretching back into the mists of time. We’ll be cheering them on inspirit so watch this space.

Some strange things happen in sport – a Fort William win would be one of them.