Phil SumblerFlynn Downes saw red at QPR yesterday evening for a late scuffle with Charlie Austin that produced a yellow card for both players but, unfortunately for Downes, it was his second yellow of the game and that meant a red card and a one match suspension.
It was the dark spot on another positive result for the Swans who ended QPRs recent run of wins which had seen them produce twelve points from the last twelve in the league.
Downes was booked earlier in the half for a foul on Albert Adomah and had already tussled with Austin after a foul by the veteran striker on Ryan Manning just a few minutes before the incident that saw him dismissed. A bit of shirt pulling, a fall to the floor and a few harsh words saw the referee consult his fourth official before calling both players over and showing the two yellows and of course the red that followed it.
It was a decision that clearly enraged Russell Martin at the time with TV pictures showing him unhappy with the fourth official and he was clear in his view after the game that the red card was undeserved.
“Charlie Austin is clever, he’s experienced,” Martin told BBC Sport.
“He headlocks Flynn Downes – I don’t know what you expect Flynn to do.
“He is trying to get out of it and that’s it really, then he gets pulled away from the scuffle.
“The referee has not seen it, the fourth official has given it. That’s why I was so angry about it.
“They have tried to get him sent off about three minutes before that. Unfortunately the fourth official has fallen for it.
“I am saying it’s a lesson for Flynn but he is competing for the ball and then that happens.
“I don’t know really know what the ref or fourth official expect of him. I am really disappointed by it.
“We lose Flynn for a game which is disappointing – he has been incredible for us. I am frustrated with that.”
Opposite number Mark Warburton was in agreement that the decision was wrong “I will be honest, I didn’t think it was a red card,” he said.
“I think those moments can be easily defused.”
It is typical of the very poor ‘standard’ of refereeing in our country in all four of the English football leagues.
In the Premiership they still cannot get the correct decision every time even with technical assistance.
Even worse, in the Championship-down the quality of refereeing in these 3 leagues is way way below the standard of the football being played and the authorities who monitor these referees do not seem to be doing anything from one week to the next to improve the standard of refereeing.
The public pay a lot of money to watch league games and the refereeing officials get paid a very decent wage when they officiate and yet they are totally responsible for the quality of the game and in many occasions the incorrect results because of ‘bad game changing decisions’ they make which urgently needs to be addressed by the governing body overseeing these sometimes very poor officials and either give them coaching to improve them OR sack them and recruit new referees from non-league status who should also be ‘monitored’in live games in the lower leagues and give these people (men or women) the chance ( after intense training) to replace any sacked ‘poor referee’.May be if this was in place it might very well encourage the ‘poor referee’ to up their game to an acceptable standard, that both players and supporters can have no complaints about the result of the game being affected by decisions in any way by the refereeing officials.
Referees can do no rite.
Premier League referees are shocking cant even imply
VAR properly.
Moaning at referees has happened long before VAR and
will carry on.