Incompetant people dont know they are incompetant, this is how these stupid rules come about.
Match Day Thread Wolverhampton Wanderers FC v Sunderland AFC – Saturday 2nd May 2026 - KO 15:00
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Hard lines if you have a slight cough. Are you allowed then to cough in opponents faces?
You can't fix stupid!
In fairness though, what would you have Ballard do instead?
The player was backing into Ballard so if he didn't put his hands out to stop the striker pushing into him, then he would have ended up being pushed over and the striker gaining the advantage because it. Players jostle all the time, just because he has hair down to his shoulder blades we have to let them do it now and cant touch them?
He had hold of his hair for a few seconds. Whether he meant to do it, or not he still held on. With the current rules, it's a red card. The ref have no alternative really.
What I'd like to see is a change to the rule that allows the referee/VAR to include intent (or a lack of) in their ruling.
He’s got to be mindful of the recent sending offs. He just can’t be holding his hair. He doesn’t get sent off for having hold of his shirt. He’s given VAR and the Ref the opportunity to make a bad call and they’ve done it.
A yellow makes perfect sense in yesterday’s case. Hair was pulled, probably accidental. Do that again and you’re off though.
Second yellow for an accidental hair pull and it’s a 1 game ban. Much more proportional.
Look at Brighton, Bournemouth and Brentford. Them teams need to be our blue print going forward. All 3 of them are relatively small clubs but look at how well they are run, and all 3 are now fighting for europe.
All 3 have been in the Premiership now for a long time, and the signings they make on top of how much profit they make further down the line when they sell them on is remarkable. I have huge respect for all 3 of them. Palace aswell who are in the same mold.
All 3 have been in the Premiership now for a long time, and the signings they make on top of how much profit they make further down the line when they sell them on is remarkable. I have huge respect for all 3 of them. Palace aswell who are in the same mold.
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We've always had a minority who'll never be happy and will turn on a coach or player at the drop of a hat. The big problem is social media amplifies it and gets a few more to jump on the bandwagon. Add in that crap from that mag journalist about RLB getting the sack of we don't qualify for Europe which had added more fuel to it. A chunk will change their tune if we beat Man U and another chunk will go quiet until the next "poor" result. We could appoint Guardiola or Klopp and they'd find fault at something.
I work with a lad who's as negative about us as can be. You'd think he was a mag the way he goes on at times. He said a few months ago he'd have sacked Le Bris last season as we were "crap from Christmas", pre season he said we'd be hammered every week, relegated quickly and Le Bris sacked by Christmas. He's genuinely taken more joy from our defeats than wins this season, never gives our players credit and praises the opponents every chance.
I agree with that. He was almost on the halfway line with little threat. It was a pointless loss of self control but i also love how competitive Ballard is so i guess you win some, you lose some. He’s won us many points, he lost us two yesterday.
It may just be me then, but I saw Ballard grab a hold of the shirt (as all defenders do) and he got hold of one strand of hair? Do defenders get time to check if any hair may be in the way? This happens in every game and 99.9% of the time there is no issue as the player won't have long hair.
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Exactly mate, it's a high speed physical game.
Clearly, pulling one hair isn't a foul ...
... so how many hairs merit a red card and a ban?
Exactly mate, it's a high speed physical game.
Clearly, pulling one hair isn't a foul ...
... so how many hairs merit a red card and a ban?
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You are unbelievable! If not winning got to me as much as it did you I wouldn't bother with it anymore!
Got blocked by someone after I asked them who do we get into replace RLB…
If you are going to say this have a name to back it up
If you are going to say this have a name to back it up
Ah but it's a lot easier to say " he's ****e get rid" rather than actually put context into a statement and back it up with your preferred replacement
The usual response is to say, 'I'm not paid to suggest names, that's what the club are there for'.
In reality they're not paid to make comments at all, doesn't seem to stop them.
Maybe so, but on the replays and in the pics posted, he's not looking at where his hand is and therefore what he's got in his hand. A strand or 2 of hair is tangled up in the grip of the shirt and he's been punished for that. Essentially now, a player can't defend themselves from players backing into them if the player backing into them has long hair.
As has been said, football is a fast paced game and things happen in an instant. Grappling with another player is part and parcel of that and when your eye is on the flight of the ball, as Ballard's was and not the players back, or hair, then these incidents will happen and until the rule is changed like you suggest, more and more players with long hair are going to take advantage of it. Not exactly in the sporting nature of the game, and not very professional towards your fellow players IMO.
Like I've just said above, Ballard isn't looking at the players back or hair when doing it. He's looking at the flight of the ball and 1 or 2 strands of hair in a scrunch of shirt isn't going to be noticeable. Yes be mindful, but it's almost to the point where Ballard has to just stand there, arms by his side and be charged over, or stand to the side and let him through. Defenders can't defend themselves.
The refs and VAR need to be a lot more sensible and not just go straight for the highest punishment.
Agree re the ref and VAR and have already said it was a lousy decision.
Having hold of his hair/top of his shirt has caused the issue as previously said.
Anyway, going round in circles here so not going to keep on about it.
More annoyed by our abysmal marking for their equaliser tbh but that's another issue
Ref ruined it for me, was never ever a red card if its a foul its a yellow at best, if you pull a shirt its a yellow why if its hair is it then seen as violent and a red?
Also not one pub would let away fans in, absolutely pathetic imo ended up just getting a bottle from the corner shop and sitting on a bench bad crack.
Also not one pub would let away fans in, absolutely pathetic imo ended up just getting a bottle from the corner shop and sitting on a bench bad crack.