the lino at our end was worse than friend. he should have had a stoke shirt on. it was much more than a odd mistake. is friend bent or is he not capable of refereeing. either way sack him as this is regular when he refs us.
Sunderland manager Gus Poyet wants Wes Brown's red card in the defeat at Stoke to be rescinded - and for referees' chief Mike Riley to apologise. Referee Kevin Friend dismissed Brown for a tackle on Charlie Adam during the 2-0 loss, though the defender appeared to win the ball cleanly. Last week, Riley rang West Brom boss Steve Clarke after a controversial penalty award against Chelsea. "Maybe Mike needs to call. I will have my phone on," Poyet told BBC Sport. Sunderland were trailing 1-0 to a 30th-minute Adam strike when Brown went sliding in on the Stoke goalscorer and, after a short delay, was sent off by Friend. Poyet, who reacted furiously at the time, shouting at the officials and throwing his coat to the ground, added: "Either we get an apology or you don't make me appeal and take the red card away. We can accept the mistake from the referee and we move forward. Play media Poyet wants explanation for red card "Sometimes we keep asking ourselves what is going on because it is difficult to understand. I would like somebody to explain. If you explain the action with some different words maybe I try to give some credit to the referee. "But I don't think there is any explanation. Was it a two-footed tackle? No. Was he not in control? No. Over the ball? No. Was the opponent in danger? No. Did he make contact? No. Please explain me. It is difficult to accept." Riley, who is in charge of the the Professional Game Match Officials Board (PGMOB), contacted Clarke to say sorry for referee Andre Marriner's contentious decision to award a late spot-kick to Chelsea in the 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge on 9 November. Poyet added: "I would like the referees' association to apologise to me this time. "They did it last week. I think it is fair - they called a British manager and I think it is time for them to call a foreign manager."
More than likely an agenda by the FA to pretty much make tackling extinct from the game, in which the likes of him will be a yes man who will brandish a red card no matter how legitimate the tackle may be & **** to the moral code or any other repercussion hence forth. All to familiar a picture throughout modern society as a whole.
No, but I have had a few cans. I just picture the him standing with his chin up & chest puffed out getting a pat on the back & brownie points like some sniveling little prick who would do anything to please his bosses with no thought of any consequence to others.
The annoying thing is that everyone judging by there reactions saw that it was perfectly fine. It wasn't even a tackle as the other player didn't have the ball, all he done was cut it out of play by sliding in to stop any danger. Surely if the players saw that & the management team in the dugout saw that then the referee should have. Even if he was obstructed visually he could have asked a linesman.
Was at the game. We got boned by the ref. Gave away a goal and then get utterly boned. Wes was playing really well. KO looked smart. Seb was dire. AJ was poor. Fletch was starved of anything.
If there's any common sense left in the game, it will be overturned. So I'm not particularly optimistic.
Hadn't seen it up till this and am pissed but what a brilliant clearance! Not a tackle as the other player didn't have control of the ball, just a great clearance!
Take away the fact I am a sunderland fan and can be bias, this is one of the worst decisions I have seen on a football field. It was a great tackle. I have an awful feeling that after the refs took a battering last week, they may feel inclined to back their guy this week...but surely this is such an abvious cock up even they have overturn the red card...but i'm not holding my breath
If you look at the Begovic incident and pretend he's a defender it's impossible to believe there wouldn't have been a card. In the first frame of commachio's 2nd clip Fletcher is about to play the ball and Begovic isn't even in the picture. From the moment the idiotic referee sent off Brown he knew he'd have his bosses asking him what he was thinking of and that Sunderland would demand the card was rescinded. Sending off the goalkeeper would've looked like he was 'trying to balance things up'. At the time of the incident Begovic was the last man and Fletcher was directly in front of goal with a clear opportunity to score. For anyone who's still in any doubt, ask yourself two questions, "Would Fletcher have been booked if the situation was reversed and he'd gone in on the keeper, straight legged with his studs up?" "Would the Stoke players and Mark Hughes have been outraged if the referee waved 'play on' with the keeper flat out on the pitch?" I'm not sure if the referee is a cheat but I know he's a coward.
