I'd noticed earlier that Friend hadn't been given a game this week which says it all for me ......... I'm sure Brown will get a big cheer at Villa.
Louise Taylor and Press Association Sunderland are expected to succeed in their appeal against Wes Brown's red card after the defender was sent off against Stoke at the weekend. The decision by the referee Kevin Friend provoked a storm of criticism after Brown appeared to win the ball and not touch Stoke's midfielder Charlie Adam. Sunderland confirmed they have lodged an intention to appeal against the decision with the Football Association and will send in a full appeal file before a deadline of 1pm on Tuesday. The FA panel of former referees which reviews such incidents is expected to overturn the red card. Friend, meanwhile, has not been given a match for the next two rounds of Premier League games. Sunderland lost the match 2-0 and their manager Gus Poyet demanded an apology from the Premier League referees' overlord Mike Riley. The former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher believes Friend made a clear mistake, moreover. He told Sky Sports News: "The referee has lost concentration or not seen it. It is not a red card, that's all you can say. Brown's gone in hard but he's entitled to do that. As a refereeing body you have to take that smack on the chin." Gallagher also felt that Phil Dowd had made a mistake in not sending-off Everton's Kevin Mirallas for a lunge on Liverpool's Luis Suárez in the Merseyside derby. "He should have been sent-off," said Gallagher. "He's come at speed and it's high. The referee has got a body between him and Suárez and he hasn't seen it."
I looked at the challenge from Brown many times now and its not a red. However, I have a bad feeling about the FA appeal. They do not like admitting mistakes and this does not have the media attention that the top four would get. If the red was upheld, the only outcry would come from Sunderaland and nobody outside of wearside would care less. I hope I am just personally having a negative day (had a bad day at the office)
Trevor,even the FA can see that Friend has ***ked-up big style yet again!This is one appeal that little-old Sunderland will win,but what will be the consequences??
another ex-ref hoys his weight in http://tyneandwear.sky.com/sunderla...-incident-and-the-implications-for-sunderland
There will be little consequences from this. Two game ban for the ref is also a joke. I do feel sorry for the refs mind. Lets be fair, they do it for the love of the sport and are not earning big bucks. This leads back to the old argument of would full time refs solve the problem? (With better technology of course).
They are full time fella. They turned professional in 2002 I think it was and the standard has got worse. They actually take home around 70k pa which is a handsome wage to run around for two hours once a week and writing a match report .
@SSNRadio Gallagher: "Gus (Poyet) and Mike (Riley) will speak. They need to educate each other. 100% not a red card" #safc http://bit.ly/ioqUOy
My worry in all of this is that Friend has not come out and rescinded his red card, it is such an obvious error so why isn't he man or big enough just too say he got it wrong then we wouldn't have to go and appeal to the FA. Why is it these days that referee's seem unable to own up when they fcuk up, is that too much to ask?
good point that, my guess is that he he being fooked up the wrong un by poll with a prickly object for being a twat for the time being until he is aloud in the open again
Friend should have been man enough to admit his mistake first thing this morning !!The fact that he didn't proves what a cheating,biased t*** that he is!
It's crazy that we have had to appeal over this..The FA should have just come straight out and apologised for the decisions that this buffoon has made..
Blundering referee Kevin Friend has been left off the list of Premier League games this weekend - and Sunderland's appeal against the red card he gave Wes Brown looks certain to succeed. But Neil Swarbrick and Phil Dowd, who failed to send off Wayne Rooney and Kevin Mirallas for red card offences, will both carry on as normal. It's the second time this season that 42-year-old Friend, based in Leicester, has been stood down by refs' chief Mike Riley.
Does that not tell you something? He's been ****e for a long time now - maybe he should be stood down permanently (or maybe put down like a rabid dog?)
