Chelsea Thread

[abigsmurf]

*sigh*

Complete farce. The ref tried his hardest to ruin the game for chelsea (the free kick that led to the goal, a last man foul by city that actually should've been a red, a clear penalty not being given) when he couldn't spoil that game, he made sure to spoil future games.

[EJG1980]

It's a ridiculous system really. I can't think of any logical reason why you shouldn't be able to appeal for a red card to be reduced to a yellow, makes no sense at all.

[saif]

I wonder if the ref decided on the card colour as he knew what games Terry would miss… Absolutely shocking. Especially as the ref in the Man U game tried his hardest not to send Vidic off.

[toythatkills]

The ref tried his hardest to ruin the game for chelsea (the free kick that led to the goal, a last man foul by city that actually should've been a red, a clear penalty not being given) when he couldn't spoil that game, he made sure to spoil future games.

I wonder if the ref decided on the card colour as he knew what games Terry would miss? Absolutely shocking. Especially as the ref in the Man U game tried his hardest not to send Vidic off.

Now now, this is getting overly paranoid. The ref made a mistake, simple as. Don't read anything else into it.

[abigsmurf]

On Setanta one of the pundits said that he thought the ref reported the red card as violent conduct purely because he knew he made a mistake and the violent conduct would be next to impossible (so his reputation would be intact)

The ref was plain awful though, conspiricy theories aside. Incosistant and made the wrong call on pretty much every big event in the match

[ezee ryder]

I wonder if the ref decided on the card colour as he knew what games Terry would miss… Absolutely shocking. Especially as the ref in the Man U game tried his hardest not to send Vidic off.

Made me chuckle that! Conspiracy theories ahoy! Ref prob gave Man City that free kick cos he was paid by the City owner, he knew Robinho would score.

[saif]

Glad to provide some entertainment
There is no real criteria for sending Terry off - no sane person would say it was violent.

[C']

There is some humour in discussion about decisions favouring Man U coming in a period where we play our 2 closest title rivals away from home and a Champion's League game all in the space of 1 week

[saif]

Maybe that is the first time its happened to Man Utd, happens to other teams all the time.
Anyway, good luck in the CL for all teams.

[abigsmurf]

Chelsea... won the appeal. That has to be the first they've won in years. Good to see common sense win out in the end

[saif]

Seems all the comment in the media had an effect.

[toythatkills]

Now let the conspiricy theories begin, then. What an insane decision. They English FA have effectively said that the challenge by England captain, John Terry, wasn't even worthy of a yellow card. Now, it was definately not worth a red card, but I don't think anyone with eyes could argue that it wasn't a yellow card. Mental. He'd have to shoot someone to death to get booked, it seems.

I wonder what'd have happened if Jeremie Aliadiere had made this challenge instead of John Terry. Frivolous, you say?

[abigsmurf]

Actually I think the press got it wrong in their assesment of what the FA could and couldn't do.

The offence he got done for could only be a straight red, therefore it couldn't have been classed as a yellowcard offence. If it wasn't a red, it wasn't anything for that particular offence.

[ezee ryder]

Now let the conspiricy theories begin, then.

Come on dude, he is England captain. There is no way the FA were gonna admit it was a yellow card worthy challenge

[saif]

lesser of two evils, it was closer to a no-booking challenge than a straight red with 3 game ban. Obviously it was a standard yellow but if you had to choose between a red for violent conduct or not, then you would choose not.
I am sure being England captain helped reputations always do but the severity of the punishment and the back-covering nature of the ref's reasoning has caused this.