Town boss Paul Lambert has revealed referees’ chief Mike Jones agreed that Andre Dozzell shouldn’t have been shown a red card at Sunderland on Tuesday, despite an FA Regulatory Panel upholding the dismissal yesterday.

Dozzell, who was given his marching orders by referee Peter Wright for a challenge on ex-Town skipper Grant Leadbitter in the 72nd minute in the 2-1 defeat at the Stadium of Light, now faces a three-match ban, although he can play at Crawley in the Papa John’s Trophy on Tuesday.

Lambert said following the match that he intended to speak to Jones, the national group director of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL).

“I think it was there for everybody to see,” Lambert said when asked about the red card being upheld.

“The disappointing thing for me is that I spoke to Mike Jones right after the game and he got the footage.

“Mike kindly phoned me back and I spoke to him and even in his opinion it was never a red card, and that’s the head of refereeing.

“I’ve spoken to other guys who have been at the top of the game in the Premier League and they said the same - never a red card.

“And if you look at it, Andre was actually pushed at the beginning. There was no force in it, there was no speed in it so to get a red card for that [was wrong]. And to have three ex-players on the panel, maybe I don’t know the rules anymore.

“I think it was incredible, especially when you’re getting the feedback from the top guys. Why is there the disparity? I don’t know.”

It’s hardly the first time Town have been on the wrong side of erratic refereeing since dropping into League One.

Last season, Jones again backed Lambert after a perfectly good goal was ruled out against Wycombe and more recently after a very soft penalty was awarded against the Blues in the 1-0 defeat at Lincoln.

Might Town have to accept that the standard of refereeing is lower at this level?

“The thing at Lincoln, again I spoke to Mike, I spoke to him the day after that as well,” Lambert continued.

“He spoke to the referee from that game [Kevin Johnson], he spoke to the observer and they actually admitted that it was the wrong decision. Three guys again.

“In the last three weeks we’ve had two incredible decisions go against us, unbelievable game-changers without a doubt because we’d played really well in both games.

“You’re getting top advice from top people to look at the footage and see it and everybody agreed that the two decisions [were wrong], that it wasn’t a red card and it wasn’t a penalty.

“Even the penalty against Sunderland, it’s incredible. If you’re asking me the question whether I think there is a disparity between the standard in the Premier League and everywhere else, it’s big.

“It’s a hard gig they’ve got but you’ve got to get big moments right. You cannot guess. Did the FA not come out after the Eric Dier situation [in the Spurs-Newcastle game in September] and say that referees, if they use common sense, look at it themselves? Use common sense.

“You cannot jump without your hands in the air. Toto actually heads the ball, Mark McGuinness can’t see where the ball is. He can’t see it. Use your common sense.

“Mike’s been really good, I’ve got no problem with the feedback, but when you’re calling big moments you’ve got to get them right.”

Lambert says he can’t give Dozzell any guarantees he’ll come straight back into the team after his suspension, despite the 21-year-old’s excellent form so far this season.

“I can’t assure him he’ll come back in, that’s impossible,” he said. “He’s been brilliant for us. I don’t know, but I can’t say ‘You’re guaranteed to come back in’, that’s football.

“It happens. He’s been playing really well, it’s a really big blow for us because he’s been playing really well but I could never guarantee what is going to happen.”

Photo: Action Images

martin587 added 10:55 - Nov 6 What an absolute farce.Enough said.
3

RobITFC added 11:04 - Nov 6 Apparently these decisions even themselves out over the season .... I await with baited breath!
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tractorboybig added 11:11 - Nov 6 over and done..move on
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Suffolkboy added 11:15 - Nov 6 Something dreadfully amiss ; the disparity between the Assessors panel and a review by Professional Refs exposes a glaring gap in knowledge , AND perhaps a hole on the Rules Directive as to what actions,or reversals are options for the Panel . For instance , it may well be the panels feel they are unable to direct a reduced penalty ( of only a Yellow) OR maybe are inclined to totally back the official ,concluding that a decision was necessary and should therefore be sanctioned . Might one suggest that any and all contended decisions are referred to the PGMO ahead of a panel conclusion – and in this instance , and obviously others, both the Ref's observer and Mike Jones patently disagree with the Red AND the Panel judgement ( and presumably told the Referee and officials involved too ) . If we are at all interested in fairness and justice ( though obviously a player can't be reinstated in play ) then to compound such flagrant weaknesses is in itself an assault on integrity and shameful ! Come on you ‘Experts ‘ ,have a close look at yourselves ,there's too much going wrong ,clearly, and not just contentiously !! COYB

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Saxonblue74 added 11:21 - Nov 6 It suggests to me that they are doing all they can to discourage appeals, they very rarely are successful.
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Kickingblock added 11:34 - Nov 6 I agree with you Saxon. Pi55ing in the wind. Waste of time.
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rugbytomc added 11:48 - Nov 6 Can we name and shame the ex-players on the panel? Let me guess, Chris Worzel Gummage Sutton, Darren Eadie and Rob Green?
2

martin587 added 11:58 - Nov 6 Rugbytomc They are obviously clueless about football whoever they are.
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dirtydingusmagee added 12:12 - Nov 6 incredibly incredible, really, it really really was. But its over, done and dusted now, must focus on the task ahead .
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Pilgrimblue added 12:15 - Nov 6 Who's on the panel? They must be part timers with no current idea of the rules
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essexccc added 12:40 - Nov 6 tractorboybig you are right that we must move on and I have - sort of - but like RobITFC I await the evening out of these decisions. Maybe I'm bitter and twisted in my new state of retirement but I'm still waiting for the decisions that Roy Capey of Crewe (look it up if you are too young to recall) and Clive Thomas made in the 70s. And can anyone remind me of the last time a refereeing decision gave us a goal we shouldn't have had or a decision we shouldn't have had that gave us a result? I'm struggling on both counts.

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aloanagain added 13:08 - Nov 6 We don't play enough football in the opposition's half to get those decisions. When do we get the ball into the penalty area to cause problems? Edward's does all his work from the halfway line to the penalty area but delivers nothing for our lonely centre forward to fight for. Who ever plays up front gets a lot of stick but they never get the service to show us what they can do. Support the team.

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Saxonblue74 added 19:43 - Nov 6 Aloanagain, where in the rules does it state you need to play x% of football in certain areas of the field to get decisions in your favour? Once should be enough if the decision is the correct one. I'm typing as I'm watching the Cardiff v Bristol game, Cardiff just had a guy manhandled in the 6 yard box during a corner. Last season that would've been a penalty, this season it didn't even warrant a mention from the commentary box. There seem to be "hot topics" from time to time that draw attention from referees.

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patrickswell added 10:54 - Nov 7 You can't guarantee that Dozzell won't regain his place? Give over, Paul. As for the suspension: a decision made by a clown has been upheld by a panel of clowns. I am getting sick and tired of seeing these outrageous and wrong game changing decisions being taken against us in big games. It needs investigating, especially if referees and their bosses are admitting to the mistakes afterwards.

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