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Hackett: Officials Need Operational Advice For Failure to Red Card Pedro
Friday, 17th Jan 2025 13:54

Former referees' chief Keith Hackett has slammed the decision not to red card Brighton’s Joao Pedro for his challenge on Christian Walton during last night’s 2-0 defeat to the Seagulls and says believes the officials involved should be spoken to regarding the incident.

Pedro jumped into Walton at pace with the ball already well gone in the 53rd minute of last night’s match, his shoulder making solid contact with the the keeper’s face, leaving the former Albion man needing treatment and perhaps still feeling the effects when Kaoru Mitoma scored the opening goal six minutes later.

Referee Tony Harrington showed only a yellow card, a decision backed up by VAR official Michael Salisbury.

But Hackett, a former Premier League and FIFA official and one-time general manager of Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), says they got the decision wholly wrong.

“This is a nailed on red card for serious foul play,” he told Football Insider. “He knows exactly what he is doing. This is a challenge with excessive force that endangers the safety of the goalkeeper.

“Referees should not await the outcome to see if the goalkeeper is injured or not. Totally unacceptable and I would suggest that the referee and VAR require some operational advice.”

Hackett outlined the law relating to serious foul play: “A tackle or challenge that endangers the safety of an opponent or uses excessive force or brutality must be sanctioned as serious foul play.

“Any player who lunges at an opponent in challenging for the ball from the front, from the side or from behind using one or both legs, with excessive force or endangers the safety of an opponent is guilty of serious foul play.”


Photo: Action Images via Reuters



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flykickingbybgunn added 14:01 - Jan 17
Could not agree more.
If you did that outside the ground you could be prosecuted for assault.
13

Bert added 14:16 - Jan 17
Still time for a retrospective ban ?
7

NeverSayDie added 14:20 - Jan 17
I don’t think anybody outside PGMOL believes that VAR is fit for purpose; but let’s be clear, it’s not the technology, it’s the interpretation of the law in relation to information the technology is presenting that is the issue. Hackett, on this occasion, is correct, but it’s not just the officials from last night, there is a massive failing across the whole of PGMOL.
13

MVBlue added 14:23 - Jan 17
No one want to make any brace decisions on VAR this season, they are timid.
2

MVBlue added 14:23 - Jan 17
*brave
0

muccletonjoe added 14:27 - Jan 17
Anyone who sees it ,neither in normal speed or replay will say it is 100% sending off. Outrageous that VAR didn't think so after seeing it a dozen times. The whole system fails to work at a fundamental level.
12

Writtleblue added 14:31 - Jan 17
When you see it again on the highlights it's quite shocking , definitely a red card.
14

Tedray added 14:33 - Jan 17
Well said it was a deliberate "public assault" in the guise of a sporting context. H e must have a retrospective punishment to deter him from this sort of behavior in the future. Do not the inept officials have a duty of care towards the players especially in cases of such unprovoked violence.
13

d77sgw added 14:41 - Jan 17
Pedro has previous too - see the failure to prosecute him for deliberately swinging an elbow vs Brentford in December. Won't help us now, but should be looked at. Repeatedly letting him get away with violent actions will only endanger fellow professionals in future.
12

SamWhiteUK added 14:41 - Jan 17
I've seen quite a few people say that it's only a yellow. I can only imagine the have an interest in Town not doing very well. If he was really trying to stop he'd use his hands and try and cushion the impact off to the side, and almost catch Walton... not drop a bloody shoulder in like that
9

dirtydingusmagee added 14:41 - Jan 17
Better have a word with Brighton.manager too as he obviously dosnt understand either

15

runningout added 14:49 - Jan 17
ex refs having their say - no thanks
-11

PhuketPete added 14:53 - Jan 17
English football getting a worldwide reputation now for bad refereeing cum Var.
0

Lightningboy added 14:53 - Jan 17
About time they asked the fans whether we want VAR or not...they won't because they won't like the answer.

The corruption is off the scale in this league.
2

Dissboyitfc added 14:57 - Jan 17
Actually running out I like the situation given more transparency!
0

wischip added 15:02 - Jan 17
It's no good making these decisions the next day, needs to be live in the game.
0

martin587 added 15:07 - Jan 17
I keep asking myself why do we have VAR when most decisions are just ridiculous or overturns by incompetent officials.The player should have got an immediate Red card and after investigation at least a ten match ban for serious foul play.I’m not asking for favours because you don’t get them in this league unless your one of the TOP THREE clubs.All we ask for is consistency from all officials.
Unfortunately I’m afraid this is long gone.
2

dyersdream added 15:21 - Jan 17
Seems like all the Brazilians in premiership get away with anything
2

Facefacts added 15:25 - Jan 17
if that's Delap into their keeper, it's a straight red. The red would have been out instantly from his pocket. That's the ref and VAR cheating everyone covers up. Every single decision with us that involves VAR is the same.

I no longer attend games, but this was a home game, and if the crowd jumps up 'as one' and the referee has 10 to 15,000 people screaming OFF, OFF at him immediately, he will also probably brandish a red. Game's gone.
2

Gforce added 15:27 - Jan 17
It was a definite sending off offence. The Brighton players were conning the ref,throughout the whole game.In one instance towards the end,their player actually slips over on the wet surface,after he had lost the ball,and the referee still gave them the free kick.
A lot of this is down to the many foreign players in this league,to which we don't have at the moment.
We badly need to change our approach in future and get a lot more cute ,before it's too late.
6

dowsie3 added 15:32 - Jan 17
If the ref had given a red card the officials who were on VAR duty would have not have intervened
2

SpiritOfJohn added 15:34 - Jan 17
It's clear that the striker takes a running jump into Walton without any interest in going for the ball (which is no longer in the vicinity). I have no doubt that if Delap was involved in a similar incident at the other end of the pitch it would have been a straight red card. The ref should have been advised to review the incident.
5

blues1 added 15:36 - Jan 17
TedRay They cannot take,retrospective action as thr referee gave the yellow card, backed up by var.
1

bluesman added 15:38 - Jan 17
This (non) sending off incident turned the whole game. We'd been the best team but it literally seemed to knock the stuffing out of us and we went to pieces from then on. No goalkeeper in the league will want to see that replay. The FA need to take action on it.
3

GatesPerm added 15:39 - Jan 17
For a number of years now, rugby has had a significant focus on head contact attempting to remove it:
Head contact with force and no mitigation = red card
Head contact with mitigation = yellow card

If that had happened in a rugby game it would have been a red card.

I thought that the standard of refereeing in the Championship and League 1 was poor, but it’s even worse in this league and then you add the quality of the VAR official’s to that"…………….
7


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