http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/Article.aspx/872025

 

Aberdeen to appeal Mulgrew red card

 

By Charlie Allan 

 

Published: 06/10/2008

 

ABERDEEN were today planning to appeal against the red card issued to Charlie Mulgrew in the Hibs game.

 

Mulgrew was sent off for handling the ball on the goal line.

 

But referee Mike McCurry and his assistant, Wes Boulstridge, failed to spot that Hibs striker Steven Fletcher, who flicked the ball up on to Mulgrew’s hand, was well offside. Dons boss Jimmy Calderwood said: “We are looking into the possibility of whether we can appeal the red card because it was a wrong decision. “Fletcher was clearly offside so the hand-ball that Charlie was sent off for should never have counted.

 

“I don’t put all of the blame on the referee because the assistant should have seen it clearly from his position.

 

“We don’t know if the SFA can rescind it and not impose a ban, but they should because it would be the fair thing to do. It would ease the pain a little if the SFA did the right thing and cleared Charlie to play in our next game.â€

 

The Dons are also upset McCurry failed to send-off Hibs defender Sol Bamba for conceding a penalty earlier in the game.

 

Calderwood said: “It was a scoring chance so surely that should have been a red card as well? That could have changed the whole game.â€

 

McCurry was today unavailable for comment.

I'd actually just appreciate an apology from McCurry... his silence is deafening.  A measure of the man.

I'd actually just appreciate an apology from McCurry... his silence is deafening.  A measure of the man.

 

The incident wasn't really his fault though, for once I don't hold the useless twat directly responsible.

The incident wasn't really his fault though, for once I don't hold the useless twat directly responsible.

 

I do. He had a perfectly good enough view to be able to judge whether there was an issue of offside or not, whether that absolute abortion of a linesman got involved or not.

If we can all tell from our various positions around the ground when a player is offside the ref should be able to too. Yes the linesman fucked up but McCurry is still the man in charge.

There was actually an incident in the Fulham v WBA game I think at the weekened where the referee Phil Dowd over-ruled his assistant and allowed play-on even though his assistant raised his flag for off-side.

McCurry saw fit to over-rule that linesman at least once on Saturday.

Was listening to your call after the game and someone actually made a very worrying, but good point, the quality of refereeing in Scotland is atrocious, but if we did relegate a match official everytime this situation occurred, we would have even worse referee's in control of our games. I still think though the persistent offenders should be punished through relegation though. If they know no matter what they do they will keep their position then it makes sense as to why they are so incompetent.

Cunts, the lot of them. 

Notice the Whistleblower section on the SFA website has gone and no refs now explaining decisions.

If we can all tell from our various positions around the ground when a player is offside the ref should be able to too.

 

I wonder how many people instantly noticed, and understood, that Fletcher was offside?

 

I'm constantly amazed at the amount of people who don't understand the most simple rules in football.

I'm constantly amazed at the amount of people who don't understand the most simple rules in football.

 

Like the referee not understanding the offside rule? I'm amazed at that too.

I'm constantly amazed at the amount of people who don't understand the most simple rules in football.

 

Especially the officials.

I wonder how many people instantly noticed, and understood, that Fletcher was offside?

 

I'm constantly amazed at the amount of people who don't understand the most simple rules in football.

 

I wonder how many people were in the perfect position to judge that and are supposed to know the rules too.

I don't think we should get too carried away with this one. Bottom line is that an offside (or lack of) decision was made incorrectly. It's a common element of the game and we will benefit from them as often as we suffer (for the record I think the huns goal was NOT offside earlier in the season. yet was given that way).

 

Mulgrew's handling of the ball was exactly what it was and he was punished in exactly the way he had to be. I'm not happy about the outcome and Mike McCurry is indeed everything you all say he is. However, let's not pretend that Aberdeen lost that game because of refereeing incompetence. We lost that game because depsite being given huge amounts of posession by a Hibs team that sat back and invited us to attack, we were unable to do so with any level of competence. The smoke and mirrors of offsides and hand balls don't hide those facts, however much we want them to.

I wonder how many people were in the perfect position to judge that and are supposed to know the rules too.

 

Seeing as Mulgrew was planted on the line and the boy who took the touch was directly in front of him (Langfield having gone walkies due to an earlier attempt at saving the ball) I'd be surprised if anyone but McCurry didn't notice it.

Like the referee not understanding the offside rule? I'm amazed at that too.

 

Especially the officials.

 

I wonder how many people were in the perfect position to judge that and are supposed to know the rules too.

 

My reply was in response to this statement.

 

If we can all tell from our various positions around the ground when a player is offside the ref should be able to too.

 

Given that Mulgrew was on the line and the player directly in front of him was Fletcher, and they were the only two players in the 6 yard box, I'd assume that most had a pretty good view of it, and would've known straight away if they understand the offside rule.  It's true that many don't though.

 

Just look at the reaction of the Aberdeen players.  And listen to the crowd.  Very few protest, if any.

Just look at the reaction of the Aberdeen players.  And listen to the crowd.  Very few protest, if any.

 

The word 'bewildered' springs to mind.

EDIT: Having read the offside rules. 

 

EDIT: Having read the offside rules. 

 

 

I was just going to correct you there Ajja

EDIT: Having read the offside rules. 

 

 

Missed the original post, but I assume it proved my point. 

Seeing as Mulgrew was planted on the line and the boy who took the touch was directly in front of him (Langfield having gone walkies due to an earlier attempt at saving the ball) I'd be surprised if anyone but McCurry didn't notice it.

 

I was pretty much meaning the match officials ST.

I just simply cannot believe the amount of Sh*te we had to put with after the Rangers games.

The media went mental, those (unts on Setanta saying things like "Rangers were robbed", "clearly a mistake", etc etc.

When it was the CORRECT decision (from even UEFA's point of view regarding offsides)

 

Then this abortive decision, that even a 2 year old can see is offside, and we get maybe 2 lines at the end of match reports.

 

I think this is much worse, as it proves Referees don't know the most basic of the laws of the game, and are unable to handle the pressure of officiating. Yet the SFA stands behind them, and compounds the error by not allowing Mulgrew an appeal.

 

It's thinking like that which proves the SFA is unfit for purpose.

There was actually an incident in the Fulham v WBA game I think at the weekened where the referee Phil Dowd over-ruled his assistant and allowed play-on even though his assistant raised his flag for off-side.

 

Such examples being far more frequent than a referee actually calling offside in spite of the linesman not spotting it, McCurry shouldn't really be held responsible for this particular error.

 

I don't think we should get too carried away with this one. Bottom line is that an offside (or lack of) decision was made incorrectly. It's a common element of the game and we will benefit from them as often as we suffer (for the record I think the huns goal was NOT offside earlier in the season. yet was given that way).

 

Mulgrew's handling of the ball was exactly what it was and he was punished in exactly the way he had to be. I'm not happy about the outcome and Mike McCurry is indeed everything you all say he is. However, let's not pretend that Aberdeen lost that game because of refereeing incompetence. We lost that game because depsite being given huge amounts of posession by a Hibs team that sat back and invited us to attack, we were unable to do so with any level of competence. The smoke and mirrors of offsides and hand balls don't hide those facts, however much we want them to.

 

Agree mostly, but the reason more fuss is being made of this is that the linesman didn't make a marginal mistake, as officials commonly do and are perhaps over-criticised for. There is no ambiguity over the fact that, from the linesmans angle, Fletcher was several yards offside and yet he didn't flag, which justifiably raises more serious concerns over Scottish referee's competency.

Such examples being far more frequent than a referee actually calling offside in spite of the linesman not spotting it, McCurry shouldn't really be held responsible for this particular error.

The referee is ultimately responsible for all decisions during a game.

 

Agree mostly, but the reason more fuss is being made of this is that the linesman didn't make a marginal mistake, as officials commonly do and are perhaps over-criticised for. There is no ambiguity over the fact that, from the linesmans angle, Fletcher was several yards offside and yet he didn't flag, which justifiably raises more serious concerns over Scottish referee's competency.

I also disagree McCurry couldn't spot the offside as there was clearly only one man within the 6 yard box for AFC when there needed to be two - it's not difficult to spot. Both linesman and Ref to blame. SFA compounding error by not reversing red card.

Mulgrew red card upheld by SFA

 

Published: 09/10/2008

 

THE SFA this afternoon threw out Aberdeen's appeal against Charlie Mulgrew's red card in the game against Hibs.

 

A statement confirmed that referee Mike McCurry has watched a video re-run of the incident, which saw Mulgrew sent off after handling a shot from Hibs striker Steven Fletcher, who was well offside.

McCurry has accepted he should have given Fletcher as offside, but is sticking with the decision to send Mulgrew for an early bath.

 

The left-back is now suspended for Aberdeen's SPL visit to Falkirk next week.

 

The statement from the SFA said: "Aberdeen FC’s claim of wrongful dismissal in respect of the sending off of its player Charles Mulgrew in the match against Hibernian FC on 4th October has been dismissed, following a review by referee Michael McCurry.

 

"The player had been sent off for denying the opposing team or an opponent a goal or obvious goal scoring opportunity as defined by Law 12.

 

"Having viewed the video evidence, the referee acknowledged that it clearly shows player Steven Fletcher was in an offside position when he struck the ball. However, given the circumstances (i.e. the offside decision having not been given), the referee had to conclude that the player was correctly sent off.

"Charles Mulgrew will therefore be suspended for Aberdeen’s match against Falkirk FC on 18th October."

 

Does not compute

 

 

 

 

What are you doing Dave?

 

2 wrongs make a . . . erm . . . CUNT!