Following the inexplicable and utterly bizarre decision by referee James Linington to punish Leeds United centre-half Gaetano Berardi for not seeming to actually make contact with Tom Bradshaw during our 2-1 defeat to Millwall last weekend, the club had already announced plans to, rightly, appeal the straight red card.
Fans and pundits were pretty much in uproar at the decision and rightly so, as it seems only the referee on the day noticed a hint of actual contact.
Following the paperwork going in on the appeal, yesterday afternoon it was confirmed that the independent Regulatory Commission had rescinded his suspension, and that he was free to come back into manager Marcelo Bielsa’s selection plans for the Birmingham City clash following the October international break, but rather predictably (as we all remember Patrick Bamford’s reversal after last season’s Aston Villa clash), Bradshaw has not been charged with deception in the same way, which is the least that should’ve happened given it undoubtedly contributed to us not getting anything from the game.
Reaction on social media was entirely predictable in this case.
Who reviewed it, out of interest? So "contact" is sufficient to award a penalty? Bradshaw did dive about 5 minutes later though????
— Stuart Grant (@McClumsy84) October 8, 2019
Well I would love to see this footage coz those 3 are the only ones that seem to think so!
— Lee Maspero (@Leemo_LUFC) October 8, 2019
Me wondering where they saw the contact pic.twitter.com/k0jAgRWzOT
— Ellis smithson???????? (@SmithsonEllis) October 8, 2019
What contact? Tom Daley would have been proud of that dive #lufc
— Gasemall Mactavish (@GasemallM) October 8, 2019
Not at all.
Contact was made, that happens all game. Consider he took 2 further steps then threw his left foot back when it was his right foot that appeared to be closest to Beradi?
Next they be giving free kicks when players come into contact when heading a ball
— Dumpfor (@Dumpforsp) October 8, 2019
Contact was not made! Absolutely ridiculous decision by @FA especially when you have 2 respected ex pro referees saying it’s a dive and the ref was appalling.
— CJ Parker (@cerileedsfan) October 8, 2019
Contact made. Really? Where? pic.twitter.com/B08KwVQeLs
— Sunil Vanmari ???????? (@sunman1975) October 8, 2019
The FA have overturned a red card given to a Leeds United player?! ???? pic.twitter.com/XSBvfMtPBY
— YBI (@YeboahBelieveIt) October 8, 2019
100% agree. Bamford got a ban last year for milking it against villa leading to a player getting a red card
— Anthony Mccudden lufc (@MccuddenAnthony) October 8, 2019
How can you remove someone’s red card ban but the player who dived faces no action ????????♂️ #lufc
— Guv (@GuvBhangal) October 8, 2019
Doesn’t change the result though does it? The law really needs to change in these situations
— Lee (@leejmoore91) October 8, 2019
Well what a surprise. If this had been against a different team other than Leeds…
Double standards… Sickening.— SusieCora ????????????️Shadow Cupboard Tidier-Upper. (@SusiePeaceCora) October 8, 2019
You COULD script it
— Ashley Brookes (@ashleyjbrookes) October 8, 2019
Given you can argue there was cover, so it wasn’t a clear and obvious goalscoring opportunity, nor a professional foul, I could’ve sworn the double punishment rule had been done away with the other year anyway, which if my memory is right (maybe not in fairness) the award of the penalty made it a yellow card at worst?
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