Hackett apology is not enough

Neil Warnock is no stranger to controversy. Sometimes it's his own fault, his forthright nature spilling over into outright aggression and, much to the contempt of other managers, dirty tactics. Allegedly.

But Warnock often feels victimised by the football establishment and while that might be stretching the point, he does seem to find himself on the end of some terrible luck at times.

The latest incident which has upset Warnock was a controversial moment during his Crystal Palace side's visit to Ashton Gate on Saturday. Palace striker Freddie Sears, on loan from West Ham, found himself at close range and onside in the 30th minute. His finish was neat, beating the goalkeeper and planting the ball in the bottom corner to put Palace ahead against Bristol City.

Only it didn't put them ahead. Referee Rob Shoebridge - somehow - thought the ball had not gone in. With protestations from Palace players, he consulted with his assistant referee (I have a problem with this, because the goal-line is the linesman's job - it is the referee's responsibility to spot what happens between the posts) and no goal was given.

In the 90th minute, Nicky Maynard scored for City to turn one point to none for Warnock's side. Unsurprisingly, the larger-than-life Yorkshireman was furious. And in my book, he's right to be.

Here are some quotes from Crystal Palace. Chairman Simon Jordan:

"What troubles me was that the Bristol City players saw what was going on and by saying nothing, that's cheating. I don't know how the referee did not see it. The players knew it was a goal, their manager knew it was a goal and they could have done something about it - let us go up the other end and score or something."

Manager Neil Warnock:

"I thought Gary Johnson and his players could have shown more sportsmanship because they knew it was a goal, like everyone else. But I'm 60 years old and maybe I expect too much."

Clearly, the referee was horrendously at fault, but Jordan and Warnock have been clear in their belief that Bristol City - who have admitted that they knew the goal had been scored shortly after it happened - should have taken measures to even things up. And to be honest, I agree with them.

City have responded (more on this later) with the ridiculous get-out that allowing Palace to score would set a precedent for other events, like incidents where the ball may or may not have crossed the line, incorrect offsides and bad penalty decisions.

Total bullshit. When the ball hits the back of the net after going between the posts, there is no grey area. The referee hasn't got a tough 50-50 decision wrong, the ball hasn't been cleared off the line in flight. There was no decision made, so to argue that it would mean bad offside calls would lead to free goals is staggeringly misleading. The facts are clear: Crystal Palace scored a goal which was not a sketchy one in the slightest to give, and the referee missed it.

Rob Shoebridge should be at the beginning of a very, very long suspension. On Sunday night, I was still of the opinion that he should be banned for life. Missing a goal is unforgiveable. Now, I think a ten-match ban and demotion would suffice, though I would feel for the managers in the divisions below.

Keith Hackett, refereeing-bastard-in-chief, has apologised to Warnock and the Palace fans in public, and suspended all officials involved. Quite how the other assistant referee and the fourth official have been implicated I don't know, and I think that if the assistant involved saw the ball cross the goal-line, he's done his job. Shoebridge was the moron who ballsed up.

As always, Hackett has popped his head out to put a sticking plaster on a shotgun wound. I'd be amazed if his "apology" has had any effect on Warnock's mood. What Hackett needs to do is tell us how he's going to put in place a training, employment, assessment and punishment system which flushes out the idiots, starfuckers and sadists who insist on spoiling matches.

I am not, incidentally, in favour of goal-line technology (at least I don't think I am). What I want is for the Professional Game Match Officials Board to fix the system, because it's laughable. Everyone saw that the ball had crossed the line and gone in - if Shoebridge didn't, that's a problem with refereeing, not a technological issue. Besides which, why give the TV companies what they're lobbying for?

Another structural issue which must be addressed (pun half intended) is why there is a metal frame around the bottom of a goal in the Championship in this day and age. Stupidity of the highest order.

Bristol City's response to all this, by the way, has been nothing short of a complete disgrace. And that's a shame, because I've been fond of that club and its supporters for years.

Manager Gary Johnson, chairman Steve Lansdown and chief executive Colin Sexstone have chosen to ignore that fact that their team could have allowed Palace a goal (given the fact that they knew a goal had been missed), preferring instead to focus on a mythical infringement leading up to the goal, denying heat-of-the-moment accusations of cheating and "it's happened to us and it evens itself out" platitudes which do nothing but deflect attention from their unsportsmanlike conduct.

Warnock has serious cause for complaint here, and his calls for the game to be replayed are sensible, though with recent history between City and Palace being so explosive, extra security would be advisable.

Say...I wonder if that's why City acted in the way they did.

(Pic via This Is London)