...are they clever or unsporting? Man City are appealing against the red card given yesterday to Barton. Due to FA offices being shut until Wednesday the fact the club have appealed means the player concerned will be available to face Sheff Utd on Boxing Day (where ordinarily they would be suspended assuming an appeal was lost). If he is subsequently banned for 3 matches (as I feel he will be) he will miss the next two Prem matches and an FA Cup tie against Sheff Weds. Whereas if they hadn't appealed he'd miss three Prem matches. See where I'm coming from? He'd have arguably been rested for the FA Cup anyway. I hope the FA up the ban to 4 matches due to Man City playing the system.
Pearce after the game said he did not think it was a red card so its only normal to appel the next day.
I know where you are coming from but rules are rules and are there to be circumvented. i thought the red vcard was far too harsh anyway!! When are you back in the UK if not already?
I know that, not saying any different. But they hav something to gain which isn't right in my book. Ah yeah I know, the FA should get off their arses and get into work today to sort it out. Surprised you think it's harsh though - the intent was dangerous and it could easily have been a leg breaker if actually carried out properly. Granted the actual outcome was harmless but I think the ref got it right. I'm back already Colin, though Air France have my suitcase somewhere (with various cards, presents and all my clothes) and are planning to return it sometime when they can be bothered. Abysmal service from them and I can "write for compensation" (read: extra packet of cheese biscuits on future flight).
so many appeals result in the punishments being dropped or reduced everyone's gonna appeal in the hope there's are overturned. But I can see why the ref sent off Barton. Initially it looked like a leg breaker but on the replay it was OTT!!
Not sure that's true - it's just you only ever hear about the ones that are overturned. "Referee right" doesn't really make as good a headline for the papers I guess!
One match extra ban perhaps Maybe in the case of unsuccessful appeals, the appeal panel should have the option of increasing the length of a ban, should they believe the appeal was for clever or unsporting reasons. That would legate any advantage a team may gain in the situation you suggest, and no doubt put them off from trying it on.
But in the end it is going to come down to whether it is thought a team is trying it on, and if they have no proof of strategic appealing they can't enforce any penlaties for it.
Ok, make it a law that if an appeal is unsuccessful an extra match ban will be automatically added to the original ban. That would make teams think twice about appealing
