Martin Atkinson.

[BristolCharlie]

The photos are misleading because of the motion parallex error. The only true camera angle is directly from above.

[WellRedPhil]

Cech did deny Adebayor a goal scoring opportunity.

In most cases where a goal scoring opportunity is denied, the side gets a penalty kick, which is itself a goal scoring opportunity, and the player denying the original opportunity gets a red card.

If you compare the ultimate outcome of the incident in the City v Reading game, with the ultimate outcome of that in the Chelsea game, the same offence was committed, but.....

in the Reading game, Carey was sent off, Reading still had a goal scoring opportunity (the penalty) and scored. (I know he could have missed, but technically so could Bale).

So Reading had a goal and played the rest of the game against 10 men.

In the Chelsea game, WHERE THE REF PLAYED THE ADVANTAGE TO SPURS, the outcome was that Spurs had a goal and played the rest of the game against 11 men.

Which team benefitted the most? Reading or Spurs (where the advantage was played)?

It could be argued that if a goal, or a penalty, is ultimately scored, the offending player should not be sent off (which is what happened with Chelsea).

But if it's a red card in the first instance, surely it should be the same in the second instance.

I am not arguing whether the ref was right or wrong in either case, it's just that something just doesn't seem quite right, or fair, to me.

It could be argued that, as in rugby, the ref should be allowed to award a penalty-goal (penalty-try) when a clear scoring oppotunity is denied.

But then that's opening another can of worms.

The Carey incident is different. After Carey was alleged to have brought the Reading player down they didn't have a goal-scring opportunity, therefore Carey had denied them one. Cech didn't deny Spurs a goal-scoring opportunity as they SCORED. I see the point you're making about fairness but as Riaz has said the red in that case is a last resort. The ref made the correct call by the letter of the law.

[ballwinningcentrehalf]

You are so wrong it hurts my brain

This. This. A thousand times, this. Absolutely no debate that Atkinson made the right decision not to send of Cech.

[MarcusX]

I'd say nearer halfway than 95% over.

Ultimately he's guessing. What makes this incident different, and much much worse from a refereeing perspective, is that all other supposed errors are due to officials failing to see something, be it a handball, a player offside, even a ball crossing the line. It's human error and understandable. The only explanation is that the officials just didn't see it and that's the end of the matter.

With yesterday's incident, the ball never crossed the line, and the referee never saw it cross the line, so how is awarding a goal justifiable?

Possibly the most sensible picture iv seen on the incident! at least someone understands angles and perception!

[Atticus]

I 100% agree with Riaz here

The over reaction to the ref's decision from some poster's is a joke.

The ball from certain angles looks over the line to me. So obviously the ref believed it had crossed the line, so gave a goal. At worst it was an honest mistake. He cant be blamed imo, he has that one moment to make a decision.

People say he is guessing?? No he's not, if he believed the ball crossed the line at that time, he isnt guessing is he. He just got it wrong.

I highly doubt he is there thinking "hm, I have no idea if the ball went over, well I have a 50/50 chance, il give a goal!!"

[Esmond Million's Bung]

I 100% agree with Riaz here

The over reaction to the ref's decision from some poster's is a joke.

The ball from certain angles looks over the line to me. So obviously the ref believed it had crossed the line, so gave a goal. At worst it was an honest mistake. He cant be blamed imo, he has that one moment to make a decision.

People say he is guessing?? No he's not, if he believed the ball crossed the line at that time, he isnt guessing is he. He just got it wrong.

I highly doubt he is there thinking "hm, I have no idea if the ball went over, well I have a 50/50 chance, il give a goal!!"

I think you will find "So obviously the ref believed it had crossed the line", is really not good enough he has to be 100% sure and there is absolutely no way in the world he could have been, so really the benefit of the doubt should go to the team defending or perhaps he needs to go to specsavers.

[Redtucks]

You are wrong,

He did deny Adebyor but he DID NOT DENY SPURS a goal score oppertunitie as Bale scored where as Carey denied Roberts and reading a goal scoring oppertunitie and was rightly sent off,

Denying a goal scoring oppertunitie is against the team not the man, he did not deny spurs therefore the correct call was made,

You are so wrong it hurts my brain

Sorry about your head, but denying a goal scoring opportunity is against the opponent.

The law states:

"It is a sending off offence to deny an obvious goalscoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player's goal by an offence punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick."

Anyway it's all water under the bridge now.

I'm off to bed, these recent games are too exhausting.