Thetownend.com

... I agree that he wasn't the last man and Chelsea have won their appeal... But what gets me is that Terry has clearly dragged Jo down to the ground, it's not violent but it's a professional foul surely? To demote Halsey 3 divisions for this, I believe, is unfair on the ref.

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my mate at work is not happy about this. means he has to play against united on sunday.

He gets away with it because he's England captain-just like Shearer used to.

I'd be pissed off if our player was sent off for that in all fairness... A booking would have sufficed.

Bit harsh to demote the ref though, not like it had much of an impact of the game itself.

Terry is such a cock.

It's the latter point which has bugged me the most... I assume it's procedure after appeal?

Will more players try and drag players down from now on because Terry got away with it?

Who knows.

Ref had an absolute howler and in other circumstances could have cost Chelsea the game.

Terry only got away with it because 1) The ref gave him a red instead of the correct yellow card, and 2) Chelsea were good enough to win anyway.

Probably not, they'll still get booked.

Halsey wasn't that bad... was he? I watched it but I can't remember, all these games fuse together.

I meant for that particular decision!

Ah right... Meh if you said that the ref was rubbish all game I'd have believed you!

A professional foul isn't an instant red card though, its only if you're the last man. A professional foul can also include a block in the middle of the pitch, for example when Simunic took out Walcott last week. He did it to give the rest of the team time to get back and reorganise. And possibly to rough Walcott up a bit!

If you deny a clear goalscoring opportunity that is a sending off, it doesn't matter if you're the last man or not.

City had a 2 on 1 situation. You could argue that Jo would have squared the ball and there was a free man. In other words, goal scoring opportunity.

But equally he could have fluffed the pass straight to the other defender.

Any element of doubt = not a clear goalscoring opportunity.

Didn't Halsey put the sending off down in his report as serious foul play rather than a professional foul. I think his reasoning has fucked him over rather than anything I think if he had said it was for a professional foul he might of not got the demotion.

I've decided it doesn't matter anyway. Terry got the red for being a cunt.

Sir Alex is not a happy bunny over this - says if it ws a Manure player the decision would not have been overturned.  Difference is that if it had have been a Utd player he wouldn't have been sent off in the first place!

Well Ferguson can STFU, Vidic should have been sent off for hauling down Keane.

Clearly a yellow card offence, due to Carlvalho covering.  The ref was wrong.

And I hate Chelsea

Carvalho was covering, but i think the Red should have stood just because John Terry is a cheating cunt. It's football John, not rugby.

This is only a big deal because of who it was.  Giving defenders red cards for challenges like that when they are not the last man is fucking stupid.

As it stands it was a yellow card offence due to Carvalho tracking back.....however Terrys intent was to stop him from going through on goal defender or not.....so IMO if there is clear cynical intent then he should get red.

Fergusun can go and get fucked!

Just ask the red faced bloated jock how many pens have been given at Old Trafford since the Premier started........it is embarrasing.

So should like likes of Makalele or Masherano be sent off for cynically pulling back or tripping someone in midfield? 

Both are masters of comitting cynical fouls and taking bookings "for the team"

I think a red was a right decision.

I could under stand the calls for a yellow if it was a mis timed tackle or something, or a tackle where he hasnt got the ball....but its not even a football tackle. He's put his arms around him and dragged him to the floor and made 0 attempt to get the ball and has purely taken the man, cheat!

but it happens all the time!  does that make shirt pulling a red card offence?

Only for John Terry.

Law 12 of the game now makes no mention of the "professional foul" instead it talks about "denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity" so Mr Terry's intent when committing the offence is irrelevent, as with covering defenders that far from goal it clearly wasn't such an opportunity.

The ref got it wrong and i should have been a yellow. And Fergie can shut it. I hope the FA give him a right going over for what he's said.

I hope they don't I've had enough of the FA involving themselves in every little thing.  Moyes' sending off last weekend was a joke, yet the FA instead of dismissing it are looking into events.  Crazy, even the ref has asked they go easy on him due to it all being down to his big mistake ref the penalty,

on that basis we would have sending offs for shoulder barges as they are also intentional

Judging by the comments on here some of you lot would have it as a non-contact sport!

Great big jessies.

My original post was more about my sympathy for the ref (whether right or wrong)... I'm not bothered by nasty tackles etc.

Terry made no effort whatsoever to get the ball and dragged him down like a semi-pro rugby player = not being apart of football (as Halsey said).

Halsey will be officiating Chester vs. Shrewsbury on Saturday.