ROYLE RAILS AGAINST REFEREEING

Post by **Dazza** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 1:51 pm

Ipswich boss Joe Royle claimed his team had been victims of poor refereeing this season following Ricardo Fuller's sending-off in the 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace.

Referee Kevin Friend alleged Fuller - who scored Town's second equaliser - had been dismissed in the 78th minute for an offensive gesture at a linesman, but Royle claimed it had been directed at the home supporters.

Royle was left bemused at Friend's decision - and expressed his displeasure with the standard of officiating this term.

"Yet again, we have finished a game with 10 men, and yet again we are puzzled," Royle said.

"I have written to the head of referees as well as the League Managers' Association and the Professional Footballers' Association to complain about the standard of refereeing.

"The fans were giving Ricardo a hard time, and in his frustration he stuck two fingers up at them. I don't believe that is a sending-off offence.

"We are not a dirty team, but we have had six sendings-off this season for hardly anything."

Royle's team began the day nine points adrift of a play-off spot in the Coca-Cola Championship, and the former Everton and Manchester City boss admitted his team had needed three points today to have had a chance of breaking into the top six.

Aki Riihilahti and Clinton Morrison twice put Palace in front, but a Tom Soares own goal and on-loan Fuller's 67th-minute header enabled the visitors to claim a point.

Royle continued: "We played the better football and, with a bit more luck and a few more decisions in our favour, we might have won it.

"I was delighted with the performance and it was more good experience for our young players, but we needed three points today to be back in the shake-up."

Palace manager Iain Dowie insisted it was "not all doom and gloom" after his team wasted another chance to eat significantly into the 12-point gap which separated them from second-placed Sheffield United at the start of play.

Dowie's men look near-certainties for a play-off place, but their dreams of a top-two finish have surely vanished.

He said: "It was a difficult day. It was not a poor performance, but we had enough chances to have won the game.

"We led twice, and we should have killed the game off. Our final ball was not as good as it should have been, and we didn't look as assured as we usually do at the back.

"For their second goal, we made a stupid decision to allow Matthew Richards time to cross with his left foot, and we didn't pick up Fuller in the box.

"Now we need a big performance at [play-off rivals] Leeds on Tuesday."

Well I think it is, BUT.... Everyweek players swear at the Ref's and linesmen and get nothing, so how it can be a straight red I do not know.

Its a joke, we're always getting singled out!

Rach · Post by **Rach** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 2:26 pm

No argument from this pic that he did it and he only has himself to blame for getting sent off IMO....

Vaughan8 · Post by **Vaughan8** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 2:40 pm

Rach wrote:No argument from this pic that he did it and he only has himself to blame for getting sent off IMO....

Agreed, its his own fault! thankfully it didnt cost us any points.

Dubai Blue · Post by **Dubai Blue** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 2:58 pm

What do you mean ? 2 fingers ? .... offensive ? Perhaps in primary school.

Sending a player off or even taking any notice of it amongst normally adjusted adults seems to be completely ridiculous.

Mind you those who complained about Nugent's celebrations in front of the North stand should now accept that we can give as good as we get

Anglo-Saxon · Post by **Anglo-Saxon** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 3:10 pm

It was 2-? FFS's he was only reminding them of the fact, how fickel can some of you be, may be he was gettin abuse, Oh right no reason to show you're upset is there.

The snobs over taking Suffolk should p*ss off back from where they once crawled from, because Suffolk was far better off with out you.

I'd not even wish you on Norfolk.

Drunken Munky · Post by **Drunken Munky** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 3:34 pm

I thinking he was letting us know how many goals we had

Anglo-Saxon · Post by **Anglo-Saxon** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 3:41 pm

Drunken Munky wrote:I thinking he was letting us know how many goals we had

Bloody Warnock get's away with it time and time again, he did it at Norwich again today, so where do you draw the line????????

Two fingers LOL, how would some people react if some one told them they were a boring fickel c***, die of a bloody heart attack I assume.

Trouble is IMHO the people taking over Suffolk are boring bloody snobs who only support Ipswich to fit in (so they bloody well like to think)

Roylemark · Post by **Roylemark** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 4:07 pm

Drunken Munky wrote:I thinking he was letting us know how many goals we had

Or maybe he was saying to the crowd,can you roll me a spliff 2 skins please

Anglo-Saxon · Post by **Anglo-Saxon** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 4:10 pm

Roylemark wrote:
Drunken Munky wrote:I thinking he was letting us know how many goals we had
Or maybe he was saying to the crowd,can you roll me a spliff 2 skins please

Do you think the inquiery will buy that one, I would PMSFL

ippers · Post by **ippers** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 9:58 am

How is that a sending off offence its a joke :/ If ppl started abusing us in any of our workplaces we would all probably do more than stick two fingers up, just because hes a footballer it shouldn't be any different IMO