Both Ashley Cole and Zat Knight have appealed the red cards handed out to them in the Boxing Day clash at Stamford Bridge. Much as I have been critical of referee Phil Dowd in the past, I would be astonished if the disciplinary panel didn't back him in both instances. I don't think the official was given much option.

I believe that it's now possible for the authorities to increase the suspensions in the case of "frivolous" appeals. Burnley recently appealed against one of their players being sent off and the appeals panel increased the suspension from 3 to 4 games.
It would be nice if they did the same to Chelsea's appeal, but I suspect it'll be another case of "one rule for the big clubs, another for the small ones"

I believe that it's now possible for the authorities to increase the suspensions in the case of "frivolous" appeals. Burnley recently appealed against one of their players being sent off and the appeals panel increased the suspension from 3 to 4 games.
It would be nice if they did the same to Chelsea's appeal, but I suspect it'll be another case of "one rule for the big clubs, another for the small ones"

They've done this in horseracing and I'd like to see it in the courts, too.
There have been many far worse breaches, tackles etc. but I can't see that the ref had any alternative. I can't see that he made any error. He appeared to explain this to Knight who looked to accept it. What would we have been saying had he not sent them off?

If it became the norm for sportspeople in all sports to routinely appeal decisions made during the course of the match then the level of silliness and hard work that could result (along with the loss of respect for the match officials) would render the sport more or less pointless.

Either a sport takes the decision to have all decisions backed up by video refs/4th officials (like they have done very successfully in rugby league and which has actually increased the respect for the refs) or they have to push through with 'what the ref decides is right' and back them all of the way.

To undermine the ref afterwards by changing their decisions on appeal would just erode the respect for the match officials to the point as to make them useless and the match would end up in anarchy.

To undermine the ref afterwards by changing their decisions on appeal would just erode the respect for the match officials to the point as to make them useless and the match would end up in anarchy.


Agreed; but there's a secondary issue. The length of ban you serve for being sent off is variable, and is decided by an FA panel (although it's frequently automated depending on what offence you committed). You can appeal against the length of ban.

In practice, you can't appeal against the red card, because even if they rescind it, you still didn't play the remainder of the game, and your team was still left with only ten men.

Knight has failed in his appeal.

I think it is important to have an appeal system but officials get it horribly wrong at times - mistaken identity being one such error.

I was astonished when Martin Keown didn't have his red card expunged, on appeal, in the Di Canio 'pushing referee' incident because from my excellent view in the South Stand, Keown was trying to keep the peace and doing his utmost to prevent others joining in the melee. There was a referee, Alcock who didn't have a clue what was happening.

In horseracing, the stewards' panel is made up of amateurs, guided by one professional and sometimes they don't have all the relevant facts at hand and make the wrong decision, to expedite the result. As Heyesey mentions, it is often the length of a suspension that is in question.

Tend to agree with Basil, if it is frivilous, they add on matches or days' suspension - in racing they can forfeit their deposits - but it is essential to have an opening for such - because some clangers are made, believe me.

At Stamford Bridge, Phil Dowd carried out the dismissals to the letter of the law, so it was hard to find fault with his decisions.

** Cole has had his appeal rejected and Dowd has been backed, not surprisingly imo.