Cheltenham fan in peace ..

[Dave]

Philgull

He may go a little over the top but on this I'm siding with Matt, the referee only took action because it was Richards who'd been booked moments before, and maybe there was little "did I get the yellow card for the tackle wrong " in the referees mind.

As said I've seen plenty of encroachment on the same level as Richards and the referee take no action at all, it's consistency, today Richards was the victim, another day it will be the opposition, it happens we move on.

[Gulliball]

You hardly ever see encroachment on the level of today. The only time it happens is when the ball is laid off and you have players running forwards. Richards obviously thought this was going to happen, but it didn't and you had a guy run up and take a free-kick and Richards ran out of the wall to charge it down. The referee can't ignore it as he did successfully block the shot, and it's a clear cut yellow.

It wasn't gamesmanship that footballers use all the time for their advantage. If he had edged forwards and headed it clear from 9 yards away he would have got away with it - he ran forwards and threw himself at a free-kick that was taken cleanly first time. Take the yellow spectacles off and it's not one you can really argue with.

[Dave]

Not at the top level with their lovely dispersing foam, at this level you see it quite often, along with many other things as listed by Matt, and you see referees some weeks stamp down on one thing, other weeks it something else, can argue as I go to the match's regularly enough to see it, and no need to take my yellow specs off.

[brucie]

Its common sense though. if their players were farting about with the free kick it is likely that a defender is likely going to charge it down (especially if he genuinely thought that their player had taken it)

Yes it could be construed as a yellow card but really its a ridiculous sending off. Like FL I wouldn't mind if one our opponents gets red carded about once a fortnight for some ludicrous infringement but it never seems to happen.

[Dave]

And just to add and point out, I'm not actually questioning whether it was a yellow card or not (hence why I've not got yellow specs on) I'm questioning consistency, I have seen the same level of encroachment many a time go unpunished and will again, that's really all I'm saying.

[Kernowgull]

I thought the sending off was harsh, and anyone who wasn't there who thinks Richards was stupid for the tackle, he wasn't, it was a brilliant, intelligent foul, that needed to be made to stop them breaking.

[Gulliball]

Do you really see that all the time? Every other free kick I see the wall is always vertical and stays vertical. It may jump, it may edge forwards - you see these all the time - but from a direct free kick, to see a player end up on the ground sliding in, blocking it? I can't say I've ever seen that happen, never mind happen regularly.

[Dave]

No, I wouldn't say I've seen it regularly , have seen it go unpunished before, but it's like Matt says, we can talk about encroachment, diving, time wasting etc, it seems different referees have different pet hates, some will ignore encroachment but book time wasting, others refs will have a different view.

I will always believe a different day, different referee Richards would have got away that, and will always think it was harsh regardless how correct the referee was to the good old letter of the law, which again seems to change from referee to referee, as some will use their common sense, others will tell you, there not allowed to.

But again it comes down to what level you play at, at the top the referees have the foam, gadgets, goal line technology and regular seminars , referees in the non-league have nothing.

[tufc si]

I thought the sending off was harsh, and anyone who wasn't there who thinks Richards was stupid for the tackle, he wasn't, it was a brilliant, intelligent foul, that needed to be made to stop them breaking.

Would have been intelligent if we were winning/drawing and needed the clock running down, but we were'nt! There lad had pretty much lost it anyways, he took a heavy touch and the ball was running away from him, Richards didnt need to do it!!

That said, he was quality all game. Even when Gus comes back, I honestly would leave the captaincy with him. The lad leads by example, he's like a little terrier in there

[Modgull]

I have another, slightly different, take on this.

If someone charges a directly hit free-kick they will have offended (or else the ball will have already passed/hit them) and can expect a yellow card.

It was a stupid and unprofessional action by the captain. He is the guy who is supposed to be thinking as well as doing. Already on a yellow, he should have deputed another player to charge-down in the event of a lay-off (the only time a charge-down is likely to avoid a yellow).

[Kernowgull]

I have another, slightly different, take on this.

If someone charges a directly hit free-kick they will have offended (or else the ball will have already passed/hit them) and can expect a yellow card.

It was a stupid and unprofessional action by the captain. He is the guy who is supposed to be thinking as well as doing. Already on a yellow, he should have deputed another player to charge-down in the event of a lay-off (the only time a charge-down is likely to avoid a yellow).

That is actually a very fair point, and I hadn't thought about that, and will now accept it was a bit stupid. He should have set someone like Ex or Finch, to who a yellow card would make little difference, to charge down.

Still maintain it was a "good" foul, in the circumstances.

[Dave]

Well yes, but to be fair, who in the middle of match, with adrenalin flowing, fully concentrating on the match, and in utter desperation to help avoid conceding a second and killer goal is going to think, heck I'm on a yellow better not try and charge down this free-kick or put someone else in harms way.

Richards tried effect the game in positive way for his team, he was unlucky purely in the terms of inconsistent, and common sense referring to get a second yellow, and in my view deserves no criticism for that.

[Kernowgull]

Oh yeah, I'm not criticising, just think modgull has a very fair point. Rather than criticise Richards, maybe the manager should have this as part of his game plan from the outset. Anyone doing anything that could risk a card outside of normal play, is a) not on a yellow already, and b) not close to a ban.

[Dave]

My post wasn't aimed at your good self or Modgull more at the view point in general. Kerno you've been a player yourself at a reasonable level, during the course of a game how many times did you stop and think better not get off my line quick and get to that ball before the opposition front man because I might end up with a yellow card and cause a problem else where for my team, you wouldn't, your concentrating on the game, on your own game and doing your bit to help your side win.

[Kernowgull]

My post wasn't aimed at your good self or Modgull more at the view point in general. Kerno you've been a player yourself at a reasonable level, during the course of a game how many times did you stop and think better not get off my line quick and get to that ball before the opposition front man because I might end up with a yellow card and cause a problem else where for my team, you wouldn't, your concentrating on the game, on your own game and doing your bit to help your side win.

Of course not, just an interesting point that I'd not thought about before by modgull. In theory, it could work, in reality probably not. Still, all that said, Richards was still excellent yesterday, and will be missed on Friday.