Referees Punish Dangerous Tackles

A record number of red cards were shown in the Boxing Day fixtures. Referees are punishing players who endanger other professionals' careers with two-footed tackles.

Christmas – the season of Goodwill but obviously not on the football pitch where a record number of red cards were shown in the Boxing Day games. Across the four divisions in England nineteen players were sent off for a variety of offences.

Over the past month in the Premier League, a number of players have been dismissed for two footed tackles, including Robbie Keane and Didier Zokora of Tottenham. Chelsea’s Ricardo Carvalho was sent off for a similar two footed lunge in the match against Aston Villa. Two other players were sent off in that game Villa’s Zat Knight for a professional foul and Chelsea’s Ashley Cole for a late handball which gave Villa a penalty from which they levelled the score at 4-4, Villa’s second game in London this season with that scoreline, following their earlier draw at Tottenham.

Reading’s Brynjar Gunnarsson was also sent off for a two-footed tackle on West Ham United’s Hayden Mullins at Upton Park. Reading played over half the game with ten men but earned a point in a 1-1 draw.

Authorities Support Referees

It is only right that referees take stern action against these dangerous tackles. To date no-one has been seriously injured from such a tackle but a player could see his career threatened if it results in a broken leg or ankle. Clubs have appealed against the dismissals but the authorities have correctly backed the referees and rejected the appeals.

The next step that needs to be taken is for the authorities to take action retrospectively where a referee may have missed a serious and dangerous foul tackle. The players involved in such incidences should not get off but should know that that their misdemeanours will be punished.