Elliot Bell told to explain himself after ‘ridiculous’ West Brom v Portsmouth controversy
Ryan Mason was sent off during West Brom’s contentious 1-1 draw with Portsmouth on Saturday.
Mason picked up his first booking for protesting referee Elliot Bell’s decision to not give the Baggies a penalty after Aune Heggebo was brought down by Connor Ogilvie.
He was then given his marching orders for his reaction to an incident a couple of minutes later, when Heggebo appeared to be pulled back by Pompey’s Regan Poole, yet no foul was given.
Colby Bishop’s second-half equaliser for Pompey halted West Brom’s winning start and the Baggies now lie fourth in the Championship table.
‘Ridiculous’ – Jay Bothroyd critical of Bell’s refereeing performance
On Sky Sports’ show Ref Watch, pundit Jay Bothroyd claimed: “The first one (Oglivie’s challenge on Heggebo) is just ridiculous – I don’t understand how the referee doesn’t see that.
“He might have been looking somewhere else at the time but that is one of the most obvious decisions we’ll see all season.”
Ex-Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher agreed with Bothroyd’s verdict that Heggebo was clearly fouled in the box, replying: “Why would the player go to ground? He’s got the ball at his feet.
“It’s a clear penalty and the easiest decision to give.”
- 68mins – Mason booked after Oglivie’s challenge on Heggebo in the box goes unpunished
- 70mins – Heggebo has his shirt tugged by Poole whilst in on goal
- 71mins – Mason sent off by Bell
However, the two were at odds over whether Bell, and referees in general, should be made to explain their decisions.
Bothroyd said: “The referee doesn’t get suspended for a game like Ryan Mason does, does he? You know, players have to come out after games and explain what they’ve done and why they’ve done it and what not, if they’ve made mistakes. I think referees should too.”
Asked by Gallagher “what mileage would there be in that for you?”, Bothroyd replied: “If there is a mistake, all we hear from the referees’ union is ‘sorry, we made a mistake’, right? And people need to understand, especially when it’s players, if you get banned for a game or two games, whatever it may be, that’s money, you know?
“I know for sure people that don’t know out there, you get paid to step on a pitch for one second. I’ll be honest, I got five grand in appearance. That’s going to cost me money, right? So ultimately, you making a decision and saying sorry, it doesn’t make a difference.”
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Bothroyd and Gallagher clash over whether Mason’s red should be rescinded
It was a day of huge frustration all round for the Baggies and the temper of boss Mason, who had seen his side win their first two league outings of the campaign, understandably boiled over after Heggebo was denied a penalty for West Brom.
There will always be an age-old debate over whether referees should be made to come out and publicly explain their decisions. It seems unlikely there is much to be gained from doing so but, ultimately, it is Mason paying the price right now and not Bell.
Both decisions were absolute stonewallers and West Brom boss Mason had every right to be fuming as Albion were denied a great chance to take all three points, so what exactly are the ramifications for the officials?
The chances of Mason getting the ban overturned are slim to none in truth, so it feels unfair that he should be punished for an indiscretion but there will be absolutely no fall-out for the officials.
For the Baggies boss, the focus now is on getting back on track – starting with Saturday’s trip to Stoke City.
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