EFL Refereeing Abomination Journal 25/26

[Les-TA-Jon]

6 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

I think he could have had a stern word with him. second yellows are generally tougher than that unless it’s repeated fouling. reminded me of amarty’s sending off at home to Man U when he came on at right back and made two fouls tackles. 

I haven't seen the first yellow. I also haven't seen the rule where 2nd yellows are meant to be judged differently to other yellows. 

 

For me, the 2nd one is a textbook yellow card. The Southampton player beats him, Aluko knows he's past him, no attempt to play the ball, pulls shirt and bundles him down. 

 

If it was an opposition player you'd be screaming for it surely? 

[st albans fox]

16 minutes ago, Les-TA-Jon said:

I haven't seen the first yellow. I also haven't seen the rule where 2nd yellows are meant to be judged differently to other yellows. 

 

For me, the 2nd one is a textbook yellow card. The Southampton player beats him, Aluko knows he's past him, no attempt to play the ball, pulls shirt and bundles him down. 

 

If it was an opposition player you'd be screaming for it surely? 

First was a stonewall yellow 

there is no rule re second yellows - but good referees manage the game rather than being robots 

 

and whilst I’d be happy to see an opponent sent off, I wouldn’t be expecting that card if the situation was reversed 

[Bert]

10 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

First was a stonewall yellow 

there is no rule re second yellows - but good referees manage the game rather than being robots 

 

and whilst I’d be happy to see an opponent sent off, I wouldn’t be expecting that card if the situation was reversed 

I’d be fuming if their left back was already on a yellow and didn’t get a second for doing what Aluko did. 
 

They’re the two most nailed on yellow cards you’ll ever see. 

[Fear Of The Fox]

5 hours ago, It'sblueupnorth said:

You’re entertained by baseball and American football?

Absolutely. Especially baseball. I'm still watching a lot of football but it's not fun anymore with all the stupid rules and inconsistency. At least for me it has lost its traditional roots and purpose and I can't shake the feeling. Every game has some bizarre officiating and the majority of players are pricks. 

[Tommy Fresh]

4 hours ago, Bert said:

I’d be fuming if their left back was already on a yellow and didn’t get a second for doing what Aluko did. 
 

They’re the two most nailed on yellow cards you’ll ever see. 

They had their arms across each other, I don't think the second is as obvious as some are making it seem

[mad biker]

4 hours ago, Bert said:

I’d be fuming if their left back was already on a yellow and didn’t get a second for doing what Aluko did. 
 

They’re the two most nailed on yellow cards you’ll ever see. 

[StanSP]

17 minutes ago, mad biker said:

What's funny about that? 

[mad biker]

The second yellow was very soft, 50 50 at worst !

[Sol thewall Bamba]

6 minutes ago, mad biker said:

The second yellow was very soft, 50 50 at worst !

Their player was in behind us and he rugby tackled him to the ground. If the roles were reversed you'd be apoplectic if it wasn't given. Take those blue tinted specs off.

[Chelmofox]

2 minutes ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

Their player was in behind us and he rugby tackled him to the ground. If the roles were reversed you'd be apoplectic if it wasn't given. Take those blue tinted specs off.

If the ref goes over and gives him a stern 'last one and you are out' talk, no one ever talks about the incident ever again.

[Guest]

I've got no complaints about either booking really. This idea that the ref - who I accept is a helmet - is obliged to coddle and gently talk Aluko through the game, rather than give him yellow cards for yellow card offences, because he's young and it's his first start is mad.

[Tommy Fresh]

11 minutes ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

Their player was in behind us and he rugby tackled him to the ground. If the roles were reversed you'd be apoplectic if it wasn't given. Take those blue tinted specs off.

No he didn't, they both had arms over each other, he hadn't even got fully behind Aluko

[Tiny earl]

5 minutes ago, Chelmofox said:

If the ref goes over and gives him a stern 'last one and you are out' talk, no one ever talks about the incident ever again.

Apart from the assessor in the stands who will mark him down for not following the rules!

 

[StanSP]

12 minutes ago, Chelmofox said:

If the ref goes over and gives him a stern 'last one and you are out' talk, no one ever talks about the incident ever again.

Saints fans would. Some of us probs still would as well, about how lucky he was to not have seen red. 

 

If it was a their LB on Fatawu we'd be fuming that it was just a talking to. 

[Tommy Fresh]

2 minutes ago, Tiny earl said:

Apart from the assessor in the stands who will mark him down for not following the rules!

 

Didn't stop him getting a load of other things wrong 

[Tiny earl]

9 minutes ago, Tommy Fresh said:

Didn't stop him getting a load of other things wrong 

That was one of the few things he got right.

[Les-TA-Jon]

27 minutes ago, Chelmofox said:

If the ref goes over and gives him a stern 'last one and you are out' talk, no one ever talks about the incident ever again.

Apart from plenty on here who’d say he was lucky to stay on the pitch, Southampton fans who’d rightly massively aggrieved and match reports which would likely highlight the injustice 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

1 hour ago, Tommy Fresh said:

No he didn't, they both had arms over each other, he hadn't even got fully behind Aluko

Like I say, you'd be fuming if it was the other way around and he didn't get a second yellow, you know it.

[Tommy Fresh]

27 minutes ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

Like I say, you'd be fuming if it was the other way around and he didn't get a second yellow, you know it.

They were tussling for the ball, unless you expect players to compete by not touching each other as they run? 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

7 minutes ago, Tommy Fresh said:

They were tussling for the ball, unless you expect players to compete by not touching each other as they run? 

I don't know what to say to you if you don't think that's a foul.

[StanSP]

16 minutes ago, Tommy Fresh said:

They were tussling for the ball, unless you expect players to compete by not touching each other as they run? 

Tussling and then Aluko pulls him down. 

[Bert]

I’m one of the worst for slating referees and being too harsh on their decisions on here. So make of that what you will. Yeah they’re both tussling. But Aluko loses that battle and then grabs Fellows shirt and pulls him over. 

[Tommy Fresh]

10 hours ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

I don't know what to say to you if you don't think that's a foul.

 

10 hours ago, StanSP said:

Tussling and then Aluko pulls him down. 

Not necessarily saying its not a foul, but he's got his arm across Aluko as well and is leaning in to him prior to Aluko actually pulling him down, just don't think it's as clear a yellow card as some are making out

Edited 27 November 2025 by Tommy Fresh

[LCFCJohn]

18 hours ago, Les-TA-Jon said:

I haven't seen the first yellow. I also haven't seen the rule where 2nd yellows are meant to be judged differently to other yellows. 

 

For me, the 2nd one is a textbook yellow card. The Southampton player beats him, Aluko knows he's past him, no attempt to play the ball, pulls shirt and bundles him down. 

 

If it was an opposition player you'd be screaming for it surely? 

You see grappling like the second yellow not given all the time.

 

I had actually stopped watching the game by then. When I saw the comments on the match thread, I was expecting a really poor challenge where he has hacked his man down, maybe more like the first yellow. My thoughts were more about his experience and being shafted by Fatawu for the first.

 

When I saw it on the highlights, I actually thought it was really soft and you see them go either way. Certainly not a stonewall yellow that would be given all the time.

[LCFCJohn]

13 hours ago, Guest said:

I've got no complaints about either booking really. This idea that the ref - who I accept is a helmet - is obliged to coddle and gently talk Aluko through the game, rather than give him yellow cards for yellow card offences, because he's young and it's his first start is mad.

It’s not about him being 18 for me anyway. It’s about the consistency of the rules. If you ask yourself, do players week in week out, who commit two similar offences, get sent off consistently, the answer is no. It’s an issue with the consistency of refs. If the rules would state both of those should be yellows, then there should probably be more red cards every week. But some refs try not to ruin the game and show more leniency.

 

It reminds me of the Vardy red card in that West Ham game in 2016 (Jon Moss gate). He absolutely deserved the yellow for the dive and the dissent and you wonder why he did that on a yellow already. What never really got mentioned, was how soft the first booking that day was.