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Sparrow facing FA Cup heartbreak

9:30am Monday 6th February 2012 in Albion By Andy Naylor

Matt Sparrow is about to be sent off Matt Sparrow is about to be sent off

MATT Sparrow is facing FA Cup heartbreak, unless Albion mount a successful appeal over his straight red card against Leicester.

The midfielder was sent-off five minutes from the end for a tackle on Leicester substitute Ben Marshall.

Sparrow will be banned for three games, ruling him out of the fifth round tie against Liverpool at Anfield as well as the two matches before at Leeds and at home to Millwall. Albion will wait on referee Andy Woolmer’s report before deciding whether it is worth appealing.

Manager Gus Poyet said: “I don’t know what the outcome is going to be. If it is given as a two-footed tackle that’s wrong, because it was clearly one foot. We’ll see what they say.”

Woolmer had already controversially sent-off Leicester striker Jermaine Beckford early in the second half after a clash involving Lewis Dunk. The visitors had Neil Danns red carded as well in injury time for a second bookable offence.

Leicester confirmed this morning they are appealing against Beckford's dismissal.

Sparrow tweeted after the match: “Great win again boys!! Gutted about my sending off though think the ref just wanted to even things up!!”

Comments(22)

Gazza by the sea says...
10:13am Mon 6 Feb 12

Well the tweet's not going to help the cause methinks. Might be a further charge for suggesting the referee was being dishonest.....

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Rhodes Seagull says...
10:14am Mon 6 Feb 12

Yep, Refs do seem to be a bit quick on the draw with the cards nowadays, we all no football is a contact sport but also feel that players do play on the what seems to be an inability of the refs to no what is a deliberate and what is just a pure good man on man tackle. Until the FA and the refs get on the same wavelength then players like Sparrow are going to be wrongly accused.

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Dr Baldhead says...
10:18am Mon 6 Feb 12

A real shame for Spadge as he's been in good form. He overran the ball and lunged a bit trying to reach it before Marshall did. It wasn't malicious and was only one footed - albeit studs up. You could tell from the immediate reaction of the Leics bench and the ref that it was going to be red.
Worth an appeal, but from what we've seen of the FA, it'll be unlikely to succeed.

The real shame is that it'll be hard for Spadge to get his starting place back - competion is hotting up in midfield (Sat's squad was missing midfielders Harley, Vincelot, Lua Lua, Reyes and Nooney and Dicker will be back before too long too). I hope this doesn't freeze out Matty, in the way it when Adam Virgo when he was sent off at Leeds a couple of years back. He'd just got back into he team and after that never regained his place.

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BHAFC151 says...
10:47am Mon 6 Feb 12

To be honest it was a stupid tackle - probably deserved it!

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CAKEBEARD says...
10:49am Mon 6 Feb 12

Everyone knows it was red, the ref got it right, studs up..simples! the FA and the refs ARE on the same wavelength...seems like some fans and some players, coaches and managers don't understand the rules that apply nowadays...like it or not that's the way it is. Sparrow lost control of the ball and lunged with studs up. Don't waste your money on an appeal Gus.

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sidtheseagull says...
10:56am Mon 6 Feb 12

Gazza by the sea wrote:
Well the tweet's not going to help the cause methinks. Might be a further charge for suggesting the referee was being dishonest.....
I'm afraid refereeing has reached a sorry state, - however it's up to the players to adapt as professionals to current refereeing trends. The teams that do this will be successful and keep 11 players on the pitch. I am also saddened at the way players react in wanting other players sent off - just want to see good football and less of the dramatics - I think referees are starting to get duped. Not surprised as most of them are thick....

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fratsomrover says...
10:58am Mon 6 Feb 12

I feel sorry for Spadge too, but I see little point in an appeal. It was a late tackle and under the new guidelines if his studs were showing the ref was right as tough as it may seem. Shame cos Spadge was in good form but I guess it opens the door for JFK to come in for say 55 minutes before being replaced by Vincente for the final 35. I think these two are the best creative midfielders we have and are both capable of both scoring and delivering those defense splitting passes.

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graham w says...
11:18am Mon 6 Feb 12

I feel sorry for matt because hes been playing really well, in fact in this game he was really getting forward with power an urgency ,and un leashed quite a few shots ,the tackle was with only one foot, and i say that with out tv evidence, in fact what it was ,was a commited one footed tackle that the guy saw coming, and did he make meal of it , and didnt he resume the game quickly after the poor little wounded soldier "cheat" .. the FA are getting tackles confused with dangerous play..matty you had a tremendous game,

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graham w says...
11:19am Mon 6 Feb 12

I feel sorry for matt because hes been playing really well, in fact in this game he was really getting forward with power an urgency ,and un leashed quite a few shots ,the tackle was with only one foot, and i say that with out tv evidence, in fact what it was ,was a commited one footed tackle that the guy saw coming, and did he make meal of it , and didnt he resume the game quickly after the poor little wounded soldier "cheat" .. the FA are getting tackles confused with dangerous play..matty you had a tremendous game,

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pablobrowno says...
11:20am Mon 6 Feb 12

Agree with the last post that it is an opportunity for jfc and vicente, even Harley to be involved again. The tackle itself was horrible, and watching the extended highlights on seagulls player had confirmed this. Studs were up and foot off the ground. Deserved to go off sadly. On the flip side Beckford's sending off was ridiculous!! They should rightly appeal that one. He basically leant down and tapped Dunk in the midriff as if to say "get up son". I was as happy as the rest of us to be facing ten men but the situation with these sending offs has become a little farcical. The linesman should be ashamed!!

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brightonup says...
11:45am Mon 6 Feb 12

pablobrowno wrote:
Agree with the last post that it is an opportunity for jfc and vicente, even Harley to be involved again. The tackle itself was horrible, and watching the extended highlights on seagulls player had confirmed this. Studs were up and foot off the ground. Deserved to go off sadly. On the flip side Beckford's sending off was ridiculous!! They should rightly appeal that one. He basically leant down and tapped Dunk in the midriff as if to say "get up son". I was as happy as the rest of us to be facing ten men but the situation with these sending offs has become a little farcical. The linesman should be ashamed!!
Yes, I am afraid you are right about both incidents.

Whether Dunk is culpable as well as the linesman is another issue.

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Jimmy Langley says...
11:56am Mon 6 Feb 12

One door closes and another one opens. When we play 4-1-3-2 as we often do with Barnes, Sparrow and Navarro working their socks off in midfield we are conversely missing that little bit of flair, vision and imagination which is so necessary to open up tight defences and give CMS and Buckley the opportunities on which they will thrive. We have two players at the club who have the required invention; young Jake and Vicente. Jake is still gaining experience and maturing physically and Vicente is not, at the moment, able to play for 90 minutes. It may be that to play Jake, say, for 60 minutes and Vicente the next 30 is the temporary solution to the problem.

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Hovite says...
11:56am Mon 6 Feb 12

As above, Beckford's sending off was nuts and we were lucky to have the one player advantage. Sparrow's over eagre lunge was daft when we had this player advantage, and could have cost us the game. It wasn't malicious, but it was asking for the refs decision.

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Carter_Cooldancer says...
12:33pm Mon 6 Feb 12

Bored at work, no transfer speculation and no game for a week so...

With players coming back from injury and more importantly, some new players at the club, we are all going to have our own thoughts and opinions on what the starting eleven should be. Gus's opinion is the only one that matters of course, but as long as the game is played, supporters will have their opinions on the players and team selection and debate with others about it. So not wanting to buck this trend, here is my ranking of where the players in the squad rank within their respective positions. Some players come into multiple positions. I have left out long term injuries or development squad players who have had very little or no first team game time. I have also based the positions on Gus's 4-4-2/4-5-1 formation (with the second forward playing in the hole or as a fifth, left sided midfielder).

Goalkeeper

First Choice - Brezovan
Reserve - Gonzales
Third - Ankergren

Left Back

First Choice - Mattock
Reserve - Hall
Third - Vincelot
Fourth - Tarrico
Fifth - Painter

Centre Back

First Choice - Dunk & Greer
Reserve - El Abd
Third - Vincelot

Right Back

First Choice - Jara Reyes
Reserve - Calderon
Third - El Abd

Centre Midfield (Holding role)

First Choice - Bridcutt
Reserve - Forster Caskey
Third - Jara Reyes
Fourth - Navarro
Fifth - Vincelot

Centre Midfield (Traditional/Attacki
ng)

First Choice - Vicente
Reserve - Sparrow
Third - Forster Caskey
Fourth - Dicker
Fifth - Vincelot
Sixth - Harley

Wingers (2 out of 3)
First Choice - Buckley
Second - Noone
Third - Lua Lua

Forwards (2 out of 4)

First Choice - CMS
Second - Vokes
Third - Barnes
Fourth - Adgestein

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farside says...
12:39pm Mon 6 Feb 12

Great to see we have some more new players in the squad - JFK and Vincente - hope they can play a bit!
Sparrow's red was correct I'm afraid which is a shame because he has been in the form of his life and no small influence in our recent resurgence. Beckford will hopefully win his appeal because no way was that a red card offence. Danns was lucky not to get a straight red for cynically taking out Vicente when clear in on goal but could just as easily have seen red when booked earlier for an above-the-ankle tackle from behind on Navarro. Bridcutt's foul on Delfuoneso seem to have been excised from all highlights but you do have to wonder about the consistency of refereeing which seems to be worse than ever. When oh when will someone appoint a supremo type to get to the roots of the issues and start developing training and ongoing workshops throughout the season to address the issues instead of constantly fiddling with rule book interpretations and avoiding discussing problems publicly.

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Portlock Seagull says...
1:02pm Mon 6 Feb 12

Yep, it's a ref's conspiracy this season...Sparrow was unlucky, just like all our bookings and sendings off this season which have put us top of that league by a country mile. Face it, we're either a dirty team or a stupid one when it comes to discipline. Gus set the standard in the first game getting himself sent off! And there seems no end to it, hopefully it won't cost us dear at the end of the season.

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Bish May Turn says...
1:02pm Mon 6 Feb 12

Carter_Cooldancer wrote:
Bored at work, no transfer speculation and no game for a week so... With players coming back from injury and more importantly, some new players at the club, we are all going to have our own thoughts and opinions on what the starting eleven should be. Gus's opinion is the only one that matters of course, but as long as the game is played, supporters will have their opinions on the players and team selection and debate with others about it. So not wanting to buck this trend, here is my ranking of where the players in the squad rank within their respective positions. Some players come into multiple positions. I have left out long term injuries or development squad players who have had very little or no first team game time. I have also based the positions on Gus's 4-4-2/4-5-1 formation (with the second forward playing in the hole or as a fifth, left sided midfielder). Goalkeeper First Choice - Brezovan Reserve - Gonzales Third - Ankergren Left Back First Choice - Mattock Reserve - Hall Third - Vincelot Fourth - Tarrico Fifth - Painter Centre Back First Choice - Dunk & Greer Reserve - El Abd Third - Vincelot Right Back First Choice - Jara Reyes Reserve - Calderon Third - El Abd Centre Midfield (Holding role) First Choice - Bridcutt Reserve - Forster Caskey Third - Jara Reyes Fourth - Navarro Fifth - Vincelot Centre Midfield (Traditional/Attacki ng) First Choice - Vicente Reserve - Sparrow Third - Forster Caskey Fourth - Dicker Fifth - Vincelot Sixth - Harley Wingers (2 out of 3) First Choice - Buckley Second - Noone Third - Lua Lua Forwards (2 out of 4) First Choice - CMS Second - Vokes Third - Barnes Fourth - Adgestein
Blimey,you must be bored.

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ballantrrae says...
1:06pm Mon 6 Feb 12

Sparrow's sending off probably the right decision but 9 times out of 10 it would have been a yellow card - it was not malicious. Gutted for him that he'll miss the Liverpool Cup game. The Albion will miss him since his recent form has made the midfield unit more effective.
Changing the subject and going to Saturday's thread about Poyet still considering more long term loan signings, I wonder if Spurs Huddlestone is the type of player he has in mind. Plenty of experience at the top level, tall, a good passer and still relatively young at 25. Any thoughts anyone ?
I also notice Poyet is also watching out for another striker after Hoskins loan move to Sheffield which seems to have somewhat surprised him (Poyet). Does anybody know what was behind the switch ? Any intelligence welcomed. I feel Hoskins hasn't had the opportunity to show us fans his true capabilities because of his injury situation. Perhaps Andy will be able to fill us in on his Q & A session on here tomorrow

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Bish May Turn says...
1:09pm Mon 6 Feb 12

Portlock Seagull wrote:
Yep, it's a ref's conspiracy this season...Sparrow was unlucky, just like all our bookings and sendings off this season which have put us top of that league by a country mile. Face it, we're either a dirty team or a stupid one when it comes to discipline. Gus set the standard in the first game getting himself sent off! And there seems no end to it, hopefully it won't cost us dear at the end of the season.
We are neither a dirty side or as you put it, a stupid one, its a statistic we are not proud of, and need to redress. i'm sure if we continue the form we are in we will becme the sinned against more than the sinners.

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Howie2 says...
2:24pm Mon 6 Feb 12

I have found the standard of refereeing both at the Amex and at other grounds to be very inconsistent and confusing. Having spoken to other fans it would appear that they are also of the same opinion. I think the Referees Association together with the FA should hold talks with all clubs to explain the "new rules" to Managers and Fans. I reckon that the referees are as confused as the fans and managers and are certainly not consistent in their judgements.

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Blue and White Gulls says...
2:33pm Mon 6 Feb 12

Good tackles like good comedy is all about timing. Too quick or too slow you just don’t get the laughs. Like one of the earlier posts I don’t think that it was at all malicious, just missed timed.

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Portlock Seagull says...
5:39pm Mon 6 Feb 12

Bish May Turn wrote:
Portlock Seagull wrote: Yep, it's a ref's conspiracy this season...Sparrow was unlucky, just like all our bookings and sendings off this season which have put us top of that league by a country mile. Face it, we're either a dirty team or a stupid one when it comes to discipline. Gus set the standard in the first game getting himself sent off! And there seems no end to it, hopefully it won't cost us dear at the end of the season.
We are neither a dirty side or as you put it, a stupid one, its a statistic we are not proud of, and need to redress. i'm sure if we continue the form we are in we will becme the sinned against more than the sinners.
Is that a bit of a if my auntie had.... she'd be my uncle. Facts are we have a shocking record and everyone else, by rights, think's we're a dirty team. Stupid, naive are the next best alternatives to describe but too many of our support are blinkered and blame the ref etc. Once or twice, but not game after game after game...arguing otherwise makes any such person look a bigoted!

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