Re: [LU] Back on the list & You are the ref!

[Forzaleeds]

IMHO, the referee had no choice other to send Lehmann off as he blew for the offence before Barcleona got the ball in the net, having given a foul against Lehmann for pulling down E'to as he was "last man", the only card he could show was a red, if Lehmann had been out of position and one of the outfield players brought the attacker down, we wouldn't even be having this discussion as everyone would have agreed it was a red. Is anyone seriously suggesting (and no, the opinions of Andy Gray are not to be taken seriously) that "since Barcelona scored anyway" that the referee should change his mind and give a yellow - whilst not 100% conversant with the laws, I'm fairly confident that there is no passage that says "if a defender commits a sending off offence but the oppostion score anyway you don't have to send him off as conceding a goal is punishment enough". Nottingham Forest were denied the chance to win the FA Cup by application of this sort of "common sense" - remember when Gascoigne injured himself flying at Forest player and had to be strechered off, because he was taken off the referee took no action for what would otherwise have been a red card tackle and allowed Spurs to play on with 11 men and they won the Cup - was that alright then ? With regard to whether it spoiled the final as an "occasion",  the officals are not there to worry about entertaining the public, they are there to apply the laws as they see them, the stature of the game should make no difference to their decision. If Watfords keeper brings down Hulse five minutes into Sundays game should he be allowed to stay on for the benefit of "making the game more exciting" for BSkyB and people down the pub or should the referee make the correct decision according to the laws of the game ?