Echo 3/12/07

[ronin]

By Dick Marshall

 

At Witham, Gulls on a run of eight games without defeat, seemed set for a comfortable return to a play-off spot when trouble flared just before the interval.

 

Gull`s defender Colin Wall was the victim of an alleged headbutt by an opponent but the match referee, instead of showing a straight red card to the offender, decided to deal with the melee that followed by issuing four cautions, two to each side.

 

Soon after the half-time whistle went with the Islanders leading 1-0 thanks to Ryan Edgar`s strike.

 

But two home players became became embroiled in a war of words on leaving the pitch with a section of the visiting support with one allegedly waving punches as he tried to climb the wire mesh fencing separating players and the crowd at the "tunnel."

 

By this time the Canvey players were back in the dressing room and the Gulls boss John Batch admitted to being "astonished" when he heard the referee had abandoned the game.

 

This is the third game in Ryman One North to be halted in hostile circumstances so far this season, Wivenhoe v Brentwood and Waltham Abbey v Tilbury being the others, and will now become the subject of an F.A. inquiry.

 

"There was no trouble between players of the two teams at half-time and i`m really annoyed to read in a report in another paper suggesting that there was" said Batch.

 

"My players were back in the dressing room and we were discussing second-half tactics when a couple of their players became embroiled in the dispute with some of our supporters.

 

To my mind the referee made a big mistake in not showing a red card to the player who attempted to head-butt Colin Wall.

 

He only made the slightest of contacts, but the rules are that any player making a movement of the head in a threatening manner should go.

 

I heard people saying that the referee was weak generally, but to my mind players must look at themselves in these circumstances.

 

If they repeated actions such as attempting headbutts on people down the pub on a Saturday night they`d end up in court, but some think they can get away with it on a football pich."

[SouthernShrew]

Originally Posted By: ronin

If they repeated actions such as attempting headbutts on people down the pub on a Saturday night they`d end up in court, but some think they can get away with it on a football pich."

Love it a very Ian Hollowayesque summary!

[Ribbit]

That was actually a pretty good report... for once.