REFWATCH - Cardiff City (H) - BOXING DAY 15:00

[S09Royal]

Linesman on the east side was utter shite too.

He missed a HIGH boot on a Reading player in the 2nd half but flagged for a cheap foul on a Cardiff player-the guy went down WAY too easily.

Do. not. want. him. again.

[mg1976royal]

Thought he started well and was getting a lot of decisions right, but gave nothing for the very blatant elbow on duberry then it just became a farce.

[Jack Celliers]

I thought the ref did brilliantly. It was a stirring game and both teams were still attacking ferociously in the last few minutes. That wouldn't have been the case if he sent off Noel Hunt and Chopra in the first half like some refs might have.

[RoyalBlue]

I thought the ref did brilliantly. It was a stirring game and both teams were still attacking ferociously in the last few minutes. That wouldn't have been the case if he sent off Noel Hunt and Chopra in the first half like some refs might have.

Disagree completely. Felt he was a weak and ineffective tw*t who was furthered hindered by his blind OAP of an Assistant on the East Stand side. It was only luck, not good judgement from the ref that prevented the game from boiling over completely. His (and his Assistant's) failure to reward Chopra's all out assault on AUS with a red card was scandalous. As Coppell himself said, there was no way that Chopra was ever going to get the ball in that challenge. To make matters worse, he appeared to initially pull back and then think 'sod it' before launching in with his studs up!

Chopra is a thoroughly unpleasant niggly thug of a player and it's time the officials got to grips with him.

And just how did the grey haired git of an Assistant miss the assault on Long, which happened just yards in front of him?!!

[Dirk Gently]

Certainly, Chopra should have been sent off for the lunge at Federici - as said, there was no way he could ever get the ball.
It's clear that the Cardiff players saw him as a target - presumably because of his age and experience. Having said that, on the occasions when free kicks were given for impeding his kicking I'm not sure that any offence was actually committed - since when has it been illegal to stand in front a of a keeper with the ball in his hands? Maybe jumping up and down is wrong, but at least once there wasn't that , and the ref didn't see what happened but gave a free kick based on the assumption of what had happened.

I'd also not have been too surprised to see NHunt get a red card for his tackle early on - it was from behind the player and straight through him. That would have been a straight red for some refs.

[chilipepper91]

I'd also not have been too surprised to see NHunt get a red card for his tackle early on - it was from behind the player and straight through him. That would have been a straight red for some refs.

I must say I feared the worst. Luckily the ref saw it as just over-enthusiasm.

Must say, for the one by the touchline which could've been a second yellow, I didn't think that was anywhere near a yellow card - thought the Cardiff player forced contact.

Chopra's should have been a straight red. No chance of the ball, in studs-up. Absolutely shocking challenge.

The ref didn't give nearly enough fouls for the illegally manhandling our players.

[Dirk Gently]

I'd also not have been too surprised to see NHunt get a red card for his tackle early on - it was from behind the player and straight through him. That would have been a straight red for some refs.

I must say I feared the worst. Luckily the ref saw it as just over-enthusiasm.

Must say, for the one by the touchline which could've been a second yellow, I didn't think that was anywhere near a yellow card - thought the Cardiff player forced contact.

Chopra's should have been a straight red. No chance of the ball, in studs-up. Absolutely shocking challenge.

The ref didn't give nearly enough fouls for the illegally manhandling our players.

Agreed - there was one incident over by the West Stand - right in front of the lino - when Kevin Doyle got the defender's hand right in his face as they jumped up and obviously got poked in the eyes. Result - absolutely nothing.

[chilipepper91]

I'd also not have been too surprised to see NHunt get a red card for his tackle early on - it was from behind the player and straight through him. That would have been a straight red for some refs.

I must say I feared the worst. Luckily the ref saw it as just over-enthusiasm.

Must say, for the one by the touchline which could've been a second yellow, I didn't think that was anywhere near a yellow card - thought the Cardiff player forced contact.

Chopra's should have been a straight red. No chance of the ball, in studs-up. Absolutely shocking challenge.

The ref didn't give nearly enough fouls for the illegally manhandling our players.

Agreed - there was one incident over by the West Stand - right in front of the lino - when Kevin Doyle got the defender's hand right in his face as they jumped up and obviously got poked in the eyes. Result - absolutely nothing.

Especially as after that, he walked round rubbing his eyes for a good 2 minutes. Or maybe he was just stunned it wasn't a foul.

[1960]

I was high in the north stand, so only saw the Fed incident from behind. It did seem to me that Fed went down at the feet of the striker and a collision was inevitable. Maybe that's why he only got a yellow. I am wiling to be contradicted from people in the east who would have seen it from the front, however. Maybe the cameras catch it all. I'll watch the Championship with interest, although it will probably only show the goals. The Big League Weekend shows on Sky might go into a little more depth.

[Hugo Boss]

Thought the ref did well and let things run smoothly up until the Chopra / Federici incident. Chopra should have walked but the ref bottled it and seemed to be all over the place after that. Should have at least spoken to Bothroyd for the elbow on Duberry in front of the West Stand yet let it go but then pulled up others (inc. their players) for nothing at all.

Our old friend Clive Wilkes was the referees assessor yesterday. Wonder what he'll report back...

[glass half full]

Ah! Clive Wilkes! Such 'sweet' memories.....

[RoyalBlue]

I was high in the north stand, so only saw the Fed incident from behind. It did seem to me that Fed went down at the feet of the striker and a collision was inevitable. Maybe that's why he only got a yellow. I am wiling to be contradicted from people in the east who would have seen it from the front, however. Maybe the cameras catch it all. I'll watch the Championship with interest, although it will probably only show the goals. The Big League Weekend shows on Sky might go into a little more depth.

Sat in the East Stand almost in line with the incident, I can assure you that a collision was no where near inevitable. AUS had the ball in his control long before Chopra decided to launch himself at him. Indeed it looked as though Chopra was going to pull out of the challenge and then changed his mind, perhaps out of frustration?!