Media Balls: Arsenal’s winner sat Burnley was legal and what the referee saw
Media Balls: a look at newspaper reporting on Burnley v Arsenal. There were all manner of contradictory views spouted to deadline when Arsenal scored in the last moments to win the Premier League match. But what says the expects in rules?
Helpfully, the mainstream media provides a care home for retired referees.
Graham ‘The Thing from Tring’ Poll (Daily Mail):
Referee Craig Pawson couldn’t see the last-minute incident involving Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Laurent Koscielny and even if he had, it is a 50-50 call. I watched the replays three times and I still don’t know whether it was deliberate handball on Koscielny’s part. The defender’s arms are only up because he was trying to play the ball with his feet
Mark Halsey delivers his ‘Verdict’ in The Sun:
THE referee has to disallow that goal. Craig Pawson has a good view and the assistant referee is looking straight at it.
He has to disallow the goal. Or not.
Handball is the only part of the law where intent comes into play. But while you can argue that Laurent Koscielny’s handball is not deliberate, it resulted in a goal and it could have gone wide if the ball had not hit his arm.
Not quite a verdict, then. More of a ‘what if’.
Posted: 3rd, October 2016 | In: Arsenal, Back pages, Sports Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
