Referee was conned – Warnock
Neil Warnock has condemned the Football Association’s disciplinary commission for upholding Joey Barton’s red card against Norwich on Monday.
Barton was dismissed after clashing with Norwich’s Bradley Johnson and QPR’s appeal was dismissed by the FA.
QPR boss Warnock said: “Tell me another violent conduct offence where the linesman has not flagged immediately.
“There is not even a report from the linesman who has seen this alleged incident. It is absolutely farcical.”
Warnock, who has been at the QPR helm since March 2010, continued: “There is just two lines from the referee saying his linesman told him that [Barton] put his head forward. I am so disgusted by it.”
At the moment I just don’t see where the disciplinary commission are going
QPR boss Neil Warnock
The former Sheffield United and Crystal Palace boss insisted there were inconsistencies in refereeing decisions and highlighted the yellow card given to Fulham’s Clint Dempsey for an elbow in the face of Manchester United’s Phil Jones at Craven Cottage last month.
“It is difficult to accept when you see what Dempsey did in comparison with Joey Barton,” he said. “It is farcical, isn’t it?
“Whenever you see something happen on the field of play that warrants a red card, if the linesman sees that offence they flag and flag until the referee goes towards him, tells him what he has seen and then the lad is sent off.
“Now this linesman carried on and on and on and would not have stopped if Joey Barton had got the ball, gone past a few players and whacked it in at the far post. We would have been 2-0 up and I find it absolutely impossible.”
The QPR manager also pointed to an incident in Chelsea’s match at Wolves in which England international Frank Lampard was shown only a yellow card for a high tackle on Adam Hammill.
QPR are currently 14th in the Premier League fair play table. Spurs are top and Aston Villa bottom.
“Am I surprised Frank Lampard commits a horrendous challenge and Peter Walton gives him a yellow card?
“If that had been Joey, [Wolves’ Karl] Henry or any Tom, Dick and Harry, would that have been a red card or a yellow card?
“There would have been a lynching of them. At the moment I just don’t see where the disciplinary commission are going.
“Mick McCarthy’s lad got a red card a couple of weeks ago [Nenad Milijas at Arsenal] and in comparison to Frank Lampard it is like taking a baby for a walk. It is ridiculous.”