Dermot Gallagher, a former Premier League referee, has spoken out in support of Peter Bankes following Paul Heckingbottom’s comments this weekend.
Heckingbottom slammed the officials for ‘ruining the game’ after his Sheffield United team lost late in the day against Tottenham this weekend.
While Heckingbottom’s words have divided opinion, Dermot Gallagher believes the referee cannot win no matter what.
Dermot Gallagher reacts to Paul Heckingbottom’s remarks against Peter Bankes.
Gallagher discussed a few of incidents from the United game on Sky Sports’ ‘Ref Watch’ this afternoon.
But when it came to Heckingbottom’s remarks, Gallagher was unimpressed, defending Bankes.
“So a referee recognizes the goalkeeper’s precarious position, he’s already on a yellow card, so he goes to him and says, ‘look, be mindful of don’t waste time ‘cos that’s a second yellow card.'” “I think he should be applauded for going to the goalkeeper, but now he’s being chastised for it,” Gallagher added.
“So I’m not sure where you go from here.” You’re doing what everyone expects of you. You’re practically damned if you do and damned if you don’t. If I were the referee, I’d feel betrayed and say, ‘Well, I’m trying to help you, and you’re kicking me out.’
Heckingbottom will now face interrogation from the FA about his remarks, and a punishment or ban is probable as a result of his reaction.
Sheffield United News Opinion: Gallagher’s response is unsurprising.
Dermot Gallagher wasn’t going to jump in and defend Heckingbottom, was he? It is simply not going to happen.
In the end, we’ll all have to move on, and so will Heckingbottom. But, while it’s in the news, it’s important paying attention to what’s being said.
One thing to note is that Gallagher, like many Tottenham fans, has effectively dismissed Heckingbottom’s statement here. Yes, we may have slowed the game down a little bit. However, the officials are now dictating teams how to play, which cannot be acceptable.
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