Cole challenge

Join the Sky Sports debate over Cole's tackle on Hutton

Last updated: 20th March 2008

Alan Hutton Ashley Cole tackle Chelsea

Ashley Cole clashes with Alan Hutton

Tottenham boss Juande Ramos has criticised Ashley Cole for a high tackle on Alan Hutton and we would like to know your thoughts on the incident.

Ramos felt Cole was lucky to escape a red card during the 4-4 draw with Chelsea after his foul on the Scotland defender. Do you agree with the Spurs manager?

Cole was given a yellow card by Mike Riley who gave the England defender a stern lecture about respect to referees as he turned his back on the official. Should he have been given a further caution for his attitiude towards Riley.

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Comments

Akbar Ghaffar (Arsenal fan) says...

Referees are a nuisance! They affect every game, on average make 3 wrong decisions in a match and completely get pressurised! Football is one of those really fast games and I cant understand if cricket and tennis can have video technology why cant football. The tackle was a straight red! Also to keep in mind the wrong offisides, no handballs and wrong fouls given. Football is becoming a frustrating game where coaches and players are treated unfairly by referees. I request the FIFA and FA to please dont let them spoil the beautiful game.

Posted 14:25 23rd March 2008

Mark Hayes says...

with regard to Ashley Cole¿s tackle its not so much the tackle, it¿s obvious he should have been sent off for it, but you get bad tackles every week. It¿s more about the reaction of not only Ashley Cole but his team mates as well! These overpaid, ungrateful, so called superstars, are ruining football and anyone who truly enjoys watching football as I do, is sick and tired of the total lack of decency, fair play and honesty. I personally think that anyone approaching the referee with the kind of disgraceful, intimidating behaviour witnessed not only in recent weeks but recent years should automatically be sent off! To have referees surrounded and backing away from abusive and threatening behaviour is totally unacceptable. If it means that teams are down to 8 or 9 players than tough luck on them! Perhaps their managers will think twice about paying ¿100K A WEEK!!! PLUS, just to have them spend half the season suspended. I¿m sure that technology would help too. It¿s used in cricket and golf and it doesn¿t seem to slow things up much. At least then the ref could know for sure whether a ball has crossed the line, a player has dived etc. Nothing will change players attitudes and actions until they are forced to, shame that it is! It¿s time the FA and FIFA and anyone else with any clout has the guts to implement change and more importantly to back up the people who have the most difficult job of all, THE REFEREE !!!

Posted 10:39 23rd March 2008

Adrian Folley (Liverpool fan) says...

Ashley Cole's tackle was in my view a straight red card decision, but the referee chose to give him a yellow, which we have to accept. But how he managed to stay on the pitch after such a blatant sign of disrespect is beyond me. Chelsea players play as if they are always in the right and can't do any wrong. It's no wonder they always feel hard done to when things go against them. It's an installed attitude and we shouldn't have to witness such disrespect every time they play. It is the bad side of football and the worst side of football players.

Posted 13:43 22nd March 2008

Jacqueline Wallis (Fulham fan) says...

There is no reward for good behaviour - Fulham should be four points higher (one disallowed goal against Boro at home and that goal allowed at Blackburn two weeks ago) but for diabolical decisions. Yet our players do not crowd the referee or make a scene. Chelsea kept Cole on the pitch with their protest - there should be tougher penalties for teams who do this or alternatively reward for teams that dont. Dont get me started ont he deliberate handball at Villa etc etc if they say it is swings and roundabouts over the season we have yet to see a roundabout.

Posted 13:07 22nd March 2008

Conlan Kelp says...

The standard of refereeing is abysmal, even the basics like throw in are let go not from the correct position - not over the head - feet in field of play etc; Ashley Cole incident there is NO uniformity with the referee's decision making - yes it was a bad tackle which in itself should have been a sending off offence the arguing and lack of respect shown should have also on its own warrented a booking as was shown to Keane a short while later for disputing a refereeing decision,

Posted 10:39 22nd March 2008

Michael Conlon (Manchester United fan) says...

this weekend will be a big test for refeeres a lot at stake for the teams involved"and yes i know refs are only human . but at this stage of the game it would be a awful to think it was a bad decision that decisided where the premership went . so lets hope they get it right (big man u fan )

Posted 22:31 21st March 2008

Brian Judd (Arsenal fan) says...

Its time the FA took a leaf out of the books of rugby, they dont have fefs disrespected and the ref speaks only to the captain. But then I am sure the FA has 101 excuses as usual. They forget that they are in the entertainment business and we pay an awful lot of money to be entertained and deserve better

Posted 22:09 21st March 2008

Mark Keats says...

Chelsea show no respect to the referees, Terry as captain should set the example but he is one of the worst. Mike Riley is in a no win situation; if he sent off Cole for the tackle or for the, pundits/media will say it was harsh, as he didn't they say he was too leniant...?!?

Posted 21:39 21st March 2008

Wayne Tushingham (Manchester United fan) says...

How was the challenge different to the Taylor challenge, only by luck it had a different outcome.

Posted 19:58 21st March 2008

Michael Mitchell says...

why do all refs back off when players like terry,lampard,etc. come charging towards them? some of them are almost running, if they stood their ground the law states any player who touches a ref in a aggressive manner will be given a red card, these players know the ref will back off, but, if he stood up to them they would be caught out like startled rabbits in the headlights and the whole rumpus would be defused in seconds, so come on refs lets show these premadonnas who's the boss and stand up to them.

Posted 19:31 21st March 2008

Ali Semmence says...

The tackle is inexcusable. He has not won the ball and he has his foot above the ball, therefore he should be automatically sent off. The referees refusal to be brave and commanding in these situations is very cowardly, they are in charge of the game therefore they should not answer to anyone on the pitch. Every week swarms of Chelsea players surround the referee and he can hardly breathe and will obviously be influenced by the players, i say referees stand up, be brave and do the job

Posted 18:46 21st March 2008

Lee Durham says...

I'm sick and tired of poor refs and players whining, how Riley can give a yellow card to Cole for that challenge is baffling and how then Cole can stand and moan and whinge about a yellow card when he should have been off the pitch is even more baffling!! When will the FA stand by all their talk, they are the Football Association, they over see our Countries game, so why does Brian Barwick come on the TV moaning about poor player attitute when its his job to do something about it!! Its simple to sort out, grow some balls and start fining and banning players and refs!! We have showman refs as well as players, every week its either Riley, Wiley, Bennett and Halsey making headlines nearly every week, why does a player with his leg along the floor trying to make a hard tackle on the ball and in some occasions win the ball get sent off and then the next have a player stud a player at near knee height get a yellow!! Its poor refereeing which will only improve if they are officiated by the FA themselves!! We are supposed to have captains of a team for a reason but refs don't take them into consideration, they aren't captains just because thay are influential they are captains because they are supposed to be able to talk to refs about matters in a game, referees have to show respect aswell as players, and both refs and players should be fined or banned for poor performances or lack of integrity!! Its laughable that the FA can't ban Cole even though a kid at home now probably feels its right to foul a player dangerously and then f and jeff at an official!! And it seems that you have to break a players leg to get a red card and if the player gets up its a yellow!!

Posted 17:55 21st March 2008

Ross Hannah (Rangers fan) says...

It was a bad tackle and if players are tackling like that, no matter what, they should get sent off. i'm going to the scotland game on wednesday and when i saw the tackle at first i was very nervous!

Posted 16:22 21st March 2008

Trevor Hawman (Middlesbrough fan) says...

Inconsistency and favouritism to the top 4 once again.Respect Riley? When we hear him pleading "Ashley,Ashley,come here,turn around"-it's a joke! The refs ingratiate themselves to the top clubs and players,with Graham Poll previously the worst! The tackle was dangerous,and in Hacket's definition this is enough for a sending off-ala Mido re Arsenal-it doesn't matter if there was intent or not-although we all know there was intent! The disrespect of the ref-although deserved by Riley-was also a straight red offence! Would a Boro player,Koumas or any other "lesser"name"have got away with it.

Posted 13:45 21st March 2008

Steve Key (Manchester United fan) says...

Yet, again the FA has shown a lack of consistency in decisions. Personally, I think both incidents involving Ashley Cole deserved red cards. His challenge was late, high and reckless and his lack of respect shown for Mike Riley was down right disgraceful. I was shocked when Riley only showed the yellow card. We may be encouraging referees at grassroots level to be less lenient with young players who swear and abuse other players, but how do you expect them to learn when their role-models behave in a way like this and are allowed to get away with it. I would like to add however, that Alan Hutton should be congratulated on the response he has shown, as he could made a big deal out of the incident, yet has not. Other players should learn from this on and off the pitch, including the so-called England captain!

Posted 22:12 20th March 2008

Simon Moslemi says...

I think people need to calm down on this matter. Ashley Cole made a bad tackle but if we all jump on this FIFA bandwaggon of 'no tackling-no passion' we will be banning slide tackling and then 30 years on there could be no tackling do we really want that?

Posted 22:06 20th March 2008

George Ellis (Liverpool fan) says...

Tackles in football happen, however this one was dangerous and reckless. Then the Chelsea players including the so called England captain surround the referee. I have a greater issue with this thank the tackle (luckily enough Hutton is ok), is this really the man and exceptable role model that should lead our country, I think not. Fabio Capello should look at this and know there are better candidates. As for Cole, the FA have bottled it again and will not punish him any further, a poor excuse of a human being.

Posted 15:25 20th March 2008

Louis Weeden (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...

Absolutely Shocking Tackle from Ashley Cole. And his reaction was very bad as well. As if Mike Riley doesn't know who he is, he is too big for his boots. This show's the dominance the Top teams have with key decisions by referees. When decisions do not go Chelsea's way they run round the ref in a group to intimidate the ref which is not on, they act like spoilt kids.

Posted 15:23 20th March 2008

Nick Stone (Manchester United fan) says...

On Ashley Cole's tackle last night, the FA once again refuses to act a a governing body. A statement from the FA reads, "Under Fifa regulations, a decision taken by a referee can only be rectified by a disciplinary committee if the referee sends off the wrong player, or makes an obvious and serious error." How can the actions of Mike Riley last night not be considered to be a serious error, when you compare Ashley Coles 'tackle, to that of Mido, or any other recent red card dismissal, where a poor challenge has led to a justified sending off? Once again it looks like Sir Alex is on the right lines. Yes we need to judge referees performances, but first we need to completely overhaul the FA and get some steel in there. These tackles will not stop until the FA starts to act, and get extremely tough with any offenders. What is it going to take? A serious injury?

Posted 15:19 20th March 2008

Rob Bain says...

Cole should have easily been sent off for this challenge. Maybe Chelsea should start getting points deducted if they carry on reacting like this to referees, it's the only way they'll learn. We also seen the England captain John Terry complaining to the referee, why is he England captain when he always reacts like this? Ridiculous.

Posted 14:17 20th March 2008

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