Non-League Bashley Demand FA Cup Replay After Ref Misses Goal

Alan Duffy

13th, September 2012

5 Comments

By Alan Duffy

Photo courtesy of Bashley FC

Right down at the other, less glamorous, end of the game, away from the Neymars, Messis and er, Milners, comes a story of injustice courtesy of non-league Bashley.

The Hampshire club have written to the Football Association demanding a replay of their FA CUp first round clash with Gosport Borough after referee Ian Bull missed a clear goal for Bashley which would have given them a 3-2 lead late on in the game. Instead, the official awarded a corner and ultimately, Gosport were victorious courtesy of 3-2 win after extra-time.

The phantom goal was scored by James Stokoe, but when the Gosport ‘keeper then kicked the ball away through the side netting, the officials presumed he had cleared the ball for a corner.

Bashley vice-chariman, Tim Titheridge, is understandably unhappy, believing that the error cost his side a cool £10,000. He said:

“We feel cheated. We don’t blame the referee for not seeing it, but we do blame the Gosport players for not owning up. We have also written to Gosport asking them to write to the FA, but we do not expect anything to happen.”

“A number of Gosport players, management staff, supporters and officials admitted that a goal should have been given, expressed sympathy and some even apologised to members of our club.”

A thoroughly unsatisfactory situation indeed. However, start having replays over things like this and who knows where it will end. Although I guess Arsenal did replay that game with Sheffield United after Marc Overmars’ goal in 1999, didn’t they?

Posted in FA Cup, FAIL, Non-League

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5 Comments

  1. plops says:

    The joys of human error or whatever Platini said. Imagine all them times another club would’ve won trophies if it wasn’t for errors that denied them progress. If it wasn’t for Henry’s handball Ireland might’ve won the World Cup.

    Like you say though, where does having video replays start and end?

  2. Jarren says:

    @plops: Well, in this case the video replay would start with the referee viewing the incident around 10 seconds after it happened, followed by him allowing the goal.

    I don’t understand some people’s reluctance for video replays. At worst they take up an extra 10-30 seconds of time. At best, they serve justice.

    A big, fuck-off screen right there in the ground showing a replay in multiple angles that the referee, teams and both sets of fans see at the same time.

    What’s not to like?

  3. Fat Nakago says:

    Video replays should be used, in the absence of goal-line technology to review any goal scoring situation. This is where it starts and ends: Did the ball cross he plane of the goal.

    Unfortunately for us Ireland fans, this replay would not have changed that outcome since the purpose is ONLY to determine if the ball broke the plane of the goal, so Henry’s handball would not be taken into account…(and as it turned out, Uruguay, Mexico, and South Africa took care of that for us).

    I hope Bashley wins their appeal. Any team sponsored by THE GROOVY FOOD COMPANY deserved another lap around the salad bar.

  4. plops says:

    @Jarren I think you misunderstood me. I’m for replays, I just mean what leagues would have this benefit? Of course the top leagues would but as you get lower down the leagues, would they? I doubt all the non-league clubs would, especially having massive screens in the ground.

  5. Jarren says:

    @plops: You’re quite right, once we get to League 1 and below things could get complicated financially (and space wise) as far as massive screens go (not to mention the hardware to have the replay technology).

    I do understand that people say that the video replays could be used in any small situation (an innocuous tackle, a whiff of hand ball on the halfway line), but I think that the technology should be implemented solely for use in the penalty area. Outside the penalty box, the ref still has the last say.

    The only exception would be if the ref sent a player off. That is serious enough to grant a replay, so the ref can vindicate himself or hold his hands up and rescind his punishment.

    Surely this would spare so many unfair dismissals that result in 3-match bans when they are unjustified?

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