Newcastle United latest news: Dermot Gallagher has backed Peter Bankes’ decision to show Jacob Ramsey a red card during Newcastle United’s Premier League win over Manchester United.
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has backed Peter Bankes’ decision to show Jacob Ramsey a red card during Newcastle United’s victory over Manchester United on Wednesday night.
Bankes initially pointed for a goal-kick after the incident, but upgraded his decision to a free-kick and a red card following consultation with his assistant and being surrounded by Manchester United players. Described by Eddie Howe as ‘very harsh’, Bankes’ decision to send Ramsey off threatened to ruin what had been a good spectacle to that point, but the Magpies were able to recover and eventually ran out deserved 2-1 winners thanks to Will Osula’s sensational late goal.
Speaking on Sky SportsRef Watch, though, Gallagher surprisingly supported Bankes’ decision to show Ramsey a second booking, despite video replays indicating that the former Aston Villa man slipped after going past Senne Lammens: “I back the referee because of the angle,” Gallagher said.
“Does he have to do that? Is he caught? No. He goes down so far after the incident has happened, and I don't think he needs to.
“I would also suggest that if he hadn't have got a yellow card for that, people would be screaming and saying we don't want diving. So Peter Bankes has taken positive action, so back him.”
That view was supported by Jay Bothroyd who added: “I do think it is [a dive]. When you see Ramsey, he starts clutching at his leg like he's been kicked and he hasn't been touched. He's looking for a penalty which means it's a dive.”
Just minutes after Ramsey was handed his marching orders, the Magpies were awarded a penalty after a foul on Anthony Gordon by Bruno Fernandes. Gallagher, once again, backed up the referee’s call on that occasion: “It's a tackle he didn't have to make,” he said. “His colleague is there to back him up, but he takes him across there.
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"It's unnecessary and it's a penalty. A good spot by the referee."
Newcastle United star banned from Man City FA Cup clash
Ramsey’s red card means he will now serve a one-match ban at the weekend when Newcastle United host Manchester City in the FA Cup. Despite Saturday’s game not being a Premier League match, red card suspensions do carry over from league to cup, meaning Ramsey won’t be available to Howe.
Ruling on this reads: ‘Premier League yellow cards are not carried over to the EFL Cup or FA Cup. But when players receive a red card, they ARE carried over to - and from - the domestic cup competitions. The suspension period for red cards covers the Premier League, EFL Cup and FA Cup.’
Newcastle United also do not have the possibility to appeal Ramsey’s ban. Second bookable offences, other than cases of mistaken identity, which VAR would have intervened in anyway, cannot be appealed. Ramsey will join Fabian Schar, Bruno Guimaraes, Emil Krafth and Lewis Miley as absentees this weekend, with doubts over the fitness of Tino Livramento and Nick Woltemade, the latter of whom missed out entirely on Wednesday night through illness.