EXCLUSIVE: Everton legend Peter Reid believes Fulham's Kenny Tete escaping a red card for hair pulling after Michael Keane was sent off is 'mind boggling'
Everton legend Peter Reid admits that the lack of consistency when it comes to refereeing decisions for Blues matches compared to their Premier League rivals is “mind boggling.”
Last month, Michael Keane was sent off for pulling Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Tolu Arokodore’s hair, an act that was deemed to be violent conduct and landed him a three-match suspension. Following the club’s unsuccessful appeal, furious manager David Moyes, who insisted the action was not deliberate, claimed: “The technical part of it nearly makes it impossible to be done.”
However, with his side already 3-0 down to Manchester City in first-half stoppage time at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night, cameras caught Fulham’s Kenny Tete tugging on Antoine Semenyo’s locks in an off-the-ball incident at the back post as a cross came into his area. Yet, neither on-field referee, Paul Tierney, or VAR official over at Stockley Park, Neil Davies, decided to punish the Dutchman.
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Following Keane’s sending off, current PGMOL chief Howard Webb was talking tough in conversation with Michael Owen on Sky Sports’ Premier League Match Officials Mic’d Up last month. He described the act of pulling someone’s hair “quite an offensive thing,” and added: “It (Keane’s sending off) was the appropriate outcome. It was unusual but if we see it again next week, it will be the same outcome next week as well.”
Now Reid, who won two league titles, an FA Cup and the European Cup-Winners’ Cup while at Everton, has been left perplexed by it all.
The 69-year-old from Huyton told the ECHO: “It’s the same incident. Something happens in one game and it’s exactly the same, but it’s a different decision and only one gets sent off. It shows you the nonsense of it all. It’s mind boggling.
“I know some things are subjective like I thought Enes Unal of Bournemouth (in their 2-1 win at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Tuesday was interfering with play, yet Harrison Armstrong gets called offside when we score a goal (at Aston Villa).
“But the hair pull isn’t subjective, it’s blatant that one decision goes one way and the other goes a different way and it’s been the same with the handballs for penalties. It’s just blatant incompetence and wrong.
“I’m looking at this through a blue pair of eyes and maybe fans all over the country have got similar stories with their teams, but they were exactly the same and you cannot differentiate. I don’t know if Howard Webb has given David Moyes and Everton an explanation for that one, because there isn’t one.
“I was at the Manchester United game with Idrissa Gueye got sent off. Violent conduct? I heard somebody on the radio say: ‘Kids will see this.’ I’ll tell you what they see that’s worse than that, people diving all other the place and cheating, and nothing is said about it.
“That was two team-mates having a ruck on a football pitch. Do me a favour.”
Peter Reid signs Buckingham Covers’ Goodison Greats Peter Reid Autographed Everton Collectable
Peter Reid signs Buckingham Covers’ Goodison Greats Peter Reid Autographed Everton Collectable
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Peter Reid features in a new piece of unique football memorabilia Buckingham Covers’ Goodison Greats Peter Reid Autographed Everton Collectable.
Celebrate one of the most unforgettable eras in Everton history with this striking Goodison Greats commemorative. Featuring Peter Reid, the iconic Blues legend, this collectable captures the pride, passion and identity of Everton Football Club.
Beautifully designed with historic imagery, official Dixie Dean stamp and special ink handstamp '1878 The Originals'. This piece pays tribute to a player who embodied skill, commitment and success in the Royal Blue shirt.
A must-have for Evertonians who cherish the club’s heritage and the heroes who defined it. Comes framed in black, perfect for display, gifting, or adding to an Everton memorabilia collection.