Stuart Atwell’s decision to brandish a yellow card at Daniel Farke for celebrating a 95th-minute winner against Sunderland on Monday night has continued to rage on a debate off the pitch. The caution means the Leeds United manager will be banned from the touchline when Leeds take on Sheffield United in a top-of-the-table clash at Bramall Lane next Monday night. The decision from Atwell has been roundly criticised and Neil Warnock has already insisted that it was down to an overzealous fourth official. Even the Leeds boss has been left bemused by the yellow card he received at the end of the game.
Leeds fans are celebrating going back to the top of the Championship table in a dramatic fashion after a big win over Sunderland at Elland Road on Monday night.
Pascal Struijk scored a 95th-minute winner to get all three points for the Yorkshire giants and break the hearts of Sunderland who are now unlikely to sneak into the automatic promotion spots following the defeat.
However, there was one sour note for the Leeds players and their fans. Farke received a yellow card for getting onto the pitch while celebrating the winning goal from Struijk in the dying moments.
Former Leeds boss Warnock has slammed the officiating team for finding a way to book the manager and even the German has been left a bit shocked for getting a yellow card for celebrating a goal.
“Never thought I would get booked for celebrating” – Daniel Farke
Farke’s absence will be felt by the Leeds players in a big game against Sheffield United next Monday and what would frustrate the fans is the yellow card was for a nothing offence.
There was nothing in the way the Leeds boss celebrated that warranted a yellow card and while by the strict wording of the rules, the booking was justified, you’d have to remove all emotions from the game of football then.
The Leeds boss conceded that he was probably booked for his celebrations after the winning goal but admitted that it was a bemusing decision from the manager.
“Probably for the celebration. When I spoke to the referee I said that is on us because we always have a really good relationship with our referees and I accept what they decide”, Farke said on Sky Sports when asked about the yellow card.
“I never thought I would ever get a yellow card for celebrating, especially when you score a winner in the 95th minute.
“I will have to watch the video back and see if it is deserved because I can’t really remember exactly what happened at the moment.”
Warnock continued his tirade against the officials and feels Atwell produced the yellow card against the Leeds boss just to get a kick out of it.
He insisted that Atwell, like most of the modern referees, have no idea about the emotions involved in a game and insisted a better official would have excused Daniel Farke given the occasion.
Warnock added in the studio: “I just cannot believe it. They are not human beings are they, officials?
“I look at what’s at stake tonight and the fourth official will have gone home and told all his mates ‘I got Daniel Farke booked, what a great night’.
“I just don’t understand that. They have got no feeling at all about the passion of the game. So he’s run on a few yards, so what!
“Stuart Atwell (referee) should have said on his radio to the fourth official ‘just let it go son, just let it go and let’s get on with it’. He should not be booking him for that.
“Howard Webb back when he refereed would not have booked him for that. Even if his linesman would have told him to because Howard knew what the game was about and had feelings.
“Some of these people. Honestly, you can see how it affects me. That’s one thing I don’t miss in football because they (the officials) have no feelings towards the game.
“Bill Shankly once famously said, they know the rules but they don’t know the game and to me, sorry, but that’s scandalous tonight.”
Farke has every reason to be miffed
The German is not the first manager to celebrate a late winner wildly and he will definitely not be the last manager to do so.
Managers have been celebrating late winners wildly for ages and it has been considered a part and parcel of the game because you can’t take emotions out of football.
As recently as last week, David Moyes celebrated wild;y after Everton scored a late equaliser in the Merseyside derby and he was rightly not booked.
Can you name these past and present Leeds United players?
Stuart Atwell showed a lack of common sense and a sense of occasion and his decision could have a huge bearing on the game at Bramall Lane next Monday night.
We should be talking about a good match between the two top sides but the referee’s decision has taken some focus off a game that lived up to it’s billing.
Warnock could be right as the referee successfully earned some fame by brandishing a needless yellow card that could have been easily avoided.
