RateTheRef

Wed 9th July 2025 K/O 7.30pm
Chorley 0-1 Preston North End
Ref: Jack Churchill
ARs: James Atkinson & Joe Collier
4th: Kieran Chell

Four players sent-off after the final whistle - Larne's Aaron Donnelly and Conor McKendry, and Fuad Sule and Christie Pattison of Glentoran - are sent off after a post-match brawl following the side's goalless draw at Inver Park in the Irish Premiership.

I'll have to say the referee handled this incident quite poorly. A lot was going on following the player coming on to assault the Larne captain. So to then start marching around brandishing red cards to players showed poor judgment. Observe from the periphery, and submit an extraordinary incident report post-match and let the authorities (Irish FA) identify the guilty parties via TV footage.

If you're going to award a penalty for the head-on-head collision, Smith must have deemed it a foul. If it was a foul, it must surely be a red card for serious foul play, as Whatmough has endangered the opponent's safety.

Otherwise, I would leave it alone and treat it as an accidental head-on collision. Get the physio on and restart with a drop ball to the GK.

A case in Lancashire where a player barged a referee to the floor in a Sunday League game, led to the player being suspended for seven (7) years this week.

We have to be tough on violence not only towards referees, but in general.

Lancaster City vs. Altrincham
Referee: David McNamara
AR1: Manny Edet
AR2: David Gillon