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      in Boxing

      David Adeleye ‘in big trouble’ after appearing to ‘PUNCH’ ref in stoppage loss to Fabio Wardley on Fury v Ngannou card

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      DAVID ADELEYE appeared to “punch” the referee for his showdown with Fabio Wardley after losing the Battle of Britain.The undefeated heavyweight was knocked out by Wardley in the seventh round of their Riyadh rumble on the undercard of Tyson Fury’s clash with Francis Ngannou.
      David Adeleye locked horns with Fabio Wardley in Saudi ArabiaCredit: GETTY
      The Ladbroke Grove bruiser was knocked out in the seventh round of the Riyadh rumbleCredit: GETTY
      A furious Adeleye raged at the ref over the stoppage, showing him with two fistsCredit: ESPN
      He then appeared to punch the official in the midriffCredit: ESPN
      Wardley dropped Adeleye with a nasty left hook but the Ladbroke Grove bruiser got back to his feet.
      But he was sent hurtling into the corner by another vicious combination, which prompted the referee to mercifully step in and wave off the fight.
      Adeleye fumed at the stoppage, double-fist pushing the referee in the chest.
      And moments later, he cracked the official with what appeared to be a short straight right to the body.
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      Adeleye’s post-fight rampage was caught by the cameras and quickly went viral.
      Boxing fans were left disgusted and took to X to lambast the 26-year-old.
      One wrote: “Unsportsmanlike conduct.”
      Another said: “He in troubles!.”
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      Victory over David Adeleye saw Fabio Wardley retain the British heavyweight titleCredit: GETTY
      And another said: “That’s a big NO-NO.”
      One remarked: “David Adeleye hit the referee with a body shot after he felt he was stopped too early.
      Another chimed in: “Did this fool David Adeleye just hit the referee with a body punch after having the fight rightfully stopped?
      “He should have been hitting Wardley with those.”
      Victory over Adeleye was super sweet for East Anglia’s Wardley, who was involved in a bust-up with a member of his rival’s team last month.
      He said: “I have boxing IQ.
      “I know how to lead someone on and that’s what I did.
      “It’s the difference in experience. I knew what to do as the rounds went on, I was on form and it’s probably the best I’ve felt.
      “Everyone tags this white-collar name on me but I’ve shed that name now.” More

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      in Soccer

      Premier League refs slammed as LAZY and ‘not good enough’ by former official after series of VAR blunders

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      FORMER Premier League referee Keith Hackett has slammed the current crop of top flight officials.Following a series of VAR blunders already this season, the ex-ref believes the officials are “not good enough”.
      Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett has slammed the current crop of officialsCredit: Getty
      Darren England’s mistake during Tottenham vs Liverpool is one of several VAR blundersCredit: Getty
      He also criticised their laziness in a scathing review of the current standards.
      There have already been several high-profile blunders so far this term, most notably in Liverpool’s defeat at Tottenham last month.
      The Reds had a goal wrongly disallowed after VAR official Darren England failed to overturn the on-field decision.
      Hackett has now given his thoughts on the Premier League’s level of officiating.
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      Speaking on the Fair Game’s We Love You Football, We Do podcast, he said: “What we have seen over the years is a decline in the standards of refereeing.
      “They’ve lost some of the required management skills, the good communication skills between players and referees.
      “There are some referees that have reached the dizzying heights (of the Premier League) who have shortfalls in capability and I don’t think they are good enough.”
      The 79-year-old took charge of the 1981 FA Cup final and was an official at the Euros and Olympics in 1988.
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      Hackett believes VAR is promoting ‘lazy refereeing’Credit: Alamy
      He later became a Premier League referee and officiated 36 matches between 1992 and 1994.
      “There is a lack of basic law knowledge,” Hackett continued. “VAR protocol says if there is a serious missed incident, the game can be stopped.
      “Referees are practitioners of the law and if they’re not studying the law on a regular basis, we’re not going to advance refereeing.
      “Referees get into trouble these days because they are lazy.
      “Nigel Owens, the top-class rugby referee, warned me that the danger you have with VAR is it will promote lazy refereeing. And it has done that. I see referees hesitating on what is clearly a penalty.
      “Is it fear that they don’t want to make an error or is it that they are waiting for the decision to come from the stop department?
      “The role of the referee has to be to make the decision and then VAR to come in and help.” More

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      in Soccer

      TNT Sports commentator baffled by referee’s ‘strange decision’ that leaves Man Utd fans fuming during Copenhagen clash

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      FANS fumed at the referee after his bizarre call at half-time of Manchester United’s clash with Copenhagen.Not only did the official not add on any injury-time at the end of the first 45 minutes.
      Marco Guida was the man in the middle as Manchester United took on CopenhagenCredit: Getty
      The referee blew for half-time before the clock hit the 45-minute markCredit: TNT Sports
      But Marco Guida even blew his whistle BEFORE the clock hit the 45-minute mark.
      Instead, he called time around 44:45 – which the TNT Sports commentator labelled a “strange decision”.
      And it also prompted a furious backlash from United supporters.
      One said: “Never witnessed a referee blowing the whistle before 45 minutes.”
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      Another wrote: “The game ended at 44mins. Is the referee drunk?”
      And Specsavers joked: “Can the referee please arrive 15 seconds early to tomorrow’s appointment.”
      United rarely threatened the Copenhagen goal in the opening half and Erik ten Hag hooked off Sofyan Amrabat for Christian Eriksen during the interval.
      So plenty of supporters were actually relieved the first half finished early – because they had already seen enough.
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      One fan commented: “Man Utd are playing that bad the referee has blown for half-time at 44:45.”
      Another typed: “Referee couldn’t stand the rubbish he kept seeing and had to end the game 15 seconds early.”
      A third replied: “The referee is a legend! Honestly! Blowing 15 seconds early has to be the best thing anyone has done in that half!”
      And a final user joked: “Referee called half-time early, he’s tired of this stinkfest.”
      Quite a few others also made reference to the Africa Cup of Nations referee who famously blew for full-time after 85 minutes.
      Before the game, TNT Sports host Laura Woods jokingly told off Paul Scholes after he accidentally broke his microphone live on air.
      And then the Red Devils paid tribute to Sir Bobby Charlton ahead of the first home game since the club legend passed away aged 86 on Saturday. More

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      in Soccer

      Blunder official Darren England to referee first match since Liverpool-Tottenham VAR drama in derby clash

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      BLUNDER referee Darren England will officiate a match for the first time since last month’s VAR horror show between Liverpool and Tottenham.The under-pressure official has been tasked with taking charge of Saturday’s Severnside derby between Cardiff and Bristol City.
      VAR blunder ref Darren England is set to officiate a game this weekendCredit: PA
      England was on VAR duty when Spurs bagged a controversial 2-1 win over Liverpool at the end of September.
      The Reds had two men sent off on a disastrous day in north London.
      But the biggest talking point was VAR’s failure to intervene when a legitimate Luis Diaz strike was deemed offside.
      X-rated audio allowed fans to hear England reflect on his major cock-up, with the disallowed strike changing the course of the game.
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      England was axed from his upcoming VAR duties as a result.
      And he only returned to action at the weekend as the fourth official for Brentford’s 3-0 win against Burnley.
      However, England will be the main man for this Saturday’s clash between Cardiff and Bristol City.
      The heated derby game will require a cool head.
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      And the PGMOL feel England is ready to take on full duties again.
      Howard Webb explained why VAR failed to rectify England’s clear mistake during an episode of Match Officials: Mic’d Up.

      He said that England “lost sight of what the on-field decision was” after going through his processes “pretty quickly” and claimed that efficiency is key but “not at the sacrifice of accuracy”.
      Webb also then confirmed that the laws of the game, as set out by Fifa and IFAB, did not allow the officials to intervene to rectify the mistake. More

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      in Soccer

      Ex-Premier League referee Mike Dean embarrassed live on Sky Sports and told ‘get to Specsavers’ during Soccer Saturday

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      FORMER Premier League referee Mike Dean was left red faced live on air after getting shot down by Michael Dawson. The ex-official has taken up a role on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday, but may regret it after yesterday’s embarrassing incident.
      Mike Dean was left embarrassed live on Sky SportsCredit: Sky Sports
      Michael Dawson joked that the ex-referee should ‘get to Specsavers’Credit: Sky Sports
      The pair disagreed over whether Chiedozie Ogbene’s goal should have stood or notCredit: Getty
      Dean is often asked to weigh in on refereeing debates across the various kick-offs during the show.
      And he gave his view on Luton’s goal against Nottingham Forest as the Hatters pulled one back after trailing 2-0.
      Chiedozie Ogbene poked the ball home, but Dean seemed adamant that the goal was going to be overturned.
      However former pro Dawson was in disagreement with the referee and thought the goal was perfectly fine to stand.
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      Ultimately the on-field officials agreed with Dawson’s view and Luton had their first goal of the afternoon.
      The Tottenham cult hero took his opportunity to gloat abut being right and teased Dean live on the show.
      He joked: “Onside, it’s 2-1. My eyes were right. Get to Specsavers, Mike.”
      It was an awkward moment for the retired referee who seemed shocked that he had incorrectly judged the situation, but played along by putting his glasses on as a result.
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      Luton were pleased their goal stood and even managed to build on it by bagging an added time equaliser through Elijah Adebayo.
      Rob Edwards’ side now sit in 17th place in the Premier League table narrowly avoiding the relegation zone as things stand.
      Rob Edwards’ side fought back to earn a point against Nottingham ForestCredit: Getty More

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      in Soccer

      Rarely-seen referee decision made in Liverpool vs Everton leaving TNT Sports commentators confused

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      TNT SPORTS commentators and fans alike were left bemused after the officials in the Merseyside derby made a rarely-seen decision. As the game was coming to a close the fourth official readied his board to indicate how much time would be added on.
      Officials in the Merseyside derby only added nine minutes of added time after initially indicating there would be ten
      But despite initially preparing to show ten minutes of additional time, Thomas Bramall seemed to change his mind.
      He changed the board and ultimately only added on nine minutes to the end of the second half.
      TNT Sports’ lead commentator Darren Fletcher couldn’t understand the decision and seemed puzzled as to how it had happened.
      But Everton fans may be glad that they didn’t have to endure more added time as Liverpool doubled their lead in the 97th minute.
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      The Reds wound up 2-0 winners at Anfield thanks to a Mohamed Salah brace.
      And it was an action packed affair as would be expected from the historically feisty fixture.
      It lived up to its reputation for the most red cards in a Premier League fixture in history when Ashley Young was given his marching orders in the first half.
      Before Liverpool finally broke the deadlock in the 75th minute from a Salah penalty.
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      Mohamed Salah’s brace secured all three points for LiverpoolCredit: Reuters
      While Everton fans don’t have much to complain about with Young’s dismissal they have been left fuming with referee Craig Pawson’s decision not to send off Ibrahim Konate.
      The Liverpool centre-back escaped a second yellow card when he fouled Toffees striker Beto before being immediately hooked by a cautious Jurgen Klopp.
      Fans were quick to point what they felt was a huge mistake and one even went as far as saying that the game was rigged.
      Everton were reduced to ten men after Ashley Young was sent off for two yellow card offencesCredit: Reuters
      Toffees fans felt Ibrahim Konate should have suffered the same fateCredit: AP More

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      in Soccer

      FA call for ROBOT REFEREES to be introduced after series of Premier League blunders

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      THE Football Association have called on Robot Referees to be part of English football.Semi-automated offside technology was used at the Qatar 2022 World Cup finals and is deployed by the top officials in the Champions League.
      Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was furious at refereeing and VAR decisions when his nine-man Liverpool side lost 2-1 at Spurs on September 30Credit: Rex
      Instead of robot payers like these at the 17th International Iran Open Robocup 2023, English football could get mechanical refsCredit: EPA
      Premier League referees’ chief Howard Webb has come under fire after several cock-ups involving the use of VAR in high-profile matches.
      Mark Bullingham – the chief executive of the FA – has now waded into the debate and asked for more technology to be considered by officiating teams.
      Bullingham told a Leaders Week conference in London: “You should never have a scenario where you take away from the experience in the stadium or at home.
      “We’ve got to be really, really careful for that.
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      “Of course people used to complain about decisions being made wrong and it’s important to get decisions right, so that’s the starting point.
      “In terms of technology, the question is: Are there ways you can make the decisions quicker?
      “Because I think everyone hates that long pause in the stadium or at home.
      “You’re seeing technological innovations in terms of, for example, semi-autonomous offsides. Can it eventually go autonomous?
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      “And is that going to be a step where you get completely accurate decisions but made very, very quickly?
      “So if you could do that, well that would be better for the fans. That’s an area absolutely to keep exploring.
      “Of course, we’d look at any idea that comes through but really you’ve got to be quite careful not to interrupt the flow of the game any further than that.”
      One the biggest screw-ups this season involved Luis Diaz having a goal incorrectly ruled out for offside for Liverpool in their 2-1 defeat at Tottenham on September 30.
      The audio of the bungling VAR discussion which led to that by error was eventually released by the PGMOL.
      Usually punters are kept in the dark about conversations that happen with the on-field referee.
      Speaking in general terms, Bullingham is in favour of more transparency for those in the stadiums and watching on TV.
      Bullingham said: “My personal point of view is that I’d love to get to the point where the fans have more access to the conversation that takes place between the VAR and the referee.
      “I also understand the referees’ perspective on that, they’ve got an incredibly hard job already.

      “Sometimes there are language issues and so particularly in international tournaments, they don’t want anything taken out of context.
      “So I understand the pressure they’re under. I think what we’ve done already is make a step forwards by having decisions that are made now explained.
      “That’s the trial going on at Fifa tournaments and I’m confident that that will then be rolled out more broadly.
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      “I think that’s a step in the direction of giving more transparency to fans on decisions. It’s a complicated area but I do think that’s the direction of travel.”

      The FA are considering ways of changing the format of the women’s FA Cup, which is a traditional knockout competition like the men’s event. Chelsea are the current holders after beating Manchester United in the final in front of 77,000 fans in May. More

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      in Soccer

      How fans want Premier League to look, with foreign referees and VAR scrapped… but one controversial rule KEPT

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      PREMIER LEAGUE fans are often quick to point the finger at officials when things don’t go right for their clubs. But a new survey has revealed what they’d do to change the landscape of the league’s refereeing if it was up to them.
      Premier League fans have had their say on what they would change about the league’s refereeingCredit: Getty
      VAR has been a hot topic this season with a number of high profile errorsCredit: Reuters
      Supporters were quizzed in a new poll by BetVictor over what they would like to see changed about officiating in the Premier League.
      There has already been a number of high profile mistakes by VAR this season, not least Luis Diaz’s disallowed goal vs Tottenham.
      And it would appear that fans have come to the end of their tether with the technology and are ready to get rid of it.
      Over half (54.4 per cent) of fans said they would get rid of VAR if they had the option to do so.
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      But it’s not just the tech that fans are sick of, but those in charge of it too.
      Over two thirds of fans (68.6 per cent) think the PGMOL should broaden their horizons and widen their refereeing pool by considering the inclusion of more foreign officials.
      There is currently just one referee in the Premier League who doesn’t herald from England.
      Aussie Jarred Gillett joined the division in 2021 after successful spells officiating in the Australian A-League and the English Football League.
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      Australian Jarred Gillett is the only non-English referee in the Premier LeagueCredit: Reuters
      But fans seem to think that one external hire isn’t enough and would like to see the league cherry-pick the footballing world’s best refs.
      Despite a pretty damning assessment of the current Premier League officiating, there is one new rule than supporters are keen on.
      Fans appear to like the increased added time that has come into action this term and are happy for it to stick around.
      With even more late drama and an increase in last grasp goals an overwhelming 65 per cent of Premier League fans want the new added time rules to continue going forward.
      Tottenham completed the latest winning comeback in Premier League history earlier this season thanks to a whopping 16 minutes of added timeCredit: Getty More