Calvert-Lewin red card rescinded following appeal

Now what does that say about the VAR? How embarrassing to have to admit the ref got it right in real time while those VAR fuckers pored over it and basically fucked up!

They knew they'd fucked up royally by the strength of support from all angles, TV, pundits, media etc.

No action will be taken against the VAR officials but this, and other instances, should provoke a review of the intervention of the VAR on subjective decisions, to avoid games being re-refereed.

Sean Dyche has made this point repeatedly!

Let’s hope it is just the start of good news coming our way.

Let's just hope we get better decisions off the coming games and we can get back to winning ways. 💙

One down, one to go!

Calvert-Lewin’s red card cancelled!!

Sanity prevails.

Virtually nobody in the football world agreed with Pawson and Kavanagh. What a huge embarrassment. However, they'll probably get their own back by hook or by crook, so we may not be totally in the clear.

The club should now make a written prediction of what
is likely to happen the next time either Kavanagh or Pawson officiates at an Everton game. Put it into a safe under the supervision of an independent third party and reveal the contents once the inevitable vindictive refereeing unfolds.

And when are journalists going to start joining the dots on what is happening in the game? Or are they all wide-eyed ingénus star-struck by the latest signing for the RS?

Kavanagh to have surgery to insert a backbone and then start rehabilitation in the Sunday League?

I take this as recognition from PGMOL that the current system is falling way short.

The fact they didn't suggests they are either not up to the job or are biased or corrupt enough to be determined to give a red anyway.

Whatever the reason, this should not be the end of the matter.

Salisbury is one of the newish referees to Premier League games, I know this was a cup game, but why was he the lead VAR?

Mind you, with Pawson being the other comic in the room, I suppose it makes sense.

I do hope he now plays on Sunday, and we find a way of giving him a little more support. He cannot be criticised for effort and he must be due some better luck.

The VAR will only overrule the referee in circumstances where he has made a clear and obvious error.

The VAR will look at incidents, even when clear and obvious errors aren't involved, but the ref will have the final say.

As others have said in various ways, what sanctions are to be applied to the 2 imbeciles who made the decision?

It would be very interesting to hear who suggested Calvert-Lewin's red card. Rangers got the audio from the Celtic cup game recently, and it showed that the referee's reason for not giving a penalty to Rangers was because he was told of an offside in the build-up, turns out no such advice was given.

The question is how the fuck did a bunch of so-called professionals come up with such a ridiculous decision after watching it for ages?

Similarly, what decision is going to be made of such incompetence???

Isn't it about time, instead of reviewing a referee's decision, it is time they reviewed the abilities of the VARs, as it seems quite a number of decisions they make are more contentious than correct.

I agree. It would have to be either total incompetence or corruption, no "mistake" made. The incident wasn't even close to being hard to read or assess.

I notice the BBC have not included a comments option in their report. The wider response might've been interesting.

That referee should be struck off. Imagine a surgeon
misreading an X-ray and amputating your leg instead of your arm.

At least we got something back from the FA, so now we just need some points back.

Imagine if we had lost the game in the last 10 minutes because of their incompetence??? The VAR is killing the game. UTFT

Absolutely the right call to overturn the red card, shocking decision in the first place, but they will not like being proved wrong again; after the Rodri handball apology, I am fearing something in the coming weeks to put us back in our place.

Bill Gall, have a look at the photo of the tackle on the BBC website they have put on today, a totally different angle of his foot going past the side of the player, whereas the VAR froze it looking like Calvert-Lewin caught him full-on.

Maybe some therapy or hypnosis to assure him nothing happened.

It has consequences – or at least it should have, but consider this: if this tackle happened in our own penalty area, the player is sent off, a penalty awarded, the team loses, the manager is sacked, the cost to the club is millions... PSR is then breached, points deductions, relegation ensues… the dominoes fall.

Of course it didn't happen, but if it had, the result would stand, the damage done, the loss of finance directly attributed, the fortunes of players, managers and clubs are at risk.

This is why there has to be change; to continue is either incompetence or corruption, there is no third option.

Difficult to not be cynical and think this is merely a bone thrown in lieu of not getting any points back.

All those things "might" have happened, but they didn't.

There's certainly no questioning your Everton credentials, as seeing only the negative in a positive outcome is what being an Evertonian is all about (to some).

If you could see further than the end of your nose, then you would have understood that my comment was not in relief at the decision being overturned but in anger that it was actually made in the first place!

This "negative" Evertonian is fed up being continually having to be thankful. So go and stick your sarcastic comments where the sun don't shine! [From one Evertonian to another…]

Happy days… Now give us our 10 points back!

As far as I am aware, VAR intervention is based on the identification of a clear and obvious error. Howard Webb spoke about it in November, after the penalty given for Hwang's “foul” on Schar, when Webb was trying to raise the bar for VAR intervention, claiming that the VAR got that one wrong for not intervening.

Obviously the final decision rests with the referee, but if the VAR is only supposed to intervene when a “clear and obvious error” has been made, then it would suggest to the referee that they have made a howler even before they go the monitor.

The whole thing requires significant overhaul and everyone knows it.

Your gast might have been flabbered, but my flabber was totally and utterly gasted.

2 in the same thread, incredible.

Not arguing that the VAR is perfect, far from it, but this still doesn't change the fact that the "clear and obvious error" thing is a popular misconception.

If you are reading this, John, I will call in the Castle Harlech around 1pm Sunday, if the trains are not up the spout again. If you're in, John, be nice to see you and wecan have a ramble down the Park end afterwards before kick-off.

If any of the other regulars are heading there, I will hopefully see you all Sunday.

No worries Christine, always enjoy reading your posts.

Sorry to go off track.

I'm not one who subscribes to the notion there's an agenda against Everton, and that there's a large element of confirmation bias going on among our fanbase (with respect) as can be said by numerous other clubs who feel the same way we do.

A lot of it comes down to over-officiating, power-hungry men with inflated egos due to the roles they've been given. Judge and jury, God-complex-like men who've probably been low in he pecking order in early life and as such feel this great power bestowed upon them which they can't help but wield like some sort of Sword of Damocles.

The personality type of referees dictates that they're arrogant individuals, so adding the VAR was always going to go pear-shaped.

Have you never noticed the type of blokes who want to be refs? Always the same sort of bellends who want to be Old Bill but couldn't cut it so they become referees. I never met a ref who wasn't a massive twat in all my years of playing football, and you see the same thing in all these cretins in the pro game too.

Why are they not considering a retrospective award of a yellow card to Clyne?

I also feel the PGMOL should publicly apologise to Everton FC for the gravity of the error. Pawson, Salisbury and Kavanagh should also be suspended from any form of officiating for a set number of matches.

I was talking with a relative of John Mc Snr recently, and asked after him. I was told he is well – long may that continue.

I do know he has been having a few difficulties with his eyes, perhaps he is just resting them a bit.

I don't hold with the conspiracy theories against us. Most resentment against clubs is because they are successful. At the moment, we're just incompetent.

I don't actually understand what you are saying. "Clear and obvious error" is all over the IFAB principles for the VAR, and the Premier League's guidelines, so what is this "popular misconception" you are talking about? I am genuinely not sure what your point is.

But if you are saying that the VAR can suggest a review for something that does not constitute a "clear and obvious error" then I don't think that is correct.

Dyche needs to rattle on about this and other dodgy VAR decisions at every opportunity (just like Klippety would) to start mounting pressure on officials to swing decisions our way.

Just wait for the penalty to come our way so the Premier League and FA can demonstrate there really is no agenda.

Like that would be believable...

Sanctioning the officials responsible for these now frequent errors would soon leave insufficient officials available to cover all the roles required for matches at the top level. Eventually it will dawn on people that the use of VAR on matters of opinion or judgement makes officials worse.

The decision was the worst I have ever seen. Had it not been overturned, the whole appeals process would have been rendered futile.

I see we have two more dunces on duty on Sunday: Coote the whistler and Tierney in Stockley Park.

Hopefully a boost to Everton's fortunes this season.

UTFTs!

So how the hell did we end up with a red card if it was clear both in play and on review?

What happened in the intervening time?It just points to a flawed system that needs to be changed immediately.

As an objective, factual, accurate, inarguable statement of fact... This system produces the wrong decisions.

Let the referees control the game and check with the techies if they need to check... Did I see what I thought I saw?

The referee controls the game, all the others are just what they're called nowadays – Assistants!

Of course, Seamus was always right.

I know your answer was directed towards Brian W, but thanks for your news about John McF, a lovely, and very knowledgeable man on all things Everton. Hope to see you all soon.

And we shouldn't be celebrating it. But we are. Because this is what we have been reduced to and how they have treated us with utter contempt for years.

So the question is: Why were they even looking at it? And this goes back to the point that they have an agenda against Everton.

In years gone by, that wouldn't have even been challenged. There isn't another (comparable) club anywhere that's had to put up with the shite Everton have and a lot of it hasn't even been our making.

And that's not me cryarsing, it's every week and has been for years, and probably since Shankly made a deal with devil.

There used to be nothing better than going to the ale house after the game and arguing about decisions. The VAR has now taken over a good moan.

Yes, it's nice to know John Mac is doing okay.

I was thinking about another oldish ToffeeWeb poster, Tom Watson, who is an avid Blue following the club home and away who hasn't posted for a few weeks.

Let us know if you are alright, Tom.

Seriously though, I'd love to know the process. Presumably the appeals panel is made up match officials (?), so are one group of officials telling another group that they're wrong?

Both have seen the video evidence. I think it totally undermines the officials' position, regardless of whether they were right or wrong.

Yes Bill Watson, my mistake, should know better. Bill has been to some ToffeeWeb gatherings, knows his football and has a nice dry wit about him.

That's not to say that individuals making decisions on the pitch, the VAR, about points deductions, to punish Niasse for diving, etc. don't have individual biases, but until there's any evidence of a vast conspiracy, it just seems like an excuse to complain about our incompetence in the board room and on the pitch.

As others have noted, if we played better football and could finish on net, we wouldn't be complaining. And while I'm no big fan of Pawson, from what I heard (not having watched the match), Kavanaugh was having an excellent match until that decision. And I do get why Pawson looked closely at it, though it never should've been a recommendation to give the red card.

As for all referees being complete twats, I can say as a ref that there is definitely a decent share of arrogant pricks who never cut it as players, along with insecure fellas trying to be tough guys, but there is also a good share of decent, kind, thoughtful referees who are forced to look like assholes on the field because players are even bigger twats, and you can't let them run roughshod over you. Very few human beings, never mind refs, have the people skills to manage the personalities and intensity and stress you encounter in 90 minutes of high-level football.

That's my defense of referees, not the atrocious decision to give a red card, and I'm grateful that it was rescinded because they could have stood their ground.

Correct decision, of course, both the ref and the VAR are guilty in making an enormous error so both should be binned or punished in some way.

I for one am fed the fuck up with the VAR, killing the game it is.

I don't need them to be publicly excoriated anymore than the pundits have already done. Let's move on and consign this particular incident to history.

We lost a striker unnecessarily for 15 minutes of a cup tie which we'll never get back.

No sanction against the VARs. Not that it would have helped us. Can we play with 12 men for the last 15 minutes of the replay? Or Palace play with 10? Of course not.

Everton lose out from a decent ref's on-field decision.

People must not mix up the deliberate mistake with the incompetent one – as hard as that may be.

John #80, be real. We never looked like scoring in that game. We lost nothing.

And we have no way of knowing whether Pawson was sanctioned, but so what? It wouldn't help us one bit more. He was excoriated in the media and now has been embarrassed by the reversal. Works for me.

Now for another reversal, eh? I want those four extra "aggravating" points back.

Pete, thanks for the update on John Sr. Finally some good news there too.

I have no idea what is involved in excoriating your media but, in the case of Pawson, I hope it was done without anaesthetic.

I still haven't forgotten how he sent off Phil Jagielka in the opening game of the 2018 season at Wolves for an even more innocuous tackle. Neves scored from the free kick so he cost us 2 points on that occasion.

As such, I think they are determined to see that it "doesn't work" as intended, in the hope that it will eventually be scrapped, despite its successful use in other sports.

Why is this guy still officiating?
He's a disgrace.

Due to where I was standing, I could not see exactly where Branthwaite landed, but when he got back on to the pitch, this normally calm lad was absolutely fuming, yelling at the linesman who seemed transfixed, possibly listening to the VAR conversation.
This incident was probably well worth a review.
And if two people are on VAR, shouldn't one be following the subsequent play?

I don't know if the TV broadcast showed any of this.

And of course the rescinding of the red card does not involve a rescinding of the injury to McNeil.
Without the VAR interruption, the game would have had a different flow and pattern of events afterwards.

I mentioned this when discussing Dominic's sending off, as you say the Palace player came from behind Branthwaite and gave him a heavy push, the linesman didn't indicate anything and then the cameras switched to the referee, Dominic and the injured(?) Palace player and I didn't have a clue what that was all about having seen the tackle that caused all the fuss and it never registered that it was a foul.

Much ado about nothing but it did have serious consequence with McNeil's injury and Dominic's red card.

1. Not a shred of evidence to show deliberate foul play or dangerous/reckless actions likely to cause injury blah blah

2. That this was plainly obvious to anyone who examined the footage.

3. To conclude otherwise is to display complete incompetence and unfitness for post or, if not incompetent, transparent bias and corruption

4. The officials responsible are idiots.

5. They will be redirected to the Northern/Southern Conference leagues to officiate as linesmen so that they can be jeered for 90 mins as they run up and down the line in the mud.

You will find this on the BBC website (if you close your eyes and begin dreaming).

How can the one competition have two sets of rules?

Still baffled and frustrated and annoyed that I can not find any explanation given for the rescinding of the card.

I imagine they all recognized – yes, even the ones in charge, the ones who supposedly have this corrupt agenda against us – that the officials collectively made an error, and simply rode it back on appeal.

It happens. I imagine it's why they still have the appeals process, even after introducing the VAR to apparently correct "clear and obvious errors". They were over-zealous in trying to find that clear and obvious error when there was none.

Absolutely stunned, in the best of ways.

The Premier League simply has to do something about the VAR. They are absolutely butchering replay reviews time and time again. The technology is there to get calls correct, not to adjudicate iffy calls. If they can't wrap their feeble little minds around this concept, they seriously need to scrap it.

And I'm not in favor of scrapping VAR. If implemented properly, it can save teams unjustified harm.

But with the collective intelligence of a den of rats, I have no hope of the VAR ever getting it right.

They've done an abysmal job of utilizing replay. It's comical if it wasn't so tragic.

Still clinging on, thanks. despite being one of the 'oldish' members!

I haven't posted for a while because of other issues but I was down at Palace last Saturday.

After the red card was shown, the incident was, very briefly, flashed up on the big screen. There was a collective intake of breath and that was from the home fans. A totally ludicrous decision.

The concept of the VAR is sound but its implementation is very subjective and, as we all know, administered by incompetent officials.

A few months ago, the Premier League said they didn't broadcast the sound dialogues during a VAR check for fear it could lead to crowd trouble. Quite!

Glad to hear you're okay. Like you I don't post as much these days, always check the site out though.

I was over your way last week visiting my sister on the Paramount Estate, always nice to revisit your roots. I hope 2024 is kind to you mate.

What a joke.

If that Ref and the suits in Stockley Park couldn't see it wasn't a red at the time, then they should be stood down.

It's getting comical.

Get people in who understand the game and make them explain themselves and their decisions.

And give offside if there is a doubt. I'm all for letting the game flow, but players will get injured unnecessarily. Give it and then give the ball back to the attacking team in my view.

I watched the Palace game on TV (Amazon Prime as I recall) and there was no reference whatsoever to the Branthwaite incident. All I can recall was the sight of Nathaniel Clyne coming in at speed on the left of the screen, partly obscured by an Everton player (JB?) who appeared to be facing toward Calvert-Lewin as Dominic was hooking his foot behind the ball to retain possession.

Even in super “slo-mo”, I could not see any physical contact with Clyne's shin, but the Palace player went down so quickly, it must have convinced the VAR Jobsworth that it had been serious foul play.

When watching in real time, I recall being hugely impressed by Calvert-Lewin's tackle, it looked clean and very well executed and I don't even recall any of the Palace players making a fuss?

As others have said, the biggest net loss to our club is that of the McNeil injury. I suspect Clyne might pick up a mystery injury before the replay as he is likely to get absolute pelters at Goodison for being a shithouse and getting Calvert-Lewin dismissed.

I'm glad you are feeling okay and still attending matches, the Crystal Palace game must have been a hard slog for you all that way on a winter's night and a long journey home.

You're a better man than me, Bill — I'm sticking to just the home games!

We left the Rocket at 12:15 pm and got back there at about 3 am.

Now you know why away fans always stand up!

Thanks Ray and Best Wishes to you, too. My roots are in Liverpool but I've lived amongst the plazzies since 1976!!

None of us sit down at away matches!

It plays havoc with my Army and Football lower back niggles!! Not to mention the knees and ankles.

My eye operation wasn't 100% successful, but fortunately I have my grandson Josh to tell me what's happening at the Gwalyds Street end, I do know by the colour of the shirt whether it's friend or foe.

I tend to avoid controversial issues, my main interest is what happens on the field of play. I have learned over the years that anything can happen in a game of football and I either enjoy nor endure the occasion.

I don't pick on individuals because it's my opinion that a game is won or lost as a team, and anyone who earns a living playing football "can play football"; however, I appreciate that we are all entitled to our opinions.

1976? I'd emigrated to North Wales by then, not sure my sister would appreciate being a plazzi!!! I'm still scared of her now! 🤣

I am sorry the operation didn't go as well as you hoped. But I am sure you will still see the Royal Blue.

I always enjoy your educated footballing views.

As you always say, anything can happen on the field of football.

Best wishes, John, and God Speed.

COYB

And thanks Niall (100). I am curious to know where Branthwaite landed. In the (empty) seats that were there, or in the wall. I was only 20 or 25 yards away, but couldn't see where, and I am quite tall.

It was a snidey action that could have caused serious injury. I wish Everton, if not the broadcaster, would highlight such things.

That means that any other misdemeanours get added to this. It hasn't gone away! In effect, he just has a zero-game ban. Work that out. I couldn't believe it.

Alan Brazil rages at bizarre rule which could see Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin unjustly punished – TalkSport

I have just read that this stay of a red card incident on his record is crap – the rule has been changed... he will NOT have it on his record.

Journalist clears up 'confusion' over Dominic Calvert-Lewin red card debacle after talkSPORT outburst