Chelsea Launch Cole Red Card Appeal

[Steve 10,227]

LONDON, Dec 26 (Reuters) - Chelsea are to appeal against Ashley Cole's red card after the defender was sent off in the last minute of his side's 4-4 draw with Aston Villa on Wednesday.

Cole was dismissed for handball after stopping Gabriel Agbonlahor's header. Gareth Barry converted the penalty to give Villa the draw and cost Chelsea points in the Premier League title race.

'I saw it again on the television and it was not a penalty but I cannot change it,' Chelsea coach Avram Grant said.

Defender Ricardo Carvalho was sent off for a two-footed tackle on Agbonlahor 10 minutes earlier and both he and Cole face suspension.

Villa manager Martin O'Neill had no doubts about the penalty. 'Cole has handled the ball and I think it is clear and the linesman has spotted it,' he said.

With injuries to John Terry, Didier Drogba and Florent Malouda and stand-in captain Frank Lampard limping off with a thigh injury, Chelsea's squad is stretched to the limit. They have Premier League fixtures against Newcastle United and Fulham over the next six days.

Holding midfielder Claude Makelele is also out of action for a 'few weeks', the club said, after having an ear operation. Second choice goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini is another player on the treatment table.

'It is not easy times but since the first day I was here it has not been easy with all the injured players,' Grant said.

Source: WWW.SOCERNET.COM

[Aesthetic Relic 301]

Watched it again on MOTD......I think on the video evidence we could get it rescinded

[Steve 10,227]

lets hope so its the last thing we need to lose another defender

[Aesthetic Relic 301]

lets hope so its the last thing we need to lose another defender

Wouldnt be as bad with Cole as Bridge is a very good player to have come in

[Elliott 7]

I feel the penalty itself was harsh never mind the sending off, I really hope the FA will rescind it, but probably not.

[Guest Lampards Bitch]

Was harsh. Whats the betting we will get fined again because of the players protesting to the ref?

[Layla 0]

Cant see anything happening.The FA are mean!

But still wtf was that card about?!Red went booking happy thats crazy!

[Chelsawy 24]

it was insane!!!! ;s

[Steve 10,227]

yes not a very good goal the FA should fine that clown of a referee

[Aesthetic Relic 301]

The ref was going to play on until the Linesman ( ref's assistant my arse) started waving his flag like some epileptic on the touchline. It was only when he went over to consult him did he decide to send Ash off.

How many more times do things such as this have to continue to happen before they take 2 seconds to speak to the 4th official who can look at a monitor and inform the ref of the correct decision to make after seeing a replay.

For the sake of 5-10 seconds would put an end to all this madness which we see every single week.

Its not rocket science FFS.

[Layla 0]

And yeh vid replays would break up the game but save a lot of hassel and critcism afters esp after the weekend with 2 'was it werent it over the line etc'.

With luck for once something good will come out of an appeal

[Ollie 4,400]

well it didn't hit the arm so it must be recinded unless the idiots see the same as what the lino apparently saw. Anyway i don't really care about the red card, its the award of the penalty that really pisses me off. Fucking linesman just guess everything. And Martin o'neil says the officials decisions went against villa? Hes a wanker that guy, always thought so and wont change my mind. Our pen looked pretty fucking blatant to me. What over decisions did we wrongly get? fucking prick....the his team get out of jail thanks to a blatant linesmans guess.....yeah ok.

[Drogba11CFC 108]

But the FA never retract our Red Cards. Either this reason...

"You retracted that Chelsea Red Card? You're sacked!"

or it's their computers...

"Could not perform function "Retract Carvalho red card. There is a sharing violation."

[Aesthetic Relic 301]

But the FA never retract our Red Cards. Either this reason...

"You retracted that Chelsea Red Card? You're sacked!"

or it's their computers...

"Could not perform function "Retract Carvalho red card. There is a sharing violation."

[Drogba11CFC 108]

Only this can sum up my reaction to that post:

Seriously, though, I can imagine Dowd witnessing a train hit a car at a crossing and going over and giving the train driver a red card.

[misschief 24]

Wasnt a red card or a penalty, or at least it wouldnt have been for any other team but Chelsea. Absolutely should have it rescinded but would still be very surprised if it was.

[Layla 0]

Well the FA has rejected Aston Villas appeal,no news on ours

[Steve 10,227]

suckin in, we will probs get the same desicion