1 min read
It’s not often that authorities receive praise so I would like to take this opportunity to say well done to the Premier League for overturning Brad Friedel’s red card against Liverpool.
As a member of the goalkeeper’s union, and a Liverpool fan, I couldn’t believe it when Martin Atkinson dismissed the American stopper after the clash that saw Fernando Torres tumble to the ground and set up Steven Gerrard for a penalty to complete his hat-trick.
Unlike Pepe Reina against Manchester United the previous week, who came flying off his line to haul down Carlos Tevez, Friedel made himself small and it was a case of striker colliding with keeper rather than the other way around.
Atkinson did what he thought was right according to the letter of the law as Friedel was the reason that a clear goal-scoring opportunity was prevented, but what else could he do?
In the end, common sense has prevailed and I’m delighted that the Villa No. 1 will line-up in a bid to prevent Manchester United moving clear of the Merseysiders again.