Jesus and Lazarus at the olbeyun

[ktvillan]

A photo on the Guardian website of the Hutton challenge, entitled "a bad tackle", shows clearly that Hutton followed through well after he'd got the ball, and that his studs were aimed directly at Long's leg.  Sorry I don;t know how to embed it here. The accompanying article also explained how Hutton has got form for those kind of challenges.  The more one-eyed among you can try and defend it all you like, but I doubt you'll  convince many unbiased observers.  Regardless of getting the ball he endangered another player, simple as.  You would all be apoplectic if an Albion player had done it to Gabby, you know you would, so having a go at Woy for rightly being upset is disingenuous to say the least. 

[Chris Smith]

Loads of tackles endanger other players, it's a contact sport and injuries are an occupational hazard. As for the thing about the follow through, have you ever made a tackle? How are you supposed to stop once your in motion?

Some people will not be happy until tackling is outlawed completely.

[ktvillan]

Yes I've made plenty of tackles thanks, and I've managed to do so mostly fairly and with no danger of seriously hurting my opponent.  I've also been on the receiving end of a few that nothing to do with it being a contact sport, or even a sport, they were aimed to hurt and hurt badly.  I'm fully aware it's a contact sport and I genuinely despair at the amount of perfectly safe and fair challenges that not only get penalised but result in yellow or even red cards.  But this was nothing like a fair or safe challenge and using the "outlawing of tackles" argument simply doesn't apply in this case.  How do you stop yourself?  Well you can't once you've launched yourself.  But the simple fact is you should not be launching yourself through the air towards an opponent with studs aimed squarely at his legs in the first place, ball or no ball.

[Ad@m]

A photo on the Guardian website of the Hutton challenge, entitled "a bad tackle", shows clearly that Hutton followed through well after he'd got the ball, and that his studs were aimed directly at Long's leg.  Sorry I don;t know how to embed it here. The accompanying article also explained how Hutton has got form for those kind of challenges.  The more one-eyed among you can try and defend it all you like, but I doubt you'll  convince many unbiased observers.  Regardless of getting the ball he endangered another player, simple as.  You would all be apoplectic if an Albion player had done it to Gabby, you know you would, so having a go at Woy for rightly being upset is disingenuous to say the least. 

Just like taking quotes out of context can change their meaning, using one photo from one angle is a long way from proof a tackle was bad. If the photo you refer to (which I haven't seen) is side on you've got no real concept of depth perception. My recollection of it was that it was his trailing leg that hit Long rather than his studs.

[Clampy]

The accompanying article also explained how Hutton has got form for those kind of challenges.  The more one-eyed among you can try and defend it all you like, but I doubt you'll  convince many unbiased observers.   

I'm not being 'one eyed' about it at all. I just saw it as a player going for the ball, not the player.

[nick harper]

Loads of tackles endanger other players, it's a contact sport and injuries are an occupational hazard. As for the thing about the follow through, have you ever made a tackle? How are you supposed to stop once your in motion?

Some people will not be happy until tackling is outlawed completely.

The laws have changed to give referees the power to penalise takles where they deem the player to be out of control even if they get something on the ball. Hutton was out of control and would have broken Long's leg if it had been planted.

The pace of the game has made this more likely than 20 years ago which is why I think the laws have got tighter.

I must admit, like the referee, I didn't really see how bad it was from the Lower Holte until I saw the replay, which shows how difficult their job is at times.

[ktvillan]

The accompanying article also explained how Hutton has got form for those kind of challenges.  The more one-eyed among you can try and defend it all you like, but I doubt you'll  convince many unbiased observers.   

I'm not being 'one eyed' about it at all. I just saw it as a player going for the ball, not the player.

As has already been said, many times, going for the ball is irrelevant if you are deemed to endanger the opponent in the process.  You said yourself Long didn't have the ball, so it wasn't an actual tackle. Thus if Hutton was going for the ball, and only the ball, he needn't have ended up anywhere near Long, he could have won it cleanly without the lunge.