What is it with Phil Dowd?

[Chipsticks]

Don't forget last season when Albion came to Villa Park, when he sent Chris Herd off and gave them a penalty in front of the Holte for absolutely nothing. Or at least I swear it was Phil Dowd.

[lovejoy]

Great post sonlyme sums up my view of the league cup final perfectly. Also didn't he send off a Man U player at Fulham earlier in the season and got a roasting from cheat ferguson for his pains. Of course the FA didn't reprimand ferguson for this. I think Dowd had this at he back of his mind at wembley otherwise there is no logic to his action, unless he's corrupt.

He also sent off unilaterally decided the WBA game last season with a red which was later recinded.

[ciggiesnbeer]

To be fair to him I thought he did ok yesterday. He overlooked some blatant fouls on our players but also let us off with Herd who could have seen red as well.

[gervilla]

Phil Dowd.
Wembley. 
The League Cup Final of 2010.
I will take my bitterness and anger to the grave.
Bastard.

[eastie]

Joe Bennett was a fool yesterday and he had to go but I'll never forgive or forget Dowd's decision not to send off Vidic at Wembley.

Agree with this totally , Bennett deserved a red and so did vidic.

How different things may have been now if we had won that Wembley final- if only!

On referees chelski have made official complaint that clattenburg swore at 2 of their players in the match today.

[olaftab]

There was nothing wrong with Dowd's officiating yesterday however he IS a fat slob!

[KevinGage]

You'd never get a ref sending off a player that early in a final, save for a real legbreaker of a challenge.  I don't think Dowd would be alone in that. 

It was a messy challenge rather than a professional foul IMO, and I felt Pubehead used that as a convenient excuse, to gloss over the fact that - the opening 10/15 minutes apart- we didn't cause them many problems.  You set up a team with 11v11 in mind and, as was often the case, his tactics came up short when it came to the crunch.

United went down to 10 men a few weeks prior to that at Villa Park - and still bossed the game.  So I don't particularly think it's a given that we'd have triumphed even if Vidic had gone off.

As for yesterday, he got it right.  Bennett made a fool of himself, even before the sending off. He's been a red card waiting to happen.

[Chipsticks]

You'd never get a ref sending off a player that early in a final, save for a real legbreaker of a challenge.  I don't think Dowd would be alone in that. 

It was a messy challenge rather than a professional foul IMO, and I felt Pubehead used that as a convenient excuse, to gloss over the fact that -apart from the opening 10/15 minutes apart- we didn't cause them many problems. 

United went down to 10 men a few weeks prior to that at Villa Park - and still bossed the game.  So I don't particularly think it's a given that we'd have triumphed even if Vidic had gone off.

As for yesterday, he got it right.  Bennett made a fool of himself, even before the sending off. He's been a red card waiting to happen.

I think a large portion of the argument is that he didn't even give Vidic a yellow. It's almost as if he completely forgot to book him.

[jembob]

One of Dowd's faults is that he wants to be the star of the show and centre of attention. His main problem of course is that he's useless.

[hawkeye]

Hello Tone, Its PW from Sutton, Tone,  is the answer a c***. Tone?

Hold on there PW, its not what I have got written down here, but I think its the right answer.
Your prize is a night out in Stoke on Trent, the runner up gets the whole weekend, I gutta stoke.

[ktvillan]

Yesterday I thought Bennett was an idiot, although the replay showed it probably was both players as bad as each other.  I blame the authorities and  refs in general because they dole out yellow cards for very little these days and put themselves in the position where a second yellow means a red and a compromised game. Often for virtually nothing.

Ironically we got off lightly from Dowd yesterday as Herd's was a far more blatant second yellow. 

The LCF was a different kettle of fish and the two excuse I heard were the one you mention about not moving directly towards the goal - which everyone with any sense at all knows is bollocks generally, and everyone with eyes knows was untrue anyway. And this gem from Graham Poll -  A ref has to "manage the occasion" and to send someone off in the first couple of minutes would have ruined the occasion.  For Fergie maybe yes, but for fuck's sake.  It was, quite simply,  one of the worst decisions ever, anywhere.

[villan from luton]

Vidic should certainly have gone, if it is a professional foul he has to go, be it 1st minute or Fergie minute

[hawkeye]

There can be no arguement that Bennett had to be sent off.
There is also no arguement that Dowd is a complete - - n t

[rutski]

Have to say I thought Bennett left him little option yesterday

Me either, it was a blatant foul, as cast iron as they come, even the lad himself said so.

Or me, the kid embarrassed himself and Villa.

As an addition, the bit that summed it up for me was when Bent was clearly pushed out of the way in injury time and he didn't give anything. It was so blatant a push and a foul that even David Blunkett would have seen it.

total overreaction, the kid made 2 fouls and all of a sudden he is deserving of a red card? first foul agreed, stupid plus he kicked the player, the 2nd one, both players tangling for a ball on the half way line, that should never ever be a yellow card unless he has done it before and been warned about it, but red card? Never. 2 fouls and you are off, what a load of bollocks!

[hawkeye]

Have to say I thought Bennett left him little option yesterday

Me either, it was a blatant foul, as cast iron as they come, even the lad himself said so.

Or me, the kid embarrassed himself and Villa.

As an addition, the bit that summed it up for me was when Bent was clearly pushed out of the way in injury time and he didn't give anything. It was so blatant a push and a foul that even David Blunkett would have seen it.

total overreaction, the kid made 2 fouls and all of a sudden he is deserving of a red card? first foul agreed, stupid plus he kicked the player, the 2nd one, both players tangling for a ball on the half way line, that should never ever be a yellow card unless he has done it before and been warned about it, but red card? Never. 2 fouls and you are off, what a load of bollocks!

The first one he hacked the guy down in the most agricultural and petulant style, the second he got the wrong side and deliberately held the guy back, sorry he was stupid