Paul Dummett felt hard done by after Newcastle United’s game against Villarreal on Sunday having had a goal disallowed and finding himself in the referee’s book.
Despite Newcastle running out 4-0 winners against Villarreal on Sunday the damage could have been much worse given that Callum Wilson and Paul Dummett both saw goals chalked off.
Wilson’s for offside, and in fairness it was a good call, but Dummett poked home a cross after Villarreal ‘keeper Pepe Reina failed to hold on to the catch under the challenge from Dummett. However, referee Anthony Taylor judged it as a foul by the former Wales international on Reina and the goal was disallowed.
On another day Dummett’s goal would have stood
With it being a friendly there wasn’t much remonstration by the home team, but Paul Dummett confirmed later that he feels the goal should have stood, and I also thought it could have been given on another day.
Speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle (via The Chronicle) Dummett shared what Anthony Taylor told him after the defender went into the book for a challenge on Juan Foyth: “During the game, there were a lot of fouls from us and them.
“The referee said, ‘I’m getting you ready for European football because this is what the referees will be like.’ I thought that a lot of them were pretty soft. I should have had a goal.”
It’s not often you hear a referee saying he’s doing your team a favour by booking players for any tiny transgression, but as far as excuses go, I’ll take it just for the novelty value.
In all seriousness, Taylor was right, the standards of refereeing in the Champions League are going to be different as each country’s referees will be used to officiating games of a different style and pace, so as much as they all follow the same guidelines, there will be differences in how they go about it.
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