Coach, player face bans
Domestic football repeat offenders Brett Angell and Gary Ogilvie could be set for decent spells on the sidelines after again seeing red.
Hawke’s Bay United coach Angell, who is no stranger to being banished to the stands, was sent from the dugout in the 66th minute of an illtempered 3-3 draw against Team Wellington in the capital on Sunday.
Canterbury United defensive midfielder Ogilvie joined an unwanted Stirling Sports Premiership club when he was sent off against Auckland City on Sunday in his first match back from another red card pre-Christmas.
Englishman Ogilvie was dismissed for ‘‘violent conduct’’ against Auckland after appearing to charge in and lead with his elbow around the neck area of opponent Fabrizio Tavano.
New Zealand Football (NZF) are still completing their investigations from both incidents, awaiting referee reports and then statements from the clubs.
A NZF spokesman said they would not make any comment until Angell and Ogilvie find out their fate later this week.
Both are expected to cop at least a one-game ban and it could be more for English-born Angell, who has been sent to the stands by referees several times while coaching Hawke’s Bay.
Angell, who enjoyed a long professional career in England, was also sent off in the corresponding clash between Hawke’s Bay and Team Wellington on November 6 in Napier. He could also be in hot water for standing behind the Hawke’s Bay goal in Sunday’s match after being sent off and interacting with his players.
Hawke’s Bay captain Finlay Milne defended his under fire coach, telling Hawke’s Bay Today it was out of necessity.
‘‘We didn’t have an assistant coach, so when you’ve got to make substitutions, you put them on a piece of paper and Brett had them all in his pocket, so one of the players had to run to him to grab it so we could make substitutions.’’
It is understood referee CampbellKirk Waugh came close to abandoning Sunday’s match because Angell’s behaviour was so out of order.
Waugh considered awarding all three points to Team Wellington midway through a fiery second half after the sanctioned Angell continued to interact with substitutes warming up.
Milne believed New Zealand referees struggled to deal with Angell and he was an unfair target.
‘‘Everyone knows what Brett’s like. He’s vocal but some of the referees, I think, aren’t mature enough to handle that so that’s a real shame for us ...
‘‘It was really frustrating for us because, I think, as a loud coach, it has put him in situations where the ref’s making his decisions quickly rather than taking a breath and thinking about it,’’ he told Hawke’s Bay Today.
Ogilvie was upset as he left the field for Canterbury in the 72nd minute, having just returned from a twogame suspension for a head butt in a game against Team Wellington on December 18.
A Mainland Football official said Ogilvie was unavailable for comment until the judicial process had played out.