Officials punished for spot-kick gaffe
REFEREE Keith Stroud and his team of officials have been stripped of their matches tomorrow after their awful blunder in Newcastle’s win over Burton on Wednesday night.
Stroud was forced to apologise for failing to allow Matt Ritchie to retake his penalty after Newcastle team- mate Dwight Gayle encroached in the area.
Ritchie scored his initial spotkick but Stroud wrongly awarded Burton a free-kick instead, leading to angry protests from Newcastle players.
Stroud spoke with his assistants and the fourth official, but no one pointed out that the penalty should be retaken.
It prompted the Professional Game Match Officials Ltd board (PGMOL) to issue a statement in which they said Stroud and his team had not applied the law correctly. PGMOL chief Mike Riley is understood to have since spoken to Stroud. It is not clear when the official will be allowed to return to his refereeing duties.
Stroud has shouldered the majority of the blame for the mistake which could have cost Newcastle in their push for promotion to the Premier League.
Stroud was due to officiate at Gillingham’s game against Millwall in League One tomorrow but was withdrawn yesterday by the referees’ governing body.
Fourth official Tony Harrington and linesman Matthew McGrath were supposed to officiate at Scunthorpe v Bolton but have also been removed. The second linesman, David Avent, has been taken off Nottingham Forest’s match with Huddersfield.
PGMOL’s statement read: ‘In the Championship game between Newcastle United and Burton Albion, referee Keith Stroud awarded Newcastle a penalty.
‘As Matt Ritchie took the kick, Dwight Gayle encroached in the penalty area. An indirect free-kick was awarded to Burton but the Laws of the Game state that the penalty should have been retaken.
‘Unfortunately, the referee has misapplied the law. Keith and his team are understandably upset at the lapse in concentration and apologise for the mistake.’
Newcastle are top of the Championship and have a 10-point cushion inside the automatic promotion places.