What the papers say: Sheffield Utd

[Millsy]

sportinglife.com

Reading 3 Sheffield Utd 0 (sic)

http://tinyurl.com/2nxhkz

Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock and substitute Keith Gillespie were both sent off as the Blades were
beaten 3-1 at Reading in a bad-tempered afternoon when Stephen Hunt was once again in the spotlight.

Within seconds of coming on, Gillespie was dismissed for smashing an arm in the face of the Irishman,
the player who fractured the skull of Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech in a clash in October.

Warnock was soon sent to the stands, along with Reading coach Wally Downes, for his part in the melee
that followed - an overspill of the bad blood which existed between the two sides from their Coca-Cola
Championship clashes last season.
Hunt went on to score his side's third to add to strikes from Shane Long and Ulises de la Cruz, with substitute
Christian Nade pulling one back for the Blades.

This is the bad blood that saw the two teams meet up on a holiday to have a joint promotion party. Hmm yeah they obviously hated each other, again shoddy journalism.

Exactly.

Post match interview - Murts (I think) said how they shook hands after the match.

There's no bad blood really, and I certainly don't dislike Sheff Utd or their fans. Colin just gets a bit OTT sometimes then he calms down.

Good luck to their relegation battle I say. Hope they steal a safety spot from West Ham.

[papereyes]

Reading.....Sheffield Utd
10 Shots On Target 1
7 Shots Off Target 3

So not a one-sided game then.

[Upper West?!?]

After Murts' shot was saved, he turned to the bench and did a Cantona-style strutting walk. Hilarious. I hope it makes MOTD.

[M4 Junction 11]

Daily Mail
Warnock kicks off a bench war
United boss in ugly fracas as Reading pile on the misery
by PETER HIGGS

Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock and Reading assistant boss Wally Downes will face FA disciplinary action after a long-standing feud between the old adversaries erupted into an ugly touchline fracas. Referee Mark Halsey sent both men away from the dugout to sit in the stands after Downes had rushed into the United technical area and appeared to push Warnock on the shoulder amid angry scenes following the dismissal of United substitute Keith Gillespie.

The game erupted over a 53rd-minute incident when Northern Ireland international Gillespie’s first action after taking the field was to raise his arm and appear to elbow Stephen Hunt as they jostled for a throw-in within five yards of a watching linesman. After the former Newcastle winger was shown the red card, he landed himself in further trouble by turning back to confront Hunt a second time. As Gillespie was being ushered away by other players, another incident was breaking out between the coaching staffs.

As angry words were exchanged, Downes, a former member of Wimbledon’s Crazy Gang, advanced on Warnock and appeared to push him. Players from both teams ran to the touchline to intervene before referee Halsey, after a long delay, ordered the two men to the stands. Warnock later admitted that he and Downes, who had a spell on the staff at Bramall Lane, did not like each other.

"There’s history between me and Wally. I think you could say that," he conceded. "I don’t have a problem with Steve Coppell but I do have a problem with Wally — and that goes back a lot longer than Reading, to be honest." Warnock claimed that Downes had misinterpreted his reaction to encouraging his team to "break players’ legs". "He interpreted it the way he wanted to interpret it," said Warnock."Wally got carried away. He barged into me. "I don’t think he was coherent. His head and eyes were bulging. People like to accuse you, but the referee the Gillespie sending-off, which he admitted the player deserved.

The outspoken United manager had lifted his leg to make a kicking motion, which, he said, was in describing a foul by Reading’s Steve Sidwell as the "worst of the match". But Warnock believed that Downes thought he was heard what I said and he won’t lie." Warnock, who was sent off in the corresponding fixture at the Madejski Stadium last season when the two teams were challenging for the Championship, admitted that Halsey had no alternative but to send both men off to calm the situation.

"It was a bit harsh — I think my reputation has gone ahead of me — but I have no complaints with Mark Halsey," he said. "I thought he had a good game." Coppell said he expected repercussions from the incident but refused to condemn Downes. "I don’t have a problem with what Wally did," said the Reading manager. "On the face of it, I don’t think I’ll be taking any action against him." While Gillespie will be disciplined by Warnock after he "let his teammates down" and faces an extended ban for failing to leave the field when he was shown the red card, Warnock has other problems to worry about, with his team precariously close to the relegation zone.

United’s failure to beat Reading for the 10th successive match in a four-year period, which has resulted in complete domination by the Berkshire club, was as humiliating as his team’s loss of discipline. Despite the fact that injuries had left Coppell’s line-up severely weakened, Warnock’s side adopted a formation "to make sure we didn’t get roasted".

Even though leading scorer Kevin Doyle was out injured for the first time in 18 months, full-back Nicky Shorey went down with food poisoning in the morning, Dave Kitson suffered a strain in the pre-match warm-up and centre-half Ibrahima Sonko hobbled off with a knee injury before half-time, Reading still won comfortably.

They went ahead just before the interval when Chris Lucketti’s clearance bounced off Sidwell for 20-year-old Shane Long to score his first Premiership goal, and they added a second five minutes into the second half when Ecuador’s Ulises De La Cruz, Shorey’s replacement, ran almost the length of the field to steer in James Harper’s through pass. Hunt, having suffered abuse over Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech’s fractured skull three months ago, was again at the centre of controversy.

The target of violence from Gillespie and a verbal attack from Warnock, the Irishman had the last laugh when he volleyed in Reading’s third from under the crossbar after Sidwell’s shot was blocked on the line. Even though substitute Christian Nade scored a consolation goal in the 77th minute, it was a bad day to be a United fan. As Reading moved up to seventh in the table, within touching distance of their survival points target, the team who accompanied them into the Premiership — whom Coppell would love to see stay up — will have to play a lot better than this to avoid an immediate return to the Championship.

[TFF]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.j ... grea21.xml

Reading (1) 3 Sheffield United (0) 1

Reading and Sheffield United may have been promoted together as friends but there was certainly no love lost between them yesterday as the Royals maintained their four-year unbeaten sequence against the Blades in a match that exploded into unexpected fury just after half-time and resulted in three dismissals — yet only one of them a player.

Nothing in a keenly contested but uncontroversial first half had suggested the ugly sequence of events that was to follow when Mark Halsey issued three straight red cards —first to Keith Gillespie for a dangerous elbow in the face, then to United manager Neil Warnock and Reading first-team coach Wally Downes for their part in a dug-out brawl, incidents which overshadowed yet another comfortable home win for Steve Coppell's slick-passing side.

A hamstring injury ruled out Reading's top scorer, the exciting young striker Kevin Doyle. Shane Long, who arrived with Doyle as part of the same deal from Cork City but has been less impressive, took his place.

Warnock has fielded more players this season than any other Premiership manager and has once again been busy in the January transfer market. But none of his four new signings were ready to make the 16-man squad while Chris Morgan completed a three-match ban.

Warnock will have needed no reminding that the last time the Royals played at home they put six past West Ham. Only Chelsea have scored more first-half goals than Coppell's side and once again they were ahead by the interval.

Until the goal, two minutes before half-time, Reading hadn't hit anywhere near top gear despite being the better team. When they did score, it owed as much to comical defending as skilful forward play. Twice Sheffield tried to clear, twice the ball cannoned off their defenders and at the third time of asking, Long buried it for his first Premiership goal. It was timely moment to score; a minute earlier, Reading lost Ibrahima Sonko with what looked like a twisted knee.

Any chance of a Sheffield comeback was immediately erased. First Reading doubled their lead with a classic move of pace and precision, former Aston Villa defender Ulises de la Cruz firing into the corner after latching on to James Harper's wonderful defence-splitting pass. Then Gillespie, who had only just come off the bench as substitute, was red-carded for an off-the-ball elbow on Stephen Hunt, the player who, ironically, was involved in the horrific Petr Cech injury.

The Sheffield bench reacted in fury before both Warnock, who seemed to have sarcastically applauded Hunt, and Downes, who got involved in pushing, were both sent from their respective dug-outs.

Hunt proceeded to convert Reading's third, expertly clawing his leg round the ball from close range after Steve Sidwell's effort had been cleared off the line. Nade's reply with 13 minutes left rounded off an afternoon that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

Match summary

Man of the Match: Graeme Murty. Amid all the ill-feeling and off-the-ball shenanigans, it needed a cool head and the Reading skipper provided it, keeping his players' minds on the job and putting in a sterling performance at right-back.
Moment of the Match: Not a goal or a move but the virtually unprecedented scenario of both a manager and an assistant being ordered from the dug-out. Neil Warnock of Sheffield and Wally Downes of Reading were both dismissed for their roles in the mass brawl that followed another red card dealt out to Keith Gillespie.
Rating: 7/10

[JimmytheJim]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2007/01/21/sfgrea21.xml

Reading (1) 3 Sheffield United (0) 1

Reading and Sheffield United may have been promoted together as friends but there was certainly no love lost between them yesterday as the Royals maintained their four-year unbeaten sequence against the Blades in a match that exploded into unexpected fury just after half-time and resulted in three dismissals — yet only one of them a player.

Nothing in a keenly contested but uncontroversial first half had suggested the ugly sequence of events that was to follow when Mark Halsey issued three straight red cards —first to Keith Gillespie for a dangerous elbow in the face, then to United manager Neil Warnock and Reading first-team coach Wally Downes for their part in a dug-out brawl, incidents which overshadowed yet another comfortable home win for Steve Coppell's slick-passing side.

A hamstring injury ruled out Reading's top scorer, the exciting young striker Kevin Doyle. Shane Long, who arrived with Doyle as part of the same deal from Cork City but has been less impressive, took his place.

Warnock has fielded more players this season than any other Premiership manager and has once again been busy in the January transfer market. But none of his four new signings were ready to make the 16-man squad while Chris Morgan completed a three-match ban.

Warnock will have needed no reminding that the last time the Royals played at home they put six past West Ham. Only Chelsea have scored more first-half goals than Coppell's side and once again they were ahead by the interval.

Until the goal, two minutes before half-time, Reading hadn't hit anywhere near top gear despite being the better team. When they did score, it owed as much to comical defending as skilful forward play. Twice Sheffield tried to clear, twice the ball cannoned off their defenders and at the third time of asking, Long buried it for his first Premiership goal. It was timely moment to score; a minute earlier, Reading lost Ibrahima Sonko with what looked like a twisted knee.

Any chance of a Sheffield comeback was immediately erased. First Reading doubled their lead with a classic move of pace and precision, former Aston Villa defender Ulises de la Cruz firing into the corner after latching on to James Harper's wonderful defence-splitting pass. Then Gillespie, who had only just come off the bench as substitute, was red-carded for an off-the-ball elbow on Stephen Hunt, the player who, ironically, was involved in the horrific Petr Cech injury.

The Sheffield bench reacted in fury before both Warnock, who seemed to have sarcastically applauded Hunt, and Downes, who got involved in pushing, were both sent from their respective dug-outs.

Hunt proceeded to convert Reading's third, expertly clawing his leg round the ball from close range after Steve Sidwell's effort had been cleared off the line. Nade's reply with 13 minutes left rounded off an afternoon that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

Match summary

Man of the Match: Graeme Murty. Amid all the ill-feeling and off-the-ball shenanigans, it needed a cool head and the Reading skipper provided it, keeping his players' minds on the job and putting in a sterling performance at right-back.
Moment of the Match: Not a goal or a move but the virtually unprecedented scenario of both a manager and an assistant being ordered from the dug-out. Neil Warnock of Sheffield and Wally Downes of Reading were both dismissed for their roles in the mass brawl that followed another red card dealt out to Keith Gillespie.
Rating: 7/10

A bit harsh!

[JC]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2007/01/21/sfgrea21.xml

Reading (1) 3 Sheffield United (0) 1

Reading and Sheffield United may have been promoted together as friends but there was certainly no love lost between them yesterday as the Royals maintained their four-year unbeaten sequence against the Blades in a match that exploded into unexpected fury just after half-time and resulted in three dismissals — yet only one of them a player.

Nothing in a keenly contested but uncontroversial first half had suggested the ugly sequence of events that was to follow when Mark Halsey issued three straight red cards —first to Keith Gillespie for a dangerous elbow in the face, then to United manager Neil Warnock and Reading first-team coach Wally Downes for their part in a dug-out brawl, incidents which overshadowed yet another comfortable home win for Steve Coppell's slick-passing side.

A hamstring injury ruled out Reading's top scorer, the exciting young striker Kevin Doyle. Shane Long, who arrived with Doyle as part of the same deal from Cork City but has been less impressive, took his place.

Warnock has fielded more players this season than any other Premiership manager and has once again been busy in the January transfer market. But none of his four new signings were ready to make the 16-man squad while Chris Morgan completed a three-match ban.

Warnock will have needed no reminding that the last time the Royals played at home they put six past West Ham. Only Chelsea have scored more first-half goals than Coppell's side and once again they were ahead by the interval.

Until the goal, two minutes before half-time, Reading hadn't hit anywhere near top gear despite being the better team. When they did score, it owed as much to comical defending as skilful forward play. Twice Sheffield tried to clear, twice the ball cannoned off their defenders and at the third time of asking, Long buried it for his first Premiership goal. It was timely moment to score; a minute earlier, Reading lost Ibrahima Sonko with what looked like a twisted knee.

Any chance of a Sheffield comeback was immediately erased. First Reading doubled their lead with a classic move of pace and precision, former Aston Villa defender Ulises de la Cruz firing into the corner after latching on to James Harper's wonderful defence-splitting pass. Then Gillespie, who had only just come off the bench as substitute, was red-carded for an off-the-ball elbow on Stephen Hunt, the player who, ironically, was involved in the horrific Petr Cech injury.

The Sheffield bench reacted in fury before both Warnock, who seemed to have sarcastically applauded Hunt, and Downes, who got involved in pushing, were both sent from their respective dug-outs.

Hunt proceeded to convert Reading's third, expertly clawing his leg round the ball from close range after Steve Sidwell's effort had been cleared off the line. Nade's reply with 13 minutes left rounded off an afternoon that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

Match summary

Man of the Match: Graeme Murty. Amid all the ill-feeling and off-the-ball shenanigans, it needed a cool head and the Reading skipper provided it, keeping his players' minds on the job and putting in a sterling performance at right-back.
Moment of the Match: Not a goal or a move but the virtually unprecedented scenario of both a manager and an assistant being ordered from the dug-out. Neil Warnock of Sheffield and Wally Downes of Reading were both dismissed for their roles in the mass brawl that followed another red card dealt out to Keith Gillespie.
Rating: 7/10

A bit harsh!

How on earth is that harsh? You cannot deny that Long has not been as impressive as Doyle

[AthleticoSpizz]

sportinglife.com

Reading 3 Sheffield Utd 0 (sic)

http://tinyurl.com/2nxhkz

Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock and substitute Keith Gillespie were both sent off as the Blades were
beaten 3-1 at Reading in a bad-tempered afternoon when Stephen Hunt was once again in the spotlight.

Within seconds of coming on, Gillespie was dismissed for smashing an arm in the face of the Irishman,
the player who fractured the skull of Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech in a clash in October.

What the Fu3k has Petr Cech got to do with this game today?
cheap journalism.


I really hope Hunty becomes the ambassador that Beckham has become

[M4 Junction 11]

The Independent
Reading 3 Sheffield Utd 1: Warnock and Downes off in fracas
Gillespie elbow to Hunt's face sparks mayhem on touchline and a likely FA investigation
By Norman Fox at The Madejski Stadium

A Football Association inquiry will almost certainly follow after a fracas involving the bulk of Reading's and Sheffield United's players ended with the Blades manager, Neil Warnock, being "sent off''. Warnock had remonstrated when one of his substitutes, Keith Gillespie, was dismissed after elbowing Stephen Hunt, who had to be restrained as Gillespie passed him on his way to the tunnel. The crowd of players from both sides followed Gillespie over the line and there was wholesale jostling which also involved the Reading coach, Wally Downes, who was sent on his way, too. The Reading manager, Steve Coppell, said he thought Warnock had been making a kicking or "challenging" motion with his foot as if indicating what he thought may have started the incident. Coppell said: "I don't think this was appropriate action. This is not the sort of thing I wish to see." He added: "I have no problem with what Wally [Downes] did."

Warnock said: "The Gillespie incident looks worse on TV, but he let us down and he compounded it by going back to have another go after he'd been shown the red card. As for Wally, he gets a bit carried away. You might say there is history between us but in the past he has been a little bit cleverer than that. He was interpreting what I was saying because he wanted to. Wally ran across trying to say I want my players to break legs which is absolute garbage. People will think that because they want to but fortunately for me the referee heard exactly what was said and confirmed that. "I went like that, 'kicking out', to tell him that Steve Sidwell's tackle on Chris Armstrong a few minutes before had been the worst of the whole game and he could see it on Match of the Day tonight. The referee had to send us off because it was mayhem. I was sent off for 'adopting an aggressive attitude'. Wally just barged into me - he wasn't coherent. No doubt the FA will charge us."

In stark contrast to what was to follow, until Rob Hulse had a 26th-minute shot deflected over the bar it was a calm opening for Reading. But despite clear superiority, the hosts could not break through. The nearest they came in the first 40 minutes was a stinging 30-yard shot that Graeme Murty had a right to expect would hit the net. Instead, the Blades' Paddy Kenny dived to make a splendid save. There was nothing Kenny could do when, with a minute left in the first half, a snap shot from close in by Steve Sidwell hit Chris Lucketti and veered to Shane Long. Kenny was flat-footed as Long flipped the ball in off the post. Reading went further ahead in the 50th minute when James Harper made a long run, getting a fortunate deflection before playing the ball to Ulises de la Cruz, who eased it home. Whether it was that frustration which sparked the chaos, who knows, but within a minute of Gillespie coming on, he elbowed Hunt in the face.

As the referee, Mark Halsey, asked the linesman for his version of events, Hunt had to be restrained by colleagues. Halsey then showed Gillespie a red card and, as he walked off, he was confronted by Hunt. That led to further pushing and shoving on the touchline involving the majority of both sides. Warnock was in the middle of it and seemed to confront Hunt. Halsey moved in and sent off Warnock and Downes. Hunt was soon back in the thick of it, but for the right reasons, scoring with fine agility by striking an overhead kick near the front post after two shots had been blocked on the Blades' line. That United finally penetrated Reading's defence when a free-kick from Alan Quinn was directed into the path of his fellow substitute Christian Nade did not alter the fact that the Blades were significantly inferior throughout.

[purleyroyal]

The Independent
Reading 3 Sheffield Utd 1: Warnock and Downes off in fracas
Gillespie elbow to Hunt's face sparks mayhem on touchline and a likely FA investigation
By Norman Fox at The Madejski Stadium

A Football Association inquiry will almost certainly follow after a fracas involving the bulk of Reading's and Sheffield United's players ended with the Blades manager, Neil Warnock, being "sent off''. Warnock had remonstrated when one of his substitutes, Keith Gillespie, was dismissed after elbowing Stephen Hunt, who had to be restrained as Gillespie passed him on his way to the tunnel. The crowd of players from both sides followed Gillespie over the line and there was wholesale jostling which also involved the Reading coach, Wally Downes, who was sent on his way, too. The Reading manager, Steve Coppell, said he thought Warnock had been making a kicking or "challenging" motion with his foot as if indicating what he thought may have started the incident. Coppell said: "I don't think this was appropriate action. This is not the sort of thing I wish to see." He added: "I have no problem with what Wally [Downes] did."

Warnock said: "The Gillespie incident looks worse on TV, but he let us down and he compounded it by going back to have another go after he'd been shown the red card. As for Wally, he gets a bit carried away. You might say there is history between us but in the past he has been a little bit cleverer than that. He was interpreting what I was saying because he wanted to. Wally ran across trying to say I want my players to break legs which is absolute garbage. People will think that because they want to but fortunately for me the referee heard exactly what was said and confirmed that. "I went like that, 'kicking out', to tell him that Steve Sidwell's tackle on Chris Armstrong a few minutes before had been the worst of the whole game and he could see it on Match of the Day tonight. The referee had to send us off because it was mayhem. I was sent off for 'adopting an aggressive attitude'. Wally just barged into me - he wasn't coherent. No doubt the FA will charge us."

In stark contrast to what was to follow, until Rob Hulse had a 26th-minute shot deflected over the bar it was a calm opening for Reading. But despite clear superiority, the hosts could not break through. The nearest they came in the first 40 minutes was a stinging 30-yard shot that Graeme Murty had a right to expect would hit the net. Instead, the Blades' Paddy Kenny dived to make a splendid save. There was nothing Kenny could do when, with a minute left in the first half, a snap shot from close in by Steve Sidwell hit Chris Lucketti and veered to Shane Long. Kenny was flat-footed as Long flipped the ball in off the post. Reading went further ahead in the 50th minute when James Harper made a long run, getting a fortunate deflection before playing the ball to Ulises de la Cruz, who eased it home. Whether it was that frustration which sparked the chaos, who knows, but within a minute of Gillespie coming on, he elbowed Hunt in the face.

As the referee, Mark Halsey, asked the linesman for his version of events, Hunt had to be restrained by colleagues. Halsey then showed Gillespie a red card and, as he walked off, he was confronted by Hunt. That led to further pushing and shoving on the touchline involving the majority of both sides. Warnock was in the middle of it and seemed to confront Hunt. Halsey moved in and sent off Warnock and Downes. Hunt was soon back in the thick of it, but for the right reasons, scoring with fine agility by striking an overhead kick near the front post after two shots had been blocked on the Blades' line. That United finally penetrated Reading's defence when a free-kick from Alan Quinn was directed into the path of his fellow substitute Christian Nade did not alter the fact that the Blades were significantly inferior throughout.

The last sentence is correct - but I lost count of the number of inaccuracies in this report

[Arch]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2007/01/21/sfgrea21.xml

Reading (1) 3 Sheffield United (0) 1

Reading and Sheffield United may have been promoted together as friends but there was certainly no love lost between them yesterday as the Royals maintained their four-year unbeaten sequence against the Blades in a match that exploded into unexpected fury just after half-time and resulted in three dismissals — yet only one of them a player.

Nothing in a keenly contested but uncontroversial first half had suggested the ugly sequence of events that was to follow when Mark Halsey issued three straight red cards —first to Keith Gillespie for a dangerous elbow in the face, then to United manager Neil Warnock and Reading first-team coach Wally Downes for their part in a dug-out brawl, incidents which overshadowed yet another comfortable home win for Steve Coppell's slick-passing side.

A hamstring injury ruled out Reading's top scorer, the exciting young striker Kevin Doyle. Shane Long, who arrived with Doyle as part of the same deal from Cork City but has been less impressive, took his place.

Warnock has fielded more players this season than any other Premiership manager and has once again been busy in the January transfer market. But none of his four new signings were ready to make the 16-man squad while Chris Morgan completed a three-match ban.

Warnock will have needed no reminding that the last time the Royals played at home they put six past West Ham. Only Chelsea have scored more first-half goals than Coppell's side and once again they were ahead by the interval.

Until the goal, two minutes before half-time, Reading hadn't hit anywhere near top gear despite being the better team. When they did score, it owed as much to comical defending as skilful forward play. Twice Sheffield tried to clear, twice the ball cannoned off their defenders and at the third time of asking, Long buried it for his first Premiership goal. It was timely moment to score; a minute earlier, Reading lost Ibrahima Sonko with what looked like a twisted knee.

Any chance of a Sheffield comeback was immediately erased. First Reading doubled their lead with a classic move of pace and precision, former Aston Villa defender Ulises de la Cruz firing into the corner after latching on to James Harper's wonderful defence-splitting pass. Then Gillespie, who had only just come off the bench as substitute, was red-carded for an off-the-ball elbow on Stephen Hunt, the player who, ironically, was involved in the horrific Petr Cech injury.

The Sheffield bench reacted in fury before both Warnock, who seemed to have sarcastically applauded Hunt, and Downes, who got involved in pushing, were both sent from their respective dug-outs.

Hunt proceeded to convert Reading's third, expertly clawing his leg round the ball from close range after Steve Sidwell's effort had been cleared off the line. Nade's reply with 13 minutes left rounded off an afternoon that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

Match summary

Man of the Match: Graeme Murty. Amid all the ill-feeling and off-the-ball shenanigans, it needed a cool head and the Reading skipper provided it, keeping his players' minds on the job and putting in a sterling performance at right-back.
Moment of the Match: Not a goal or a move but the virtually unprecedented scenario of both a manager and an assistant being ordered from the dug-out. Neil Warnock of Sheffield and Wally Downes of Reading were both dismissed for their roles in the mass brawl that followed another red card dealt out to Keith Gillespie.
Rating: 7/10

A bit harsh!

Harsh in the sense of unfair. He wasn't brought with expectation of making the same impact. He'd been playing football seriously for two years when we got him. I think Long has been equally impressive if the measure is relative to expectations.

[zac naloen]

Harsh in the sense of unfair. He wasn't brought with expectation of making the same impact. He'd been playing football seriously for two years when we got him. I think Long has been equally impressive if the measure is relative to expectations.

I'd replace that with "more than".

He's a complete natural.

[Platypuss]

Indeed. That is a truly shocking piece of hackwork - it can't be called journalism.

[Far Canal]

The Sunday Times January 21, 2007

Reading 3 Sheff Utd 1: Brawl mars Reading win
Rob Hughes at Madejski stadium

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0, ... 14,00.html

There is sure to be an FA inquiry into the ugly violence, initiated by Sheffield United seemingly as a
response to being outplayed in this fight for survival in the Premiership. Keith Gillespie, the Northern Irishman,
was sent on as a substitute in the 52nd minute and his first and only act was to attempt to punch and in fact
land a forearm smash on the southern Irishman, Steve Hunt, who was by far the most inspiring player on the pitch.

It was unquestionably deliberate brute force. It looked premeditated. Neil Warnock was to blame moments
after the red card when he came to the edge of the technical area and was verbally mocking and adopting
a threatening stance towards Hunt. Wally Downes, the assistant manager to Steve Coppell at Reading, became
involved, both Warnock and Downes were sent out of the technical area by referee Mark Halsey, effectively
two more justified red cards for threatening behaviour. But, before they left, their irresponsibility had sparked
a fracas involving flailing arms and boots of two thirds of the players on either side. This is football? Warnock
took an hour to compose his thoughts after the game and concluded: “There was no excuse for
what Keith Gillespie did. He claimed his shirt was pulled, but he’s brushed him off with the arm and, to make it worse,
he’s then gone back to him right in front of the linesman. I’ve told him I can’t excuse that. He’ll get fined.â€

[Arch]

Player ratings... (Gillespie 53min, 0)

Brilliant judgement!

Honestly, I think a neutral would find a heavy RFC bias in that report.

[Avon Royal]

Player ratings... (Gillespie 53min, 0)

Brilliant judgement!

Honestly, I think a neutral would find a heavy RFC bias in that report.

Or an anti-Sheff United stance. I think it's fair to say they aren't winning friends at the rate we are.

[International Royal]

Reading's general coverage, particularly the broadsheets, has been excellent this season. The coverage for this game has been definitely on Reading's side. Actually very bias against Sheff U.

I saw the game overseas where they take the Sky commentary. John Salako was the co-commentator and he was very partisan. The only negative was the main commentator saying that Hunt was Reading's Robbie Savage which is a title no-one would want. Apart from that it was the Reading FC show. If I was a Sheff U supporter I would have been mightily miffed.

[Huntley & Palmer]

Who is Ron Grant hiding behind!!

Sal Bibbo - wise choice!

It's actually Selby Armstrong the assistant kit man

[zac naloen]

The scorer of the second goal was left-back Ulises de la Cruz, but his was the easy part. The goal was made,
in every sense of the word, by James Harper, who ran with the ball for 70 yards through the midfield, shrugging
off two flimsy tackles, winning the ball on the rebound from a third and playing in De la Cruz for the comfortable
and composed low finish. That invited, or so it seemed, the assault on Hunt by Gillespie and the utter nonsense
that followed. And, when it calmed — although there could well have been yet another dismissal instead of the
inadequate yellow card for a callous foul by Jagielka on Leroy Lita — the domination of Reading was cemented
by the third goal.

[From Despair To Where?]

As the referee, Mark Halsey, asked the linesman for his version of events, Hunt had to be restrained by colleagues. Halsey then showed Gillespie a red card and, as he walked off, he was confronted by Hunt.

Seems to me that Gillespie made a bee line for Hunt to have another go rather than Hunt confronting him. The MOTD pictures didn't show Hunt being restrained by team-mates either after the initial elbow. He seemed more surprised than angry.