EFL make interesting official decision on Sunderland vs West Brom ahead of Championship clash.
Sunderland are back in action this week against West Brom after Saturday’s game against Millwall
The EFL have confirmed that Bobby Madley will be the referee for Sunderland’s clash against West Brom this weekend at the Stadium of Light in the Championship.
The referee last took charge of a Sunderland game back in October when he took charge of the Black Cats’ visit to Hull City in the league. The game proved controversial, with the Wearsiders running out 1-0 winners thanks to a stunning solo goal by Wilson Isidor.
Tigers boss Tim Walter criticised referee Madley’s role in Sunderland’s winning goal at Hull City in October and also claimed that Chris Mepham should have seen red shortly before halftime at the MKM Stadium. Isidor’s brilliant goal proved the difference between the two sides in a tight game of few chances.
The striker ran from his own half before chipping his effort over the goalkeeper after a Hull corner. The hosts, though, were incensed after what they believed was interference from the referee as they tried to take that corner short.
Walter said the referee had apologised to him afterwards but said he had also missed a red when Mepham appeared to handle the ball to prevent a long ball from reaching Gustavo Puerta close to the Sunderland goal. “Maybe you can interview the referee then it would be better,” Walter said.
“For me, it’s really frustrating. He apologised for this situation, but it doesn’t help. He’s not well prepared because I said, ‘If you know how we play the corner kicks and the set pieces, then he would know that we play a lot of situations short. He said to me that he was well prepared, but unfortunately not because I did it also in my former clubs, and we do it all the time. If you don’t find the right position, then in this case, maybe you’re not well prepared, and that’s what I said to him – and he said he could not whistle.
“You can’t explain every situation, sometimes you have to accept it and it was like it is today. It was not the only situation, because in the first half, it was also for me a clear handball. He [Mepham] played the ball with the hand back to the keeper, and for me, it’s a red card, but he saw it in a different way. We have to accept it, but it is like a never-ending story.”
Madley’s refereeing team for the clash against West Brom at the Stadium of Light will also consist of linesmen Blake Antrobus and Hristo Karaivanov alongside fourth official Tom Nield.
