(Photo: Reuters)
Millwall have had their appeal against Jed Wallace’s controversial red card in Burton Albion’s 1-0 win over The Lions rejected.
Wallace was sent off in the 59th minute for his tackle on Burton’s Tom Flanagan before Marvin Sordell fired home the winner to give The Brewers their first away win of the season.
Both managers had said the tackle deserved no more than a yellow in their respective post-match press conferences but the FA failed to agree and Wallace will now serve his three match ban after the first red card of his career.
In a frank statement released on the club’s official website, Millwall said the decision “calls into question The FA‘s entire processes in this regard.”
They continued by stating: “”Consequently, the club is now calling on The FA, with assistance from The PGMOL, to review the appeals process to ensure greater consistency and clarity in their decisions.”
The Lions felt especially aggrieved after they revealed that senior officials had met with the match assessor after the game and they had informed the club it was not a sending off offence.
The statement continued: “”The fourth official, speaking to the referee following the foul, advised him it should be a yellow card. The referee made this admission after the game.
“Since the rejection of this appeal, the PGMOL have gone on record to say they are ‘flabbergasted’ with the decision and confirmed that at no point did anyone from The FA seek their opinion.
“The club accepts that the current process does not allow for this which is why it is calling for a review into the way The FA judges appeals in order to modernise and, importantly, to ensure proper discussion with the relevant professional bodies takes place.
The statement concluded with Millwall suggesting that the PGMOL “should be involved in The FA’s appeal process, which, as it stands, appears archaic.”
“This incident highlights how a lack of appropriate communication has led to a decision which goes completely against the views of several other professionals, including the referees’ own governing body.
“Clearly such inconsistencies are not good for the integrity of the game or this country’s leading governing body,” it read.
