Officials at the Football League announced Monday there would be no replay of the English Championship match between Watford and Reading that featured a controversial goal that never was.
Reading took the lead in farcical circumstances during Saturday’s fixture at Vicarage Road when Stephen Hunt whipped in a 13th minute corner.
There was confusion and amazement when linesman Nigel Bannister flagged for a goal, believing the ball had crossed the goalline, when it had gone over the byline outside the post.
Despite no Reading player appealing for the “goal,” referee Stuart Attwell let it stand.
Hunt, whose corner was clearly deflected wide by Watford’s John Eustace, said after the game: “It was probably the worst decision I have ever witnessed in football.”
Watford eventually fought back to gain a 2-2 draw and, earlier on Monday, Reading manager Steve Coppell said he had no objection to a replay if one was ordered by the authorities.
However, Andy Williamson, the League’s chief operating officer, said the referee’s decision was final.
“The Laws of the Game give no discretion in these matters — the referee’s decision regarding whether a goal is scored or not is final and binding. Given this explicit position, the League cannot intervene.”
Coppell told Reading’s official Web site: “If the authorities decide a replay is the correct thing to do then I’ve got no objections whatsoever.”
A statement issued by Professional Game Match Officials, which oversees the work of England’s referees and linesmen, said: “PGMO have analyzed the incident at Watford where the referee, after consultation with his assistant, awarded a goal to Reading. It is clear that the ball did not cross the goal-line between the goalposts.”
The statement added: “We regret this error of judgment and will now work with the officials concerned to determine how this occurred in an attempt to minimise such mistakes in the future.”
Former leading English referee Graham Poll, whose career is best remembered for his mistake in issuing three yellow cards to Croatia’s Josep Simunic during a 2006 World Cup match against Austria, when he should have sent him off after two, told BBC Radio Five Live: “This is the most bizarre situation I’ve ever seen in 40 years watching football and 27 years refereeing. It’s completely inexplicable.”
But Dermot Gallagher, another former Premier League referee, said that while the referee had made a “massive mistake,” the incident should not mark the end of Attwell’s career as a soccer official.
“What we need to do is counsel him,” Gallagher told Sky Sports. “He’s been on the league for 10 years and a knee-jerk reaction of kicking him out will do him no good and do the game no good.”
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