Championship - Blackwell fury at ref selection

Eurosport - Fri, 22 May 13:55:00 2009

Sheffield United manager Kevin Blackwell has accused the Football League of "stupidity" over the appointment of referee Mike Dean for the Championship play-off final against Burnley.

FOOTBALL Sheffield United manager Kevin Blackwell 2008 - 0

Dean enraged Blackwell for his controversial dismissal of Blades defender Matt Kilgallon in the Steel City derby at Hillsborough in October and the United manager is furious the Wirral-based official has been placed in charge of Monday's annual showdown at Wembley.

Blackwell said: "For the life of me I just can't understand what they are thinking."

He continued: "We had major ructions with Mike Dean at Hillsborough. 'Killa' (Kilgallon) had been sent off and I marked the referee accordingly and I can't understand the insensitivity of putting someone in who we had a major run-in with."

Asked whether the official's appointment could have a bearing on the final, Blackwell added: "I hope it doesn't. It shouldn't be that managers and players of a football club go into a game knowing that we've had problems with the referee.

"I just can't understand the thinking of it whatsoever, so I've let my feelings be known and I'm very disappointed with it. I've not had a lot of response. You don't tend to get it with these people and I'm very disappointed."

PA Sport / Eurosport

Comment 1 - 19 of 19

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  1. Is there ANY true football fan out there who honestly­ thinks that ANY referee cares who wins a particular­ game? If there are, you really do need to think again.­ The greatest injustice that can be done to a referee is­ to call him/her a cheat. Players walk over that one -­ and fast!

    From Taffia, on Mon 25 May 4:32PM

  2. It is not surprising to select a biased referee.
    FA is­ still smarting at being shown up about the Tevez affair­ where they allowed the cheats to remain in div 1 and­ refused to dock points.

    The have the knife in for the­ blades ever since.

    Although I am a Man United­ supporter, I do hope Blades win and show up the FA­

    Good luck Blades

    From Ishu, on Mon 25 May 6:41AM

  3. It is not surprising to select a biased referee.
    FA is­ still smarting at being shown up about the Tevez affair­ where they allowed the cheats to remain in div 1 and­ refused to dock points.

    The have the knife in for the­ blades ever since.

    Although I am a United supporter, I­ do hope Blades win and show up the FA

    Good luck­ Blades

    From Ishu, on Mon 25 May 6:33AM

  4. Blackwell is right and all these critics of him here­ are too b....y ignorant to take the point, which is­ that the stupid and I think conceited FA, for it has to­ be deliberate, should not have used this referee. Of­ all the hundreds they have it is no coincidence that he­ has been chosen. The FA have deliberately done it­ because they feel they wii be or have been compromised.­ Rather than accept a situation as one which needs­ common sense to prevail, they, as they always do,­ compound the issue and make b....y fools of themselves.­ The FA should be made extinct. A bigger bunch of­ T.....s you wont find anywhere.

    From Drifter, on Sun 24 May 5:33PM

  5. Burnley will go up. Sheffield United will sue the­ referee and the chairman will have something else to­ moan about...

    Come on Burnley. We don't need­ whingers and excuse makers in the premier league.

    From tri_mur, on Sun 24 May 1:22AM

  6. OH wendyroebuck67 a lady with sense, my kind of woman

    From paul h, on Sat 23 May 4:55PM

  7. kevin blackwell wont intimadate the referee, the blades­ fans will be behind them all the way . we will stuff­ burnley fair and square , & when you brummies go to­ bramall lane next season you will get stuffed as well.­ brum wony stay in the prem long, just one season . the­ blades will be in longer than that . wolves have a good­ chance of staying for only a couple of seasons . will­ KB , spend money to keep you up , will she sh#t she­ will want it to keep poor old paulie at home , where­ she can keep her eye on him . he is the spoilt little­ @#$% , i know he used to play for the blades , so what­ , i can pull him to pieces like you lot of losers are­ doing to kevin blackwell . dont you like it , well­ tough , go @#$% .

    #

    3t

    From ben t, on Sat 23 May 2:08PM

  8. At last some post's with common sence and without­ the hate filled message's we are used to, well done­ joolz and paul h you see it has it is and whatever­ happen's the fa will be the loser's as no fan­ trust's them to do the right thing.Good luck in the­ prem with your team joolz and with a little luck the­ blade's will soon be joining you.

    From wendyroebuck67, on Sat 23 May 9:18AM

  9. WELL SAID JOOLZ this match is too important for either­ side for any problems by a @#$% up by the FA.

    From paul h, on Sat 23 May 9:03AM

  10. Typical incompetence by the F.A., jobs for the boys me­ thinks. A good top class Prem ref should be in charge,­ surely a ref could have been found which none of the­ two teams had had preside over their matches during the­ course of the season. Burnley win, Sheff say the ref­ was bias due to previous encounter, Sheff wins, Burnley­ declare ref was intimidated!
    No win situation. Another­ great F.A. @#$% up , and another football showcase­ final becomes a farce! And we are hoping to run a world­ cup tournament. We cant even organise a fair domestic­ fixture with a grain of sense ! Get a life F.A.

    From Joolz, on Sat 23 May 8:19AM
  11. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Is BLACKWELL making excuses already.

    From albion_forestor, on Sat 23 May 5:21AM
  12. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    I loathe sheff u, i hope to god burnley beat them.

    From david w, on Sat 23 May 12:15AM
  13. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    blackwell is a tw4t head , i hope the referee does a­ great job and the sheffs get hammered ,,, SHUT YOUR­ MOUTHS YOU TWONKS ,,, hahahahahahahahaha im glad and­ in case you think other wise im a BCFC FAN KEEP RIGHT­ ON ,,,, S,, O ,,, T ,,,,V S41T ON THE WILLA

    From Robert G, on Fri 22 May 7:10PM
  14. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    blackwell is a tw4t head , i hope the referee does a­ great job and the sheffs get hammered ,,, SHUT YOUR­ MOUTHS YOU TWONKS ,,, hahahahahahahahaha im glad and­ in case you think other wise im a BCFC FAN KEEP RIGHT­ ON ,,,, S,, O ,,, T ,,,,V S41T ON THE WILLA

    From Robert G, on Fri 22 May 7:09PM
  15. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    blackwell is a tw4t head , i hope the referee does a­ great job and the sheffs get hammered ,,, SHUT YOUR­ MOUTHS YOU TWONKS ,,, hahahahahahahahaha im glad and­ in case you think other wise im a BCFC FAN KEEP RIGHT­ ON ,,,, S,, O ,,, T ,,,,V S41T ON THE WILLA

    From Robert G, on Fri 22 May 7:09PM

  16. You missed Moyes off that list brian :)

    From Michael S, on Fri 22 May 5:56PM

  17. Typical Warnock/Blackwell attitude to football,­ intimidation of the referee, I remember Don Revie's­ Leeds, Man U are experts at it, but they all moan like­ hell when it happens to them, Come on Burnley

    From briandenial, on Fri 22 May 5:11PM

  18. It will be interesting to see what the F.A. make of­ Blackwells obvious attempt at intimidating Referee Mike­ Dean prior to the play off final against Burnley at­ Wembley next Monday. The fear factor is getting to him­ already it would seem and is beginning to stack up his­ excuses in advance of the game just in case the Clarets­ prevail.

    From Ross H, on Fri 22 May 4:31PM

  19. go away blackwell you are the same as warnock. ferge.­ ever thing has to go your way
    or you start crying i­ bet when you was a boy you was a spoilt brat

    From arthurlaws, on Fri 22 May 2:30PM
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