Anthony Taylor as Assistant Referee Also Causes Controversy! Brighton Assistant Coach: I Don’t Know What His Role on the Field Is

On September 23, in the 5th round of the Premier League, Brighton drew 2-2 with Nottingham Forest at home. The referee for this match did not maintain control over the situation well, and Nottingham Forest’s White, along with both team’s head coaches, were shown red cards by the referee.

During the 83rd minute of this game, White of Nottingham Forest was shown a second yellow card and subsequently sent off for a flying tackle on João Pedro. This foul incited simultaneous dissatisfaction from Brighton’s head coach Hjeldegaard and Nottingham Forest’s head coach Nuno, who both received red cards for their overly aggressive behavior.

Nottingham Forest’s assistant coach Silva expressed his displeasure with the referee after the game: “I didn’t initially see Jones (the referee) make a gesture to show a card. He spent too much time communicating with others before finally showing White the second yellow card. I insist that the referee is the final decision-maker in the game, and he should stick to his judgment. I didn’t hear anything from Nuno that warranted a red card. It’s natural for a head coach to defend their team and players. When things get heated on the field, it’s hard to maintain composure off the field. Coaches are under even more pressure, and sometimes it’s hard to control their emotions.”

Brighton’s assistant coach Crofts stated: “From White’s tackle, you could see that our player was injured. I believe he didn’t intend to hurt João, but it was clearly a bad foul. Nottingham Forest’s bench didn’t think it was a foul, but we insisted it was one. I was talking to a player when the referee showed the red card to the head coach, so I didn’t see the whole picture. Football is certainly an emotional sport, and the referee needs to do what he’s supposed to do.”

Crofts also expressed dissatisfaction with Taylor, who served as the fourth official: “I don’t know what role he played on the field at that moment. I think he should have communicated well with the main referee and offered his opinion.”