Fri Apr 07, 2023 5:36 am
Referee who oversaw Madine 'stamp' to be in charge today:
The referee who was at the centre of a controversy during Blackpool’s last game against Cardiff City will also take charge of Friday’s game at Bloomfield Road.
Josh Smith was the man in the middle when former Bluebird Gary Madine escaped with just a booking after what appeared to be a stamp on Perry Ng in the reverse fixture.
Then Cardiff boss Mark Hudson was furious after that match, which ended 1-1, claiming the act from Madine, who flopped during his time at Cardiff, was "premeditated". Madine, of course, scored the equaliser for the Seasiders.
After that match, Hudson said “I'm disappointed with the fact the guy who scored their goal shouldn't be on the pitch.
“It's premeditated. He said it at half-time so we warned the ref. We warned the fourth official. He said it out loud that he was going to go out and do that. They were aware of it and it's clear as day. It's a stamp.”
Asked to explain further what was said by Madine at half-time, Hudson added: “[Madine] said he was going to go out and do Perry because there was a coming-together in the first half.
“He felt that was the way he wanted to go about it and he has gone out and done exactly what he said he was going to do.
“It's a stamp. It's a leg-breaker. If he gets his left planted in the floor, it's snapping his leg. I watched it from four or five different angles, but you don't need to. You can see it live.”