When are the refs going to protect Cullen ? he gets kicked ,his shirt pulled and is targeted ever match but probably gets a quarter of the free kicks he should.

His honesty is his problem. He tries to stay on his feet and complete the pass etc. Needs to speak with a few PNE players and take some theatrical falling lessons.

Barnes protected the likes of Tella a few seasons ago, he wasn't having people boot him.I'd like to see us surrounding refs more when it happens

Surely not Vegas.

Stonehouse wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 15, 2025 7:55 pm

When are the refs going to protect Cullen ? he gets kicked ,his shirt pulled and is targeted ever match but probably gets a quarter of the free kicks he should.

Its a contact sport get a grip

JMU81 wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 16, 2025 1:27 am

Its a contact sport get a grip

Contact means you can touch one another not drag them back by the shirt and kick him up in the air.

If you watch all games in the top 4 Divisions, shirt pulling and hard tackling goes on all the time.
As someone said it is a contact sport.
Back in the Day players like Andy Lochhead Brian O’ Neill Dave MacKay ( all fabulous players) would have had red cards every other game

DAVETHEVICAR wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 16, 2025 8:34 am

If you watch all games in the top 4 Divisions, shirt pulling and hard tackling goes on all the time.
As someone said it is a contact sport.
Back in the Day players like Andy Lochhead Brian O’ Neill Dave MacKay ( all fabulous players) would have had red cards every other game

Would love to return to that era but refs today are told to book players for shirt pulling yet we’ve seen several time this season that opposition players have been on yellow cards and have gone unpunished ,eg when Hannibal got sent off on the Turf ,the refs should play to the rules or let’s go back to the blood and guts 60’s.

Cullen gives as good as he gets. I'm more bothered about the amount of fouls Flemming doesn't get. His shirt is being pulled off his back nearly every game. And rarely does he get a free kick. Or a penalty, which on at least one occasion I think he's deserved

DAVETHEVICAR wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 16, 2025 8:34 am

If you watch all games in the top 4 Divisions, shirt pulling and hard tackling goes on all the time.
As someone said it is a contact sport.
Back in the Day players like Andy Lochhead Brian O’ Neill Dave MacKay ( all fabulous players) would have had red cards every other game

Comments like this always make me laugh. The modern era has some of the most skilful players we ever seen. Some people want to revert to watching thugs trying to kick one another off the pitch.

Re: the OP - shirt pulling in particular irks me. Refs never pull anyone up for it any more, and this season in particular defenders seem to getting away with outright rugby tackles as opposed to a sly tug of a shirt. Almost every match Flemming should win a pen where a defender is trying to rip the shirt off his back and they are never given. Was there a rule change that I'm not aware of?

DAVETHEVICAR wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 16, 2025 8:34 am

If you watch all games in the top 4 Divisions, shirt pulling and hard tackling goes on all the time.
As someone said it is a contact sport.
Back in the Day players like Andy Lochhead Brian O’ Neill Dave MacKay ( all fabulous players) would have had red cards every other game

I don’t mind hard tackling or even a deliberate trip, but I absolutely hate shirt pulling. It seems both defenders and attackers automatically grab the opponents shirt when the get within touching distance of each other. If you watch old football even from s recent as when the Premier League started this didn’t happen(or hardly ever) it’s almost like they are taught to do it now and is the thing that annoys me most about ‘modern’ football

Ref are inconsistent so players will get away with what they can with no var backup .
Regarding Cullen he will get out muscled in midfield too lightweight and does have the spirit of
Joey Barton imo Shelvey will have more of a presence.

Andreshotboots wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 15, 2025 11:25 pm

His honesty is his problem. He tries to stay on his feet and complete the pass etc. Needs to speak with a few PNE players and take some theatrical falling lessons.

PNE- a classic blend of thugs/cheats. Horrible side.

JMU81 wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 16, 2025 1:27 am

Its a contact sport get a grip

Yes but certain contacts are also fouls

Learn the rules

The point I was making was not whether Cullen gets lots of shirt pulls and doesn’t get the free kick was that it happens on all levels of Football especially the Premier League.
Yesterday I watched the Palace v Everton game referee Anthony Taylor and there were 21 fouls and 1 yellow card
Many of the free kicks were for shirt pulls
Referees must have been told not to book players for this offence