Probing Lee Probert Part 3

The following incidents occurred during the EPL match between Liverpool and Newcastle United on Friday 30 December 2011. The match finished 3—1.

Related Parts: Probing Lee Probert Part 1 and Probing Lee Probert Part 2 and Probing Lee Probert Part 4.


Incident Five Player Safety — Head Injury from Leading Arm

In the 50' as a Liverpool player jumps up to head the ball, Newcastle's Cheick Tiote (black/white 24) jumps in sideways and leads with his arm. Tiote's arm makes contact with his opponent's face. Here are the freeze frames:

It appears Referee Probert does not know that there is a head injury right in front of him

Referee Lee Probert is in a great position and has a near and unobstructed view but does not do anything. Surely he must know that there is a head injury? But it does not appear so to him and so play continues ... and leads directly to Incident Six.


Incident Six Player Safety — Cynical Challenge

Immediately following Incident Five, Liverpool's Jay Spearing (red 20) and Newcastle's Yohan Cabaye (black/white 4) challenge for the loose ball. Here are the freeze frames:

Surely Referee Probert must know that there is an injury in front of him?

Again Referee Lee Probert is in a great position and has a near and unobstructed view but also does not do anything. Surely he must know that there is an injury? Instead Probert allows play to continue as the ball rolls forward toward the Newcastle United goalkeeper. Here are the freeze frames:

Probert allows play to continue as Liverpool's Spearing writhes in agony after Newcastle Cabaye's cynical studs-up challenge

Referee Probert only realizes that something is not quite right when Liverpool players have stopped playing and have asked him to do something about their injured players. Here are the freeze frames:

Has Probert woken up yet?

RECAP
Let's just take a look at these two dangerous challenges again, this time closer in and from different camera views. Remember, for both these incidents Referee Probert is in a great position and has a near and unobstructed view but does not do anything. It is puzzling why Probert did not respond to the first or the second dangerous challenge that occurred right in front of him.

Newcastle'sTiote jumps in leading with his left arm

Newcastle's Cabaye knows full well he is endangering his opponent

Note: Yohan Cabaye has escaped punishment before for this type of challenge (see Incident Two in Many Missed Red Card Incidents In One Match ... officiated by Howard Webb earlier this season)

In case there is any doubt that Referee Probert did not have a near and unobstructed view

These two incidents (Five and Six) should put all responsible people—and not just referees—on high alert. Are players being protected? And is the image of the game being protected? If you go back and look at Incident Two in Part 1, I mentioned my concern that Referee Lee Probert appeared to be unbothered about the welfare and safety of players. These incidents (Two, Five and Six) ... so far (!) ... are the reasons why I have this concern.


Furthermore in a recent post, I mentioned that there appeared to be more cynical challenges creeping in to the game, at least from what I can observe from the EPL (see Cynical Challenges Creeping In). Is this the case? And if so, what is the cause and what may be the likely remedy?

Related Posts: Cynical Challenges (search results)


Before contemplating the likely remedy, let's finish off this Probing Lee Probert post by looking next at Part 4.

Please see the other parts of Probing Lee Probert on this site (Part 1; Part 2; Part 4).