Peter Talbot: Carragher shouldn't have walked

Last updated : 28 January 2002 By Peter Talbot
What Carragher did was stupid and wrong and he deserves to be punished for his actions. It has been suggested that a fine and a lengthy ban are coming his way, and possibly even criminal charges. These punishments will be fair. After all, as Mike Riley said, it was violent conduct.

Carragher
Jamie shouldn't have been sent off
Punishment would still have been acted on Carragher even if he wasn't given a red card. But what Mike Riley has done now is given fans a chance to take the laws into their own hands to try and influence a game using violence.

Football has been dragged through recent weeks. The events at Ninian Park by Cardiff City fans were not acceptable. Objects being thrown in the Worthington Cup semi-final between Chelsea and Tottenham followed this. And if fans believe that they can contribute to an opposing player being sent off, then Mike Riley and the FA have almost given the go-ahead to encourage fans to do this.

The FA, of course, don't want this and will do anything in their power to prevent fans hurling objects at the players, but they will have to think long and hard on what they will do if another player retaliates like Carragher did on Sunday.

I'm not condoning what Carragher did at Highbury – he was frustrated and he has apologised for what he did. But if the FA punish any player who reacts like Carragher did with a red card in the future, then we could have a sudden rise in the number of objects thrown at players from the terraces.

Your views are welcome. e-mail me at petertalbot_lfc@yahoo.co.uk