Charlton Athletic manager Lee Bowyer: I can’t see how I got straight red card

BY RICHARD CAWLEY

Lee Bowyer was left stunned at his dismissal in Charlton’s 1-0 loss to Birmingham City.

The Addicks boss got his marching orders towards the end of the Championship match from referee Matt Donohue.

Bowyer was unhappy that a spare ball came on to the pitch from the Blues dugout. And while play was already stopped he marched down the touchline and threw it back at them.

“Someone from Birmingham threw a ball on to try and waste time,” said Bowyer. “I’ve never seen it before. Crazy.

“The ball ended up next to me, I don’t know how, I was walking towards their bench and shouting down to them: “Is this your ball?’ He said: ‘Yes.” So I threw the ball back.

“He [Donohue] said because I left my technical area and throwing the ball back to them, that’s a red card. Never heard that rule in my life. I get you’re not allowed to leave the technical area but if they didn’t throw the ball on the pitch in the first place I wouldn’t need to throw it back to them.

“I can’t see how I got a straight red. He said I threw the ball back aggressively – they are 20 yards away. It’s not like a tennis ball – it’s a big ball. The fourth official wasn’t even watching, he was dealing with something else on the pitch. Who told you I threw it back aggressively? I just threw it back.

“In my eyes I haven’t done anything wrong.

“I ain’t got a club [if he can appeal or will get a ban]. I must be able to appeal. Yeah [he would]. I ain’t done nothing wrong apart from leave the technical area. So what if I had kicked it back? It’s the same thing. I could have kicked it hard, so it reached. What’s the difference? I’m throwing it hard or I’m kicking it hard. It’s better I’m throwing – I can’t throw it that far.

“They [Birmingham] managed the game well. Every time one of our players went near them they went down. Their 26 [David Davis] should have got sent off. He got booked for an incident with [Jason] Pearce and two minutes later he takes out Conor Gallagher, who just skips past him. It’s the most blatant yellow card in the game.

“I’m not saying it because I want to see him get sent off. I’m saying it because it is the rules. Just making up rules as we go along – it’s a blatant yellow card. Is it too scared to send the lad off?

“My players have been booked for the same thing this season. Big decisions – you have to make them. That’s why you’re in charge. So much at stake – my players gave everything.”

PICTURES BY PAUL EDWARDS