Behind the Whistle – Birmingham Preston and Other EFL Decisions Explained

 

Chris Foy, former Premier League referee and presenter on the EFL website, provides an insightful look into some key match decisions from Championship, League One and League Two.

He describes how large crowds and emotions can impact refereeing decisions, as well as providing tips to aspiring football referees on how they should prepare for their career.

Birmingham Preston v Leyton Orient

Due to the snow and ice that has fallen on some grounds this weekend, many EFL and non-league matches have been postponed. These included Blackburn v Millwall, Fleetwood v Lincoln and Crewe v Portsmouth in the Championship; as well as League Two fixtures like Leyton Orient’s trip to Crewe; Barrow’s Cumbrian derby against Carlisle; Rochdale v Stockport; all affected.

Many fans have taken to Twitter to voice their displeasure with the decision to postpone several EFL and non-league games, demanding a minute’s silence, chanting “God save the queen”, and wearing black armbands before each game on Saturday in order to pay their respects.

Unfortunately, weather has made it impossible for some fans to attend games this weekend and we must wait until next week before seeing some of the action again. But this was done out of safety concerns; an increasing list of EFL fixtures have been postponed this week due to snow and ice conditions.

Forest Green v Charlton

Charlton Athletic earned their fifth home match of the season with a goal from Corey Blackett-Taylor as they edged bottom club Forest Green Rovers 1-0. It was an important victory for Charlton who have lost four out of their last eight matches in League One and are now on a 10-match winless run that saw them earn just 2 points.

Rovers had been the superior side for most of the first half, so they relied on centre-half Michael Hector for an incredible performance that included several key saves including a tumbling goalline clearance to deny Cory O’Keefe from converting Dominic Bernard’s cross.

Recent away matches between the hosts and Charlton have produced fewer than 2.5 goals, so we can expect another low-scoring encounter on Tuesday.

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Derby v Charlton

On Saturday afternoon, Derby County and Charlton Athletic square off against each other at Pride Park Stadium in the final EFL match of the season. Both sides are just above relegation zone and both will be hoping for a positive result against each other.

One of the big questions in this game is whether Derby can convert good performances into wins. After losing their last two matches, Paul Warne remains confident about his team and believes they can come away with a point from this encounter.

Another key factor in this game will be tactics. With Lee Bowyer suspended, the Addicks have employed a 4-2-3-1 formation.

It was an intriguing tactic, as the wide players sat on top of defenders’ shoulders and lofted passes which created space between them.

Derby took the lead from a penalty when Conor Hourihane’s shot was handled by Michael Hector and David McGoldrick coolly dispatched it to snap Charlton’s three-game winning streak away from home.

Sheffield Wednesday v Charlton

On Saturday afternoon, Sheffield Wednesday are set to face Charlton and will need a strong performance to maintain their incredible unbeaten run in League One. The Owls have won 19 consecutive matches across all competitions – an achievement which has brought Darren Moore’s side closer to the top of the table than ever before.

Charlton have started their League One campaign with four wins and a draw, in contrast to Wednesday’s nine wins and two draws in their previous 10. But that could all change tomorrow afternoon as Holden’s men have been defeated to nil on each of their last three trips to Hillsborough; additionally, Wednesday are currently on an impressive 19-game unbeaten streak at home across all competitions.

Wednesday have been fined 12 points for violating EFL financial rules, though they have appealed this decision. Wednesday expressed their dissatisfaction with the outcome and will await written reasons from the independent disciplinary commission before considering their next course of action. They will also consult with legal advisers before making a final decision on their next move.

Source: yallashoot