[Albion] You're the ref: Veltman v Rice

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You're the ref: Veltman v Rice

  • No card to either player

    Votes: 99 17.4%
  • No card for Veltman; yellow card for Rice

    Votes: 255 44.7%
  • Yellow card for Veltman; nothing for Rice

    Votes: 13 2.3%
  • Yellow card for both players

    Votes: 118 20.7%
  • No card for Veltman; red card for Rice

    Votes: 37 6.5%
  • Red card for Veltman; nothing for Rice

    Votes: 3 0.5%
  • Red card for Veltman; yellow card for Rice

    Votes: 4 0.7%
  • Yellow card for Veltman; red card for Rice

    Votes: 36 6.3%
  • Red card for both players

    Votes: 5 0.9%

  • Total voters
    570


Hugo Rune

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Feb 23, 2012
23,674
Brighton
What Rice did was a yellow card offence. He dived and rolled around like a big old baby to try and get Velts sent off. But you can’t dabble with the dark arts if you are not a master.

Veltman is a master. The incident made me laugh very hard for a good period of time. I loved it and so did all the northerners in the pub I was watching the match in.

That said, if I were a ref, I’d not have followed the letter of the law. I’d have gone up to Rice, laughing, and told him that he got what he deserved and the next time he kicks the ball away, he’ll get a yellow.
 




Bozza

You can change this
Helpful Moderator
Jul 4, 2003
57,286
Back in Sussex
But who was he kicking the ball to? I really don't think Veltman was actually taking the free-kick and passing it to a teammate. He knew exactly what he was doing.
I think you're right.

Veltman's intent was almost certainly to blast the ball against Rice to then claim "he didn't get out of the way", and get Rice a card that way.

The reason I say "almost certainly" and not "certainly" is having just seen a few more replays and focused solely on Veltman, he very clearly looks down the line and then goes to play the ball. Of course, as an absolute master of the dark arts, maybe it was all part of his elaborate setting up of Rice.
 










CheeseRolls

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jan 27, 2009
6,230
Shoreham Beach
Looking at it again, the ball was still moving when Veltman went to 'take' the free-kick. Makes it even funnier!
Serious question have you ever seen Veltman try to take a free kick when the ball is not moving?
Does he have some strange phobia?

No one forced Rice to do the snidy little flick away. Plenty of players have got away with less, but you take your chances especially when you are already on a yellow.
 


Coach_Carter_92

Well-known member
Apr 25, 2013
691
Home
But who was he kicking the ball to? I really don't think Veltman was actually taking the free-kick and passing it to a teammate. He knew exactly what he was doing.
That makes it even funnier, if Veltman does just twat the ball downfield to no-one Arsenal would regain possession and can build again. Twice as thick from Rice 🤣
 








Bold Seagull

strong and stable with me, or...
Mar 18, 2010
30,458
Hove
And fuming at the stupidity of the player.
Yep, strangely in all the analysis no one has said how stupid Rice was.

Crouch saying gamesmanship from Veltman, consistency from the ref, how about just saying if Rice doesn’t do anything nothing happens other than Veltman probably kicks the bat straight to Arsenal. It was stupid.
 


Mustafa II

Well-known member
Oct 14, 2022
1,819
Hove
Looking at the opinions of neutrals on social media, most of them think that it should not have been a red for Rice.

Perhaps those of us that think it was a 'definite red' have our blue & white tinted specs too firmly on.

If I was the ref and not an Albion fan? Honestly, I probably would have not carded either player and got on with the match. I think the fans would forget about it pretty quickly... especially as in some peoples eyes Veltman kicked out at Rice, which probably has some truth to it...

It's a complicated scenario that would probably need some kind of expert to break it down for the ACTUAL correct decision, but I think with refereeing, sometimes common sense can go a long away.
 




Bozza

You can change this
Helpful Moderator
Jul 4, 2003
57,286
Back in Sussex
Looking at the opinions of neutrals on social media, most of them think that it should not have been a red for Rice.

Perhaps those of us that think it was a 'definite red' have our blue & white tinted specs too firmly on.

If I was the ref and not an Albion fan? Honestly, I probably would have not carded either player and got on with the match. I think the fans would forget about it pretty quickly... especially as in some peoples eyes Veltman kicked out at Rice, which probably has some truth to it...

It's a complicated scenario that would probably need some kind of expert to break it down for the ACTUAL correct decision, but I think with refereeing, sometimes common sense can go a long away.
It wasn't a red for Rice, definite or otherwise.

It was a yellow. A second yellow as it turned out.

There have been very clear instructions given on delaying restarts/kicking the ball away. If you're already on a yellow and you kick the ball away you give the referee a decision to make. You're gambling. He lost.
 


Bozza

You can change this
Helpful Moderator
Jul 4, 2003
57,286
Back in Sussex
Yep, strangely in all the analysis no one has said how stupid Rice was.

Crouch saying gamesmanship from Veltman, consistency from the ref, how about just saying if Rice doesn’t do anything nothing happens other than Veltman probably kicks the bat straight to Arsenal. It was stupid.
Exactly.

And when Peter Crouch switches mode to podcast host, he absolutely celebrates 'housery of this magnificence.
 






martin tyler

Well-known member
Jan 25, 2013
5,964
Veltman was just smarter.
I’d be annoyed if I was an Arsenal fan by the lack of consistency- Pedro got away with a yellow first half.
In this incident Veltman looks like he’s going to play the ball up the line suckers Rice in and he’s daft enough to nick the ball away. Veltman was never playing a pass long Minth was 15 yards away.
 


jcdenton08

Offended Liver Sausage
NSC Patron
Oct 17, 2008
14,500
What I love about Veltman is the image of angelic innocence and naivety he projects, meanwhile being one of the shithousiest players in the league. Tugging the shirt on the blind side, “accidentally” standing on toes.

Spend a half watching him, it’s constant and he never stops.

Then he’ll turn around and shake the player’s hand :lol:
 


sussex_guy2k2

Well-known member
Jun 6, 2014
4,079
The issue is the lack of consistency. We’d have been furious if it was given the other way.

Do I think Veltman did anything wrong? No, not in the slightest.

Did Rice do something that deserved a yellow? Barely. If that’s a yellow, we may as well all pack up our bags now.
 


Han Solo

Well-known member
May 25, 2024
2,454
Wouldn't card any of them - but that would techically be the wrong call.
 








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