Hartlepool United Football Club News

• Nickname:The pool or Pools
• Founded:1908
• Manager:Neale Cooper

• Ground:Victoria Park
• Capacity:7,629

Livid Wilson plans to appeal

04 Dec 2006 - 11:31:06

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Hartlepool United manager Danny Wilson plans to appeal against Anthony Sweeney's red card as his side crashed out of the FA Cup at Macclesfield Town in controversial fashion.

Pools lost the second round clash at Moss Rose 2-1, and the chance to meet Chelsea in the last 64, but Wilson was furious with referee Clive Penton's decision to award a penalty and send Sweeney off when the ball appeared to have hit the player in the face.

"The game has changed on a decision which was totally wrong," Wilson fumed after the game. "He's made a big, big call on a handball which wasn't handball.

"His hands are virtually by his side and, on the back of it, he's made another bad decision by sending the boy off - it's cost us the game.

"And you can't say it wasn't because of that, because it's changed the game completely. The referee has a big responsibility and he's got it wrong.

"I've seen the video and my opinion is clear and so will anybody's who sees it. The ball has been smacked at him from two yards.

"He couldn't get out the way of it and, if it was handball, it would have been because of that - but it wasn't, it's hit him in the face.''