Reading FC

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Red card rumpus stuns Coppell

26 Nov 2008 - 10:52:44

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Reading manager Steve Coppell could not understand why Andre Bikey was handed a red card in Tuesday's 2-2 draw at Cardiff City.

The Cameroon international was dismissed for what seemed to an innocuous challenge on Bluebirds loanee Wayne Routledge.

An exasperated Coppell said: "I looked up and I saw the referee standing there with a red card! My first instinct was 'what's gone on here?'.

"As I went down to the side of the pitch I saw a replay of the incident on the camera just below the directors' box and I have to say it looked like nothing. It looked like Bikey won a clean header.

"The referee, if you look at the replays, was reaching for his red card as soon as the challenge went in. He obviously saw something that I certainly didn't see. Bikey is protesting his innocence that he did nothing.

"We asked the referee at half-time, without accusation, why he sent him off and he said that he's punched him.

"I fail to see how, when he's looking at the ball, jumping to try and win a header, he can throw a punch at the same time. Ricky Hatton tried it for 11 rounds and never got near him."