Wigan Athletic FC

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• Founded:1932
• Manager:Roberto Martinez

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Martinez rues red card rumpus

04 Mar 2010 - 12:09:34

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Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martinez still believes Birmingham City defender Liam Ridgewell should have been sent off when the two teams met on Saturday but is pleased the Football Association did not take any retrospective action.

Ridgewell's reckless tackle left James McCarthy with an ankle injury while referee's assistant Trevor Massey was caught in the face by the tip of a corner flag which had been uprooted by the City defender's flying challenge.

However, referee Anthony Taylor did not even book Ridgewell and the FA decided to take no further action.

"What you need is the punishment for the action to be handed out in the game," Martinez told the Wigan Evening Post. "At that moment, we were well on top and it would have been a big, big decision in the game that would have helped us get the rewards we deserved.

"It would have been ridiculous to look back at it now and punish the team by taking out one of their best players for a game against another team who could be fighting for the same aim that we are.

"That would make Birmingham weaker for a game against a team who might be one of our rivals, and the whole thing would make no sense to me at all.

"If officials don't see something during a game, that should be it. There should be no action afterwards."