Warnock hits out at FA over Barton red card decision

QPR manager Neil Warnock has launched a scathing attack on the Football Association’s disciplinary commission, branding the decision to uphold Joey Barton’s red card “farcical” and “scandalous”.

The west Londoners found out on Wednesday they had failed with their appeal to have Barton’s red card for violent conduct in Monday’s Barclays Premier League match against Norwich overturned.

Barton gave QPR an early lead at Loftus Road before getting involved in a tussle with Bradley Johnson and appearing to headbutt the Norwich midfielder.

The QPR captain claimed on Twitter the match officials had been “conned” and the club appealed his dismissal, which was rejected on Wednesday much to Warnock’s frustration.

“I am not surprised but it is difficult to accept when you see what [Clint] Dempsey did [recently] in comparison with Joey Barton,” he said. “It is farcical, isn’t it?

“Whenever you see something happen on the field of play that warrants a red card, if the linesman sees that offence they flag and flag until the referee goes towards him, tells him what he has seen and then the lad is sent off.

“Now this linesman carried on and on and on and would not have stopped if Joey Barton had got the ball, gone past a few players and whacked it in the far post. We would have been 2-0 up and I find it absolutely impossible [to comprehend].

“I know they have got to look after themselves but I feel really let down as a manager and a club that three invisible people can look at that and not look at the linesman and take that into consideration.

“If he did see it, why did he not flag immediately and keep his flag up?

“When you get people like [former referee] Graham Poll, who is not my biggest fan, and Dermot Gallagher supporting what I am saying then the three people on the commission go against that, I just think it is scandalous but I am not surprised.

“Am I surprised Frank Lampard commits a horrendous challenge and Peter Walton gives him a yellow card?

“If that had been Joey, [Karl] Henry or any Tom, Dick and Harry, would that have been a red card or a yellow card?

“There would have been a lynching of them. At the moment I just don’t see where the disciplinary commission are going.

“Mick McCarthy’s lad got a red card a couple of weeks ago and in comparison to Frank Lampard it is like taking a baby for a walk. It is ridiculous.”

“You can’t tell me another violent conduct offence where the linesman has not flagged immediately,” Warnock added. “It is just absolutely farcical and I am so disgusted in it.”