We've got Beeby at West Brom

Last updated : 17 November 2006 By Tony Scholes
In that game against Gillingham, on August Bank Holiday Monday 2004, he lost control of the game completely leading to eight yellow cards, a red card, a twice taken penalty and manager Steve Cotterill sent to the stands after enquiring as to why nothing had been given when John McGreal was kicked almost into Harry Potts Way.

Such was Beeby's performance that day, a few months later he was hurriedly removed from our game at Stoke having originally been earmarked for the game at the Windy City. But there was to be no late change when Millwall visited Turf Moor last season.

He arrived last season at Turf Moor, having warmed up by ruining the night for Barnet's Ross Flitney and Louie Soares, with a crazy red card for the League Two goalkeeper in the second minute of their Carling Cup tie against Manchester United at Old Trafford. The decision was overturned by the FA but those two players lost the night of their footballing careers because of the decision.

Surely he would have a quiet game at Burnley – not on your life. This time there were six yellow cards, four red and a game that went spiralling out of control. He sent off Ben May for racial abuse in the tunnel, but no one supported the referee and May called him a liar. He sent of Jody Morris for a foul and incredibly James O'Connor for dissent, O'Connor's red card, like Flitney's, was wiped out by the FA.

Then, after Burnley had come back from a goal down to win 2-1 he sent off the Millwall goalkeeper Andy Marshall after the final whistle. Marshall, like May, claimed the referee was not telling the truth. One thing for certain is that Beeby had to be held back as he aggressively moved towards the Millwall goalkeeper.

Surely, but surely, it can't be like this again at West Brom. He's having a reasonably quiet season, and in 16 games to date he has given out 51 yellow cards and 4 red cards. Two of those red cards came in the Carling Cup tie between Hereford and Leicester, the other two were in Championship matches but he had little choice, these were correct decisions.

He sent off Barnsley goalkeeper Nick Colgan in front of the Sky cameras at Preston in September for a foul on Patrick Agyemang. He had no option with that just as he didn't when he showed a second yellow card to RK Sunderland's Ross Wallace for his last minute goal celebration at Hull recently.

His season started off with more bookings for home players than away players but he's reversed that recently and of the 51 so far 22 have gone to home players and 29 to away players suggesting that it will be more likely for our players to be carded than West Brom players.

But that's the least of our worries, if he performs as he has done in his last two Burnley games then everyone else inside the Hawthorns will have problems. The last two weeks have seen late changes of referee, those changes have not helped with poor performances from Joslin and Walton, along with Drysdale as bad as anything this season, but we can live in hope of another change tomorrow.

Beeby will be assisted by James Cox (Worcestershire) and Mark Hutchinson (Nottinghamshire) whilst fourth official duties will be the responsibility of Andy Hendley (West Midlands).

Previous Burnley games:

Season

Opps

V

Res

Y

R

Burnley players carded

a

2005/06

Millwall

h

2-1

6

4

Akinbiyi Elliott J O'Connor(Y+R) Sinclair

2004/05

Gillingham

h

1-2

8

1

McGreal Sinclair Hyde(red)

2001/02

Barnsley

a

1-1

3

0

Taylor

2000/01

Stockport

a

0-0

1

0

Thomas