Football: Redknapp left raging as Spurs lose

Manager laments officials’ decisions after defeat at Stoke.

STOKE: Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp was unable to hide his frustration with referee Chris Foy after watching his team lose ground in the English Premier League title race.

Spurs old boy Matthew Etherington’s first-half double was sufficient to earn Stoke a 2-1 victory, ending a run of 10 wins and a draw from their previous 11 top flight matches for Redknapp’s team.

Merseyside official Foy twice missed handballs on the line by Ryan Shawcross and Dean Whitehead. He also ruled out a legitimate Adebayor goal despite the on-loan striker being clearly played onside.

“Unfortunately, he got a couple of decisions utterly wrong,” said Redknapp of Foy. “I never go and talk to referees after a game, I accept defeat.

“[Today] the referee hasn’t made mistakes because he meant to – he’s an honest guy – but he had a bad day.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 13^th, 2011.