OK, I may have taken some liberties with the headline.  But AR2 was, in fact, instrumental in the decision to send off QPR striker Bobby Zamora early in their “relegation six-pointer” at home to Wigan Athletic.  I don’t think many will argue with the decision for a send-off here, but what makes this interesting is that Referee Phil Dowd clearly did not see the challenge and required help from the trail AR, which was AR2 in this instance.  After checking on the injured Wigan player (Gomez, #14), Dowd consulted with AR2.  While I couldn’t lip-read all of the conversation, AR2 can clearly be seen to say “face” and “red card”.  Though Dowd covers his mouth so that we cannot lip read, he clearly asks AR2 if he is sure, because AR2’s next words are “red card”.

It’s interesting to watch Dowd change his demeanor from calm investigator in charge of collecting the facts, to that of a stern judge who must hand out punishment.  The field microphones quite clearly pick him up yelling “BOBBY!” to Zamora.  He points at Zamora and motions him over, then displays the red card and follows with the customary point to the tunnel.

Why Zamora would even bother to protest is a mystery, given that the home fans closest to the incident can be seen sitting dejectedly in their seats.  QPR manager Harry Redknapp simply looks straight down to the ground in disgust.

Key takeaways from this incident:

• misconduct can pop up anytime; there was absolutely no indication that something like this was brewing
• the trailing AR must stay attentive at all times
• referees should consult with the other members of the referee team if they are in any doubt about potential misconduct situations

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