Rob Styles, who awarded the season's daftest penalty at
Birmingham on Saturday, has been left off the Barclays Premier
League list for this weekend's games.
The Hampshire official baffled players on both sides by pointing
to the spot when Manchester City's Sun Jihai went shoulder to
shoulder with Gary McSheffrey.
BBC Match Of The Day pundit Mark Lawrenson described the
incident as 'the worst penalty decision I have seen in my
life'.
Sun said yesterday: 'I turned around and chased the ball with
McSheffrey, and it was in front of me. 'He went for the ball and
tried to push me, but I just used my shoulder for a 50-50. When I
heard the whistle I thought he was diving maybe, but the referee
pointed to the spot.
'I could not believe it. Even somebody who knows a little bit
about football wouldn't think that was a penalty. 'I couldn't do
anything about it so I had to walk away, but that decision killed
the game off for us.'
McSheffrey beat Joe Hart with the spot-kick to clinch a 3-1
victory and give Birmingham a huge boost in their relegation
battle.
In the current climate of extra scrutiny of referees, Styles
finds himself without a top game in either the Premier League or
semi-finals of the FA Cup this weekend.
It is not the first time this season Styles' decisions have been
criticised. After he awarded a penalty to Chelsea at Anfield in
August, referees' supremo Keith Hackett apologised to Liverpool
manager Rafa Benitez.
