GRAHAM POLL: Darren Bent's beach ball winner against Liverpool wasn't the only farce on a nightmare weekend for Premier League refs
By Graham Poll Last updated at 3:19 PM on 19th October 2009
Welcome to Graham Poll's exclusive online column. It will be hitting your computer screens every Monday throughout the season as the former top referee assesses the major Premier League stories and controversies. Graham's keen for you to engage with his debates - so please post your questions to him using the comments section at the bottom of this page. He'll return later each Monday to offer his response...
It gives me absolutely no pleasure to say it was a terrible weekend for our Premier League refs.
Let's get straight to the main controversy. Darren Bent's winner for Sunderland against Liverpool should not have been allowed when it was deflected past Pepe Reina by, of all things, a beach ball.
The beach ball - thrown from the crowd - should have been deemed an outside interference. As soon as the match ball hit it, referee Mike Jones should have stopped play, had the beach ball removed and restarted play with a drop ball.
This is such a basic law that I am baffled at why such an experienced referee made such an error. All referees start their careers on the local parks leagues and are advised that if a spectator, dog or any other outside agent interferes with play then it must be stopped and restarted with a drop ball.
Jones could now face a suspension either from his employers or the FA who have the right to charge him with failure to apply law satisfactorily.