'Two more' - Referee subject of Daniel Farke Leeds United v Sunderland rant to take charge of fixture again
Leeds United were left frustrated at the end of a 0-0 draw against Sunderland earlier this year.
Tim Robinson will take charge of Leeds United’s Friday night trip to Sunderland - just months after angering Daniel Farke in the reverse fixture at Elland Road last season.
Leeds head to the Stadium of Light on Friday evening looking to continue their unbeaten run, having taken four points from Coventry and Norwich within the last weeks. Farke’s side could end the night top of the Championship if they win by two or more goals but face arguably their toughest test of the season, with Sunderland winning four from four without conceding at home.
Robinson was at the centre of multiple controversial decisions during the 0-0 draw between Leeds and Sunderland at Elland Road in April, with Farke left feeling aggrieved at missing out on two penalties. The first saw Dan Ballard appear to deflect Crysencio Summerville’s goal-bound shot with his elbow but it was the latter call that infuriated the majority inside Elland Road.
As Leeds pushed for a winner that would have been crucial to their promotion chances, defender Luke O’Nien was spotted pulling Joe Rodon’s shirt at a corner before an outstretched arm rose above head height and made clear contact with the ball. Robinson waved away the claims and then proceeded to add three minutes at the end, despite all 10 substitutions being made in the second-half and Sunderland taking their time with set-plays.
“We have had six letters this season so far apologising and saying it was a penalty or a red card,” Farke said after the Sunderland game in April. “We’ll probably get two more letters right now. It won’t help us because it doesn’t feel like a fair outcome.
“If we had got two penalties it would have felt we could have at least used one to win this game. It makes no sense. In general I am never asking for red cards, it’s more like ‘Come on, act a bit earlier with yellow cards’. If you don’t do this you send the message ‘OK, keep going’.
“It’s not my side to ask for red cards but if there’s a rule that there should be a handball yellow, then I ask only for the rules. When you lean into the ball with the elbow and the referee has a clear view of it, sorry, this is something you have to give. And in the second half, it was obvious, with both hands in the air, not difficult to see.”
Robinson will be assisted by Richard West and Steven Meredith at the Stadium of Light, with Oliver Langford the fourth official. The 40-year-old is regularly in the middle of Premier League matches and has been picked to drop into the Championship for arguably this weekend’s biggest game.