Carlisle United boss slams disciplinary system over Mellish ban

The Carlisle United boss today said he was “massively disappointed” by the failure of the Blues’ appeal against the defender’s three-match suspension.

Mellish was sent off by ref Seb Stockbridge after shoving Salford City’s Elliot Watt last weekend, with Carlisle appealing against the decision.

Simpson said he had spoken to seven different match officials before United submitted their appeal, and each one had told him Mellish should only have been booked for the incident.

In spite of that, an independent panel yesterday upheld Mellish’s ban, meaning he misses Monday’s trip to Sutton United and both play-off semi-final legs should Carlisle be involved.

“Firstly, I’m not sticking up for Jon Mellish, I’m not condoning what he did, because it was foolish and petulant – but it was not violent conduct,” Simpson said.

• Comment: Mellish's discipline failed him - but why does play-acting Watt go scot-free?

“We didn’t appeal just on a whim. I’ve looked at the video so many times and I’ve spoken to seven people, whether they are current or ex-Football League officials, and I wanted them to answer me truthfully.

“I said, ‘If you believe it was [violent conduct], I’m not going to waste anybody’s time appealing against it’.

“And all seven said that it was a yellow card, that it’s not excessive force – it’s of the same force that Elliot Watt used against Jon with an unprovoked push on his back.

“So I’m really disappointed and really surprised that the panel have chosen to uphold the ban.

“I have massive respect for officials, and a massive amount of respect for our Football Association, but with this decision I’ve lost complete faith in them, that’s all I can say about it.”

Simpson said incidents in other games had been more aggressive than Mellish’s action, such as the incident when Salford’s Louie Barry was sent off at Walsall but later saw it rescinded.

Mellish will now serve a three-game ban (Image: Barbara Abbott)

He also referred to a dangerous challenge by Liverpool’s Diogo Jota on Tottenham Hotspur’s Oliver Skipp, and the recent occasion when assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis appeared to elbow Reds player Andy Robertson.

Simpson said he had not yet seen any written reasons behind the appeal panel’s judgement.

“I haven’t seen anything yet and to tell you the truth I don’t actually want to, because I’ve got no faith in it, so I’m not really fussed what they think,” he said. “They’ve made the decision, I respect it, there’s nothing else I can do about it.”

Another aspect of the fall-out from the decision is scrutiny on the behaviour of Salford midfielder Watt, who fell to the ground holding his face despite Mellish shoving him in the chest.

Asked whether he believed Watt also deserved to be censured, Carlisle’s manager said: “Firstly, I don’t believe it’s a manager’s job to call for retrospective action to be taking place. I’m not going to do that.

• What are Simmo's options without Mellish for crucial games?

“What I would say is the referee, in his report, didn’t actually put that Jon Mellish struck him in the face. The report just said he gave him a red card because he felt he retaliated with violent conduct that was excessive force.

“I don’t know the reasons why he went down holding his face because there was clearly no contact to his face, only he can answer that.

“There is something in the rule book that says if it’s simulation, play-acting, whatever you want to call it, then retrospective action can be taken.

“The officials and FA obviously didn’t see the need for that. I don’t think it’s a manager’s job to call for retrospective action to be taken either.”

Simpson said United must now take the situation “on the chin” and prepare without Mellish for Monday’s trip to Sutton and, hopefully, two play-off semi-final legs.

He said of his selection plan: “I know exactly what it is for this game, and only for this game, because this is the one that matters.

“Once we get through this game, we’ll then see whether we’ve got any more games and who we’re going to play and what shape we’ll come up against.

“There’s a resilience about the whole group. I think I’m right in saying that we’re up to 28 players that we’ve used, so everybody has had to play their part. Everybody has had to come along and join the party.

“Some lads who have been on the fringes of it over recent weeks might step up, they’ll definitely be bac in the mix, so it’s up to whoever is picked to go and perform.”

Simpson, meanwhile, played down the idea that Carlisle could use a sense of injustice over Mellish as extra fuel for the battles ahead.

“I don’t think you can be that way. I certainly don’t have a feeling of injustice,” he said.

“I’m annoyed by it. The situation we’re in, I don’t think you need anybody to add any fuel to it.

“If we haven’t got an incentive to want to do it properly on Monday then get an opportunity for at least two [games] more, we’ve got a problem.

“We should have incredible fire in our bellies to want to go and achieve something really special and create our own bit of history for the football club.

“If we do it in spite of everything that’s gone on, what an even better feeling that would be.”