Preston’s Paul Heckingbottom slams ‘appalling’ refereeing standards after draw with Sunderland

Preston’s Paul Heckingbottom slams ‘appalling’ refereeing standards after the goalless draw with Sunderland on Wednesday night.

He said in his post-match comments that Sunderland’s Chris Mepham should’ve received a red card, instead of the yellow.

Sky Sports pundits Jermaine Beckford and Luke Chambers reflected on the manager’s interview and debated the incident following the Championship fixture…

“The standards are appalling at the minute, I really worry where the game is going.”

Preston’s Paul Heckingbottom doesn’t hold back when asked about refereeing decisions across the football pyramid this season. pic.twitter.com/vQN99vUfeQ

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) November 6, 2024

“It’s not as clear cut as I feel he’s made out tonight.”

Jermaine Beckford and Luke Chambers reflect on Paul Heckingbottom’s post-match interview and debate whether Sunderland’s Chris Mepham should’ve received a red card against Preston 🟥 pic.twitter.com/EiDst7XclQ

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) November 6, 2024

“We struggled in both phases, both in and out of possession.”

Régis Le Bris on Sunderland’s performance against Preston 📈 pic.twitter.com/jyLmoMaI8t

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) November 6, 2024

Interviewer: Paul, is it one of those if you can’t win, then don’t lose?

Paul: Yeah. Always. Yeah. Always rather have a point than not, but it’s been, there been our performances. Like I said, we were we had the better chances. I think it was a better team overall. Another rest decision that absolutely ruins us. That’s 5 in 8 games. Yeah. That’s been our story, but that’s been the level. So, you know, it’s just frustrating when I’m, the only thing we’ve got wrong is not taking our chances with sort of a missed kick right early on, which is a tap in. We have missed two real good headers. So, yeah, we could have been really comfortable in the game. Yeah. And that’s been the level of performance and sort of the story of the games.

Interviewer: Okay. Well, let’s talk about that ref’s decision because I saw your your coaching team speaking to Bobby Madley as you came out for the second half. You’ve just been in to speak to the match officials as well. Do you feel it was a red card? What’s been your understanding of it?

Paul: Well, it is. Yeah. It’s a let the law we all know the laws. It’s a red card. We weren’t sure when he let the play go, what he’d given it for, but when he’s given it for, I think it’s Trai Humes tackle on the edge of the box, his last man. You know? Sam’s next touch is a shot. So, yeah, just the way it’s going at the minute.

Interviewer: But overall, you were talking about taking the positives before the game from the defeat against Bristol City, and there are so many positives that we saw tonight here at Deepdale.

Paul: Yeah. Definitely. Like I said, we’ve coming up against good sides. We know listen. Through our own shortcomings, if you like, that we should have a lot more points, taking chances, being clinical, more ruthless because one of the things when we came in, we knew we were sort of shot shy and not creating too much. We’ve changed that, and we’ve been really good and allowed to deserve a lot of credit, you know, outcompeting, as last time, with the new opponents in terms of XG, which is just a reflection of that. However, we’ve not got the points from it. And then the other thing that disappoint me is, as I say, we’re on a run of getting, yeah, 5 game changing decisions in a row where, yeah, they’re going against us rather than for us.

Interviewer: Are you happy, though, with the understandings that you’re getting when it comes down to these decisions and they’re explaining to you why that happened at all?

Paul: No. Not all. We’re getting them every week. Yeah. No. Not at all. You’re never gonna be happy with that. Listen, the bigger thing, you can see I’m not moaning about it as much for me, I’m more concerned where the game’s going with it and the standards. The standards are appalling at the minute. Absolutely appalling. And I’m just really, really worried where the game’s going in terms of where we’re letting it go, and I include myself. And that’s why I go in there after every game, just trying to get a message across about where we’re taking the game. I think Kaine Kesler-Hayden got give a free kick in the second half for jumping too high. You know what I mean? It’s just crazy where the game’s going at the minute.

Interviewer: Okay. Do you feel those conversations then that you’re having are being listened to?

Paul: No. I’m just going in there, just ranting me. Because on all the guys, I try and I try and help. I said before, I invite them in all the time to come and and work with us and learn the game if you like. Yeah. No. I’m, listen. I want the ones, the big games yet changing as soon as they’re going against us to go for us, but I’d still be talking about the refereeing in terms of trying to improve the game because I’m bothered about the game. It’s not the game that I love. It’s not the game that I like to see, and I’m trying to protect that.

Interviewer: Okay. Final question. It says something when the opposition, top of the table, concede that they were fortunate to get a point out of that contest tonight.

Paul: Yeah. But it’s sound like a broken record. That’s what we’ve been like. Yeah. We’ve that’s how good we’ve been. We’ve been, that’s not a one off performance. I think you’ve seen it on the Sky cameras. Yeah. So from that point of view, I’m really pleased with staff, the players, how we how we’re preparing, how we’re approaching the games, and then how we’re executing. And I said that our little shortcomings, we’ve been a little bit naive and punished for hardly giving anything away in the last few games, but we’re still, not being critical enough at the other end. And the game will always be decided, you know, by both boxes, a bit in between just propaganda, really.

Interviewer: Good stuff. Well, enjoy your evening, and enjoy the rest of the week, and and good luck this weekend. Thank you.

This is how fans reacted as Preston’s Paul Heckingbottom slams ‘appalling’ refereeing standards after the 0-0 draw with Sunderland…

@adamguest: Trying really hard to understand his problem tonight. Admittedly a Sunderland fan but I thought the ref was decent and fair tonight. The red card he’s saying was blatant really wasn’t, as greenwood was running towards the touch line rather than towards the goal.

@PhilLUFC: I didn’t see your game so no idea if he has a point there but on a general level he does, refereeing standards in this country are not good enough, there’s seemingly more emphasis on “controlling the game” than implementing the rules, leading to inconsistency…

@Thecityvent: He’s right. Imagine how bad it is in league 2, they get worse as you go down the leagues. Cost us probably 6-9 points so far, sounds dramatic but it’s true. Look at Cook’s disallowed goal against Salford as a starting point, awful. Think weve had 1/2 half decent refs in 14 games.

@Powell_Matthew: Blokes conveniently forgot both of his centre backs could’ve easily been shown a second yellow card and been sent off. Never seen such a boring “woe is me” interview 🥱

@SBAconnor: About time someone said it, well said paul. Think we’ve had ONE fair official all season

@GJohnson2022: The fact he booked Mepham after about 12 seconds was a joke and then the foul on Watson was with more intent to hurt him and he got nothing. The lack of consistency is the issue

@HomeParkDon: He’s certainly not wrong about the refs, is he!? #ShitReferee

@IanParfitt: Very hard to disagree with him…the ref at Swansea on Tuesday was appalling and then you factor in the blatant handball that both ref and Asst ref missed in the Luton-Cardiff game last night. Both standards and accountability of refs at this level need to improve!

@pidg89: He’s spot on. We didn’t lose cause of the officials last night, we lost because we were absolutely shite. The refs are shocking week after week. Not just cause we lost that Madeley against Luton was horrendous

@oliviamill27: Happy to have a man leading the team who says it how it is. He isn’t wrong – the quality of refereeing in the EFL is atrocious, despite if you disagree with him about last night.. it’ll be your team next. #pnefc

@KeatonFisher19: Absolutely right in everything he’s saying. Not just against us but the refereeing in the EFL is awful. That being said, he’s gonna get fined now cus the FA are arseholes and won’t admit their failures

@pete_eccles: The decisions that have gone against us so far this season have been horrendous and he’s understandably frustrated. We might as well have started the season with a points deduction 🤷🏼‍♂️ Should also have had the game won by HT! Greenwood and Mads can’t miss those 🤦🏼‍♂️ #pnefc

@grogan6: Watch him get fined now and he’s every right to be angry. It’s not just tonight, it’s the build up of all the others. Referees and particularly linesmen are so protected in this game it’s ridiculous. Linesmen might as well not be there at all. That pull back on Mads, joke.

@RokerReport: Shit happens, Paul. Liam Lindsay should have had two yellows but he didn’t… you fail to mention this though I notice.

@SamJayne11: Very poor officiating not just in #pnefc games but across the championship. Some absolute howlers already this season! They need to address it ASAP! @EFL @FA_PGMOL

@Ben_Bailey_: Fair play to him for bringing this up, the state of refereeing is the worst it’s been, I don’t think it’s corruption but I do think it’s sheer incompetence. Standards have to improve.