Robbie Savage fumes as referee fails to punish ‘one of worst challenges I’ve seen in 20 years’

Forest Green Rovers boss Robbie Savage fumes as referee Neil Hair fails to punish ‘one of the worst challenges I have seen in 20 years’.

Boreham Wood’s Marley Marshall-Miranda avoided being shown a red card for a late tackle on Kyle McAllister 14 minutes into the game.

The game also saw Forest Green end their three-game losing run in the National League with a 1-1 draw against fellow play-off rivals Boreham Wood.

Lewis Richardson put Boreham Wood ahead on the 52nd minute, and came close to making it 2-0 when Charlie O’Connell struck the woodwork and Rush also had an effort cleared off the line.

Then Kyle McAllister got an equaliser for Forest Green from the penalty spot on 65 minutes. Forest Green substitute Joshua Osude was also sent off 20 minutes later.

🙃#WeAreFGR💚 pic.twitter.com/qP4Yg6lYxy

— Forest Green Rovers (@FGRFC_Official) February 21, 2026

Interviewer: “…Kyle McAllister having had a bit of rough treatment, made no mistake.

Robbie: “Football is you know when you watch it’s full of emotion, I got a yellow card today because I’ve just seen one of the worst challenges in 20 years, on my play Kyle, it’s a sickener. Don’t think there’s any intent from the boy. The boys come over and shook my hand and said I apologise. Fair play to the kid. I don’t think he meant it. He’s trying to protect the ball, but the referee’s in a good position.

“I’ve just been to see the referee and I said, ‘You will be extremely disappointed when you see that back. He’s in a good position.’ The fourth official and the assistant my side were at the saying it’s a red card. There was no card given. The referee’s got that badly wrong.

“But in all that I get a yellow card for my emotion, my frustration cus my player could have been seriously injured. A broken leg, knee ligament’s gone. It was a sickener. A sickener. And the damage on Kyle’s leg.

“Listen, the boy didn’t mean it though. So I don’t want this to be on the boy. It was a bad bad tackle.

“Kyle fortunately was okay to smash the penalty in the top corner, which he does. You know, he’s captain today, led by example, but we’ve got to be better. Officials have to be better. And I know he’ll be going home, watch it back, and he’ll be ill tomorrow when he sees that cus it’s his career as well.

“You know, I never have a go at referees and I thought the referee on the whole was okay. But that decision he has to get right and I will always protect my players and I you know but the worry is that at half time when I’m speaking to staff of theirs they don’t think it’s a red card. That’s a huge worry for me and I understand emotion. I understand sticking up for your team.

“If Josh has elbowled their player then that’s a red card and it will be a you know a fine because you can’t do that. And if that’s back, I’m honest.

“But for opposition not to think that’s a red card, that’s a huge huge worry. Um because and I’ll protect my players. And if I’d have got sent off for my frustration there to protect my I would have because it’s about my players. Always about my players. And they’ve got me.

“And today they showed that with a with a wonderful um a wonderful a different performance, but a performance we needed.”

Interviewer: “I mean we called out the challenge on McAllister in commentary and amazed that it went unpunished. Did you see anything of the red card? Because I I didn’t see the incident except O’Connell on the floor.”

Robbie: “No, the only person in the stadium seen it was the fourth official who give it. So, I’ve just spoke to the assistant and the ref, they didn’t see it. So, the fourth official, they work as a team. So, that’s good teamwork. You know, you work as a team. There’s four of them. And if if they think it is then and they’ve come to the right conclusion, I’ve got no problem with it. You know, if my players done it, you can’t be swinging your arm or elbow. You know, that’s not right. That’s not right.

“If you’re getting hold, you’re getting pinned. Get away another way. You don’t swing your elbow. If Josh has done that, I will say it back and I’ll be honest.

“So, when when you interview me on Monday or Tuesday before the game, I will come out and tell you the truth as I always do.

“But I can’t have that challenge in the first half on Kyle. That’s a kid there who’s been magnificent and he is very very very fortunate not to have broken his leg.”

Here’s how social media users reacted after Robbie Savage fumes as the referee fails to punish ‘one of worst challenges I’ve seen in 20 years’…

@LordofSouthend: How has the ref missed that, that was naughty

@AdamPro_Actor: The officiating in the national league is worse than poor. Nearly every official I watch week in week out are incompetent. National league need to look at the standard. It’s killing the game.

@kurtyoafc: How’s that not a red card? Studs up knee high challenge endangering an opponent 😮😮😮😮

@matty_s04: That’s fucking grim, he hasn’t even given a free kick 🤮

@ianjamesking28: Shocking challenge but the fact the ref hasn’t given a foul is no real surprise as the standard of refereeing at all levels is appalling

@varty151: FA need to have a serious look at this. Absolute disgrace from the ref.

@PTBenJones: Some good refs coming through waiting to be promoted to the Football League then… 🤥

@Hoppo101: To be fair, how the ref hasn’t sent him off is horrific. Looking straight at it.

@DarranPearce: Jesus Christ how on earth has the ref just not given anything for that. That is as blatant a red card as you will see and he hasn’t even given a free kick

@Wiffen14: Genuinely this has to be the worst decision I’ve ever seen in my life, refs looks straight at it. Honestly English refs need shooting. Beyond a disgrace. Genuinely How long before a ref is attacked by someone? No condoning it but wouldn’t surprise me. Just pure shit each week.

@andyregester09: Didn’t even give a free kick for this, let alone the red card 🤦🏽‍♂️ refs in this league are a joke