‘Worst I’ve ever seen’ – Crewe boss Lee Bell calls out referee after AFC Wimbledon defeat

‘Worst I’ve ever seen’ – Crewe Alexandra boss Lee Bell calls out referee after losing 3-0 away to AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday night.

Two goals from Matty Stevens (41′ pen, 56′), taking his League Two goal tally to 15 for the season, and one from Jake Reeves (45+2′) sees the Dons up to fourth, one point off the automatic-promotion places with a game in hand.

Crewe, who sit 8th with 48 points from 31 games played, saw defender Jamie Knight-Lebel controversially sent off with the score at 0-0, Lee Bell also was shown a yellow during the game.

Lee Bell’s reaction to tonight’s events 🎥#CreweAlex pic.twitter.com/oPmcsBNPfO

— Crewe Alexandra (@crewealexfc) February 11, 2025

Interviewer: Lee, thanks for joining us. It’s gonna be difficult for you to sum it all up for you, but what are your reactions to that?

Lee: “I thought we were the better team. I’ve been delighted with the way the game was going in terms of, a goalie hadn’t had a shot to save. We got in, shot blocked, so that was about all the action in the game to come here and do that. I thought it was excellent.

“And then a decision’s been made, which is absolutely ludicrous. Absolute nuts, ludicrous.

“And then yellow cards happened early on the game set the tone, so Tom Lowery’s won the ball in the middle of the pitch. We’ve just watched both players that got the foot the same night. Tom toes it around him, booking. Joel Tabiner gets flattened with a tackle that’s been outlawed for the last thirty years from behind. Won’t get booked. How many players there booked did their players get booked, Graham?”

Interviewer: “None.”

Lee: “None. Criminal. And the players are emotional. We’re passionate. We’re emotional. It’s so hard then to control, and then obviously, they score that goal the second half. But it’s probably it’s the worst I’ve ever seen. Worst I’ve ever seen.”

Interviewer: “It ruined what was gonna be, you know, top of the table class, and it was developing into that as well. The supporters are not daft, are they? You know what football fans are like. You you deal with them week in and week out. And you saw their reaction after ninety six minutes when the final whistle went to you and to your team.”

Lee: “Yeah. Brilliant. Absolutely fantastic. I thank every one of them. I thank everybody at home who’s tuned in, to watch it. And I’ve said to the players afterwards, what they’ve gone and done tonight, and had a real go still.

“They’ve shown the attitude that they have just reiterates everything, I think, of the group. There won’t be a better group of lads in the country. There won’t, and we need that little bit of luck, to go our way because tonight, it’s scandalous what’s happened.

“I’ve been booked, Graham. Yeah. Yeah. And Kenny’s been booked. Yeah. Yeah.

“We don’t know what we’ve been booked for. Yeah. I have no idea. No idea what I’ve been booked for.”

Interviewer: “And you’ll probably be able to tell me exactly Jamie Knight-Lebel gets sent off red card, straight red card. I’m not sure that’s the rule anymore.”

Lee: “No. It’s not the rule. And it’s the referee’s fifth game. Three in this game. Wimbledon v Crewe, both teams going for promotion. They put him this game tonight. So somebody needs answers. Someone needs to be answered to what’s going on and how they put that referee in this game tonight.”

Interviewer: “Well, they give you everything. Full credit to it though. I know he doesn’t you know, you do you guys I believe him and we’re saying in commentary. It sounds stupid. You’ve conceded three goals, but there’s a lot of positivity that’s got to come out of that. And some decisions that have gone against you might even help you towards the end of the season now in terms of, yes, we’re going to show you.”

Lee: Yeah. Absolutely. There’s so many positives. Absolutely. Loads of positives.

“The players now know they don’t want little old Crewe going anywhere near top of the league after what they’ve just witnessed tonight. So we’ll use that because they give a foul against the goalkeeper, against their goalkeeper. Their two players have run into each other. There’s not a crewe player near the goalkeeper. There’s not a player near him.

“And that’s against our players who were trying the hardest. We’ve got nine injuries. It’s scandalous. It’s absolutely ridiculous what’s going on here tonight. And the worst thing about it is, Graham, you hear nothing back off nobody. Nobody’s accountable. Nobody.”

Interviewer: “Well, no. You’re fuming. You’re entitled to assume.”

“Your staff are fuming as well. Are you gonna see the referee?”

Lee: “Definitely. I will see the referee. And while I’m on, I’ll apologise to their staff as well, if I upset them or anything.”

“They’re brilliant staff. A great team. We were gonna be right up at the top of it. I think they’re brilliant team. Good players.

“I like Wimbledon as a club, so if I’ve done anything to to do them in a little bit, I apologise for that because it’s nothing to do with Wimbledon at whatsoever. Anyone connected to Wimbledon, it’s all down to the man in black tonight.”

Here’s how fans reacted as Crewe boss Lee Bell calls out the referee after AFC Wimbledon defeat…

@ShingleDickens: Our manager. Had some stick from sections of the fan base in recent weeks. But there’s nobody better than him to take our club forward. Him, the staff & the team will channel their anger and some team in the near future will bear the brunt of it. We go again Saturday #CreweAlex

@RyanMcGinty02: Lee Bell is one of the most likeable managers in the country. For a man in his first management role, he’s gone on a similar multi year build and has shown fantastic humility through hard times. I’d be pleased to see him have long term success in his career.

@bonbtgt: Love his passion. Wouldn’t want anyone else leading us. He knows the club and he’s just as passionate as us. My gaffer!

@1985Pete: He’s fuming and rightly so. He will get a reprimand for it im sure but I and the club shouldn’t care less. What he said needs to be said.
He’s spot on.

@9yrspodcast: Understandably angry – I would say we’d feel the same in his position. Worth sticking around until 3.40ish when he apologises to our staff – which I’ve never heard a manager do before – if he’d offended anyone on our side. Shows his class.

@TylerBirtles: That’s my gaffer. ❤️🫡 Complete brutal honesty. 👏🏻

@SirSebastian20: Even as a Vale fan I admire this interview a lot. Well done to Lee Bell for rightfully calling out those shite officials 👍.

@karlbrooksphoto: “Nobody is accountable” – One of the most honest managers in football hits the nail right on the head!

@oconnell_kev: Well said Lee

@Magic_STFC: Seemed like a good bloke when fog-gate happened at Swindon, pragmatic and honest.

@nyeomans4: MY GAFFER

@FPLEdgeworth: Normally I would say what a meltdown. But Bell seems like a quality guy so fair play still think you guys get playoffs just need some of the luck we got tonight in future 😂

@Crewe1965: Great passion by players & management tonight. Ruined by ref who wanted to be centre stage. Never a red,some of bookings a disgrace. Will anyone be held accountable. No.!!!!!

@afc_emii: Tough luck lads unfortunately standard of refereeing is shocking, was a clear penalty but the red was a disgraceful decision. Good luck for the rest of the season and with your playoff push 👍

@bonbtgt: Still 100% behind this bloke. Keep going Lee!

@Roger_i_zation: Never heard Lee Bell so passionate and emotional, even more so than In the play offs, #crewealex have to channel that anger and transfer it to performances on the pitch. Let’s show this league what we can do. Come on The Railwaymen, Up The Alex!!

@coyd88: In fairness you were strong up until that pen, it changed the game . A very very soft red, but let’s be honest the standard of officiating in the efl is really poor. We’ve had some awful decisions go against us this season. Go well for the rest of the season

@reecewoolers: Our gaffer.

@rutt74: Vale fan here, good on you! These officials are absolutely abysmal yet nothing happens to them! Would rather a manger stand there and say what he thinks rather than make excuses for the officials. 👏🏻👏🏻 Excellent interview, Moore take note!

@elliott270106: Seems a decent bloke but to blame injuries on a decision the ref made was a bit odd. In addition the goal you scored against us in the reverse fixture was offside so it was probably luck evening itself out. Good luck for the rest of the season sure you’ll be up there

@mike_overill: It’s a harsh red, but was a nailed on pen and a deliberate pull down by the defender, I get why Crewe feel aggrieved but it wasn’t an incorrect or corrupt decision. For our second he was rightly pleased with himself for an excellent advantage.