Birmingham City won't make fuss over 'phantom goal'

Apr 30 2009 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail

BLUES are unlikely to make a fuss about the ‘phantom goal’ should Reading pip them to automatic promotion.

Controversial referee Stuart Attwell’s inexplicable decision to award Reading a goal in their match at Watford when the ball hit John Eustace from a corner and bobbled out of play a couple of yards outside the post contributed to a 2-2 draw.

Had he not made such a cock-up, on the advice of linesman Nigel Bannister, then Reading would have been put out of the tussle for runners-up position by now.

But, with the teams clashing at the Madejski Stadium in a dramatic Championship finale, Reading’s gifted extra point has drawn scrutiny again.

Radio phone-ins and internet message boards have been buzzing with speculation that Blues and Sheffield United, who are also in with a shot of going up automatically, could cry foul and launch legal action if they miss out on the Premier League.

Sheffield went through the courts successfully and won compensation in the Carlos Tevez affair after he helped West Ham United avoid Premier League relegation at the Blades expense when he should have been declared ineligible.

And Blues have past form too. In 1998 David Sullivan threatened to sue the Football League and referee Rob Styles after he yellow-carded Peter Ndlovu twice for diving, the second time when he was clearly fouled in the penalty area by Huddersfield Town’s Kevin Gray.