Players call for consistency from referees

The Professional Footballers' Association have demanded more consistency from referees.

Their call comes in the wake of Dermot Gallagher's relegation from the Barclaycard Premiership for not sending off Robbie Keane on Saturday.

The Leeds striker escaped with a yellow card when he floored Manchester United's David Beckham with a two-handed shove in the face - although Middlesbrough's Paul Ince was dismissed in a similar bust-up with Sunderland's Niall Quinn just five days previously.

Football Association chiefs' decision to temporarily remove Gallagher from the Premier League list sparked a worried reaction at the PFA's Manchester headquarters.

The players' union are concerned that their members face a lottery when they lose their cool, like Keane in the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford and Ince in the Tees-Wear derby last Monday.

Gallagher only booked Keane and will now be hauled in to face FA referees' manager Philip Don - and then be told the length of his suspension from the top flight.

PFA chairman Barry Horne claimed players do not know where they stand in the wake of this season's rash of confusing decisions and over-turned red cards.

He said: "When there are two incidents that are largely similar in terms of physical contact, they should have similar outcomes.

"If there was more consistency, it would give clubs, managers and players less room to complain.

"If incidents are broadly comparable, we would like the same outcome - so everybody knows where they stand.

"That gives referees protection so they're not open to criticism, because when you get sent off for something one week and not the next, it does leave referees open to criticism."