When Riley blew the whistle to signal the end of the match, was this farce over?
No, it was far from over.
The match was over, but Riley still ran to the sidelines and gave the two assistant managers who had clashed — Kerslake and Dillon — a red card each! Sending people off the field after the match was not new, but it was also not common.
The commentator for the match saw this scene and did not know what to say. "Riley must be crazy …"
"Six red cards! Twenty yellow cards! What a crazy card dispenser! "
In the end, the four on-duty referees had no choice but to leave the field under the close protection of the police. Otherwise, it was hard to say if they would have been torn to shreds by the angry Forest fans.
The reporters waited in the mixed zone for interviews, but they quickly realized that no one stopped to say a word or two about the match. They had no choice but to move to the press conference venue.
Unexpectedly, after experiencing such a terrible scene, both Tang En and Coppell were still present. Not a single one was missing.
It was just that both of their expressions were unfriendly, and they did not shake hands in a friendly manner.
Without waiting for the emcee to announce the start of the press conference, Tang En grabbed the microphone and said, "I'm very sorry about this match, even though we won. I don't want to say who's responsible for this, because everyone saw it. The match was played this way, and I don't think my players can be blamed in any way. They've already done enough, and I'm proud of their performance … "
Hearing this, Coppell could not help but interrupt Tang En. "Proud of George Wood's punch?"
Tang En did not even turn his head. He looked at the reporters and gritted his teeth. "Clearly not proud of Hunter's knee! I'm even regretting that George Wood did not give that bastard a concussion. Why? Mr. Coppell, are you proud of Hunter? "
"Please watch your words, Tony Tang!" Coppell and Tang En were not on good terms. The two of them were like dogs biting each other the moment they met. "That was just an accident! It's normal for accidents like this to happen on the field! "
"Accident my ass!" Tang En stood up abruptly and roared. "That was a malicious attack. It was intentional! Otherwise, why didn't that bastard jump up and instead lowered his center of gravity so that his knee was at the height of Paul Gerrard's head? Have you ever f * cking seen anyone snatch the ball with their knees? "
This had completely turned into a war of words on the street. The group of reporters did not ask any questions and watched the battle quietly with joy.
"You don't point fingers at Wood, I tell you, Steve Coppell. If it wasn't for that despicable Hunter, George would never have punched that bastard. It's that simple. Since the referee, Mr. Riley, is blind, then my players will exercise the right to punish on his behalf. That stupid referee didn't even give a verbal warning for such a vile and inhumane foul. Did he buy his referee's certificate with money?! " Tang En's mouth was like a machine gun. Questions, reprimands, and vulgarities poured out. He did not give Coppell any chance to retort. "This match has become like this … Twenty yellow cards, six red cards! Was it the players' responsibility? It was the fault of that f * cking incompetent referee! The Football Association should ban that idiot for life! In the face of the opponent's rough foul, he didn't dare to play his cards. He was timid like a sissy who didn't have a d * ck. When he realized that the situation wasn't right, he frantically played his cards to make the situation even more out of control. Was this what a referee should do? Even secondary school PE teachers did it better than him! I finally know why the English referees made so many low-level mistakes in the World Cup in Germany! "
After scolding his opponent, Tang En pointed his gun at the English Football Association and the referee. This time, he was going to become "public enemy number one."
One could imagine how furious Tang En was at that moment.
"My players are still lying in the hospital, and it's unknown whether they're dead or alive!" Tang En pointed to the sky. "But the murderer is still at large! The person who instigated the crime is still twisting words and forcing logic beside me, unwilling to take responsibility. The referee on duty is incompetent and afraid of trouble. Other than constantly pulling out cards from his ass, he doesn't know anything else. Give me a reason not to be angry! "he said to the reporters.
Pierce Brosnan had wanted Tang En to wake up from his berserk state. He planned to ask some questions to change the topic, such as the next round of the league tournament. But when he thought that the question might add fuel to the fire, he lowered his hand that was raised halfway.
After venting, Tang En no longer wanted to sit with Coppell. Without saying goodbye, he turned and left.
Seeing Tang En turn and leave the stage, Coppell also left in the other direction with a look of displeasure. No matter how the reporters called him, he ignored them.
※ ※ ※
After leaving the stadium, Tang En did not follow the team to the hotel they were staying at. Instead, he went straight to the Royal Hospital of Nottingham University.
He bumped into Professor Constantine at the entrance of the building. The professor was hurrying out of the building and did not see Tang En.
"Professor!" Tang En shouted.
"Tony?" Constantine was not surprised by Tang En's appearance. "You're here?"
"Yes. How's the situation?"
"He's unconscious."
"Does he need surgery?" Tang En asked.
"No." Constantine shook his head. "This is good news."
Tang En heaved a sigh of relief. Then, he thought of the bad news. "Will there be any sequelae?"
"That's completely uncertain now." Constantine took off his glasses. "We'll only know after he wakes up. I can't give you any guarantees whether he can return to the field. Even his normal life still needs time to check. "
Tang En thought of Čech, who had suffered a depressed fracture in his head from the collision. In the end, he managed to pull through. Not only did he survive, but he also became Chelsea's main goalkeeper again.
"He'll be fine." He nodded.
Constantine wondered why Tang En suddenly had confidence again.
"Intuition …" Tang En pointed to his head and smiled. "I believe he'll be fine."
Constantine interpreted it as a form of self-consolation, so he smiled along.
"Did you win the game?" In order to make the atmosphere less awkward, Constantine changed the topic. He did not expect the topic to be even worse …
"We won." Tang En's face darkened.
"Uh … I didn't watch the game. I was called in directly to deal with it … What happened?"
"Watch the news later, Professor. There's a good show to watch. "He patted Constantine's shoulder." I'll go first. Goodbye. Oh, yes, Professor. If Paul wakes up, call me to let me know. "
Constantine nodded, puzzled. He was wondering what else had happened in the game.
The answer was soon revealed. England's news media was very developed. Usually, just half an hour after the game ended, there would be a special edition that introduced the score and a brief summary of the game on sale. By the evening, there would be detailed reports on all aspects.
Constantine saw the report on the LCD TV in front of the elevator in the hospital lobby. The image of Tony Twain cursing and swearing at the press conference appeared in front of him, which surprised him. It was rare for him to see Tang En so angry …
Then the news screen cut to the game, as well as the big conflict between the two sides after the game. Constantine was dumbfounded. Was the BBC sure this was the English Premier League and not a war in the Middle East?
※ ※ ※
Two hours later, the image of Tang En cursing and swearing on television spread to thousands of households in England. Everyone knew what happened in the game and what happened after the game.
The next day, the incident spread all over the world. The football world was shocked by this rare instance of stadium violence.
Nottingham Forest Football Club acted quickly. On the night of the game, they submitted a letter of protest to the English Football Association regarding Reading FC's unsportsmanlike behavior in the game, as well as the main referee on duty, Riley's poor execution of the game. This was the club's response at Tang En's request. They wanted to "strike first to gain the initiative."
The next morning, the Football Association received another letter of complaint from Reading FC.
In the afternoon, the relevant personnel from the Football Association met with the main referee, Riley, in hopes that he could explain the execution of the game.
All the media turned their attention to London's SOHO Square — that was where the English Football Association was located.
Hunt's wounding actions were too vile. Even though George Wood's actions were deliberate, if one were to consider the cause and effect, all the sympathy points would be given to Nottingham Forest.
Especially after the follow-up report came out, Paul Gerrard was still in a coma and did not believe it. This affected the hearts of the public even more. Public opinion began to tilt against Reading FC.
Reading FC's rough style of play this season was well known in the English football world. So, when Tang En said the responsibility was on Reading FC's side, no one would object.
Before the Football Association could discuss the specific outcome, they first announced a small-scale warning in an attempt to calm the emotions of both sides.
"… We have already warned Sonko, Ashley Young and Xue Qixuan, who were sent off in the game. We will also closely monitor their performance in future games …"
No one was concerned about the fate of these small fries. What they were concerned about was the punishment for Hunt, George Wood, and the two assistant managers who had verbal and physical altercations after the game.
While the Football Association continued to study the matter, the managers of both sides were not idle either. They continued to engage in a war of words in the media. Tang En did this in hopes of exerting pressure on the Football Association. He wanted to see if the Football Association would still be biased towards Riley this time. Coppell, on the other hand, was only doing this because of his personal grudge against Tang En. His team had lost the game and even had three players sent off. He could not take this lying down.
This period of time was practically a festival for the English media. Every day, there would be news that could be hyped up. There were even some English publishing houses that planned to compile the opinions of the various parties into a book, and then publish and sell it …
Three days later, the English Football Association finally announced the final outcome of the matter:
1. The main referee on duty, Riley, was banned for 10 matches due to losing control of the game and misguiding the direction of the game.
2. Reading FC player, Stephen Hunt, was banned for 10 matches due to a malicious foul that caused a person to faint. He was fined 35,000 pounds. In addition, the Football Association would closely monitor for the next two years after the suspension period ended. If there was another violent foul on the field, he would be banned for 15 matches.
3. Nottingham Forest player, George Wood, was banned for eight matches due to a malicious foul. He was fined 25,000 pounds. If there was another similar violent act within the next year, he would be banned for another 12 matches.
4. Nottingham Forest assistant manager, Kerslake, and Reading FC assistant manager, Dillon, were banned for four matches due to their actions after the game and were fined 15,000 pounds.
5. Nottingham Forest manager, Tony Twain, was banned for three matches due to his unjust accusations against the Football Association after the game, his intention to interfere with the referee's normal work, and his personal attack on his opponent, which was against sportsmanship.
6. Reading FC Football Club and Nottingham Forest Football Club were singled out for criticism due to their failure to supervise the players. They were fined 50,000 pounds.
7. Reading FC player, Xue Qixuan, elbowed his opponent and committed a malicious foul. He was banned for three matches and fined 15,000 pounds.
8. Reading FC player, Sonko, and Nottingham Forest player, Ashley Young, who were sent off during the game, had their punishments unchanged. They were banned for one match.
After this result was announced, it was hailed by the media as the English Football Association's strictest fine. Although there was a precedent of an eight-month ban for Cantona's flying kick on a fan. But for so many people at the same time, it was indeed the most severe punishment.
It looked like the Football Association's slogan of strengthening the management of violent acts on the field was not just empty words …
What the media was looking forward to was that after this result was announced, Twain would express his dissatisfaction and continue to make a fuss for a while. That way, they would have more topics to hype up. Unexpectedly, Twain did not make any comments on this time. He did not say that he would appeal, nor did he criticize the Football Association. He simply kept his mouth shut about the matter.
No one knew what he was thinking, except for himself. In his opinion, the two people he wanted to punish the most had been punished. His goal had been achieved, and there was no need to continue to harp on this issue.
Riley was banned for ten matches, and Hunter was banned for ten matches.
He had finally vented his anger.
Even the Forest players believed that Riley was the main culprit when they were interviewed. Hunter's foul could not be prevented, but if Riley was smart enough, the series of events that followed could be prevented. But his clumsy performance only added fuel to the fire. Seeing Riley being punished, the Forest players clapped their hands in glee.
If Twain was smart enough, what he should do now was not to pester the Football Association and Reading Club endlessly in the media, but to clean up the mess — they were about to play against Arsenal in an away game. With his current "incomplete formation," what would the result be?
They did not even dare to think about it.
That sly old fox Wenger would not let go of such a great opportunity. Nottingham Forest's trip to London was fraught with grim possibilities.
The only good news was that after the Football Association announced the final punishment list, Twain also received a call from Constantine. Paul Gerrard had woken up.
※ ※ ※
When Twain, Assistant Manager Dunn, and Kerslake rushed to the hospital, they saw that even the door of the ward was surrounded by a lot of media. They also rushed over after knowing that Gerrard had woken up.
When Twain was dragged to the door for an interview, he appeared impatient. He only threw a sentence and ran in.
"Now, Hunter can have a good night's sleep."
The three of them entered the ward and the door was closed by the medical staff. The media who wanted to continue probing were chased out by the hospital's security guards. The reporters clamored that the hospital could not obstruct freedom of the press and that they had the right to know the truth. Professor Constantine pointed at their noses and scolded, "Bullsh * t freedom, this is a hospital! I'm a doctor, I have the right to ask all of you to leave! If you disturb my patient's rest and his heart stops for even a second, I'll make all of you responsible! "
"Pr-Professor, you're swearing …" A young and beautiful nurse covered her mouth in surprise. In the eyes of the young nurse, Professor Constantine, who wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, was a courteous gentleman, synonymous with a good man. Although he was not young, he was still a lover of the masses.
Constantine was a little embarrassed. After following Twain for so long, he had unknowingly picked up this bad habit …
"But … the professor is also charming like this …" The female nurse's eyes were immediately filled with thoughts.
Constantine suddenly understood. No wonder Tony Twain was a demon with horns on his head, flames spewing from his mouth, a tail and wings on his back, and sharp teeth in the eyes of many media. He was also one of the women's magazines most wanted for a one-night stand …
※ ※ ※
"Boss, Coach Kerslake, Coach Dunn … Why are you guys here?" Paul Gerrard, who was lying on the bed and waiting for his wife to peel an apple for him, was a little surprised to see the three people walk in.
"I heard you're awake, so I came to see you. Am I not welcome?" Twain pulled a chair and sat in front of Gerrard's bed.
"No … I'm a little surprised, I didn't expect …" Paul smiled and shook his head gently.
Seeing that he shook his head very slowly, Twain pointed to his head and asked, "How do you feel here?"
"Every now and then, it still hurts for a while," Gerrard said with a frown and stopped shaking his head. It seemed that shaking his head now was also a burden.
Twain had a smile on his face, but he could not smile at all in his heart. It seemed that the situation was not as good as he thought.
"How was the match, Boss?" Gerrard asked again.
"We won." Twain smiled brightly. "1: 0. We didn't let that bastard Coppell go back with a smile on our home ground."
"That's good … I thought I was going to die …" Gerrard muttered.
"How is that possible? Now that medical technology is so advanced, it's just a collision. There's no problem. Look, aren't you lying in bed and chatting with us right now? "
After a moment of silence, Paul turned his head and asked the two assistant managers, "Can I still continue playing?"
Dunn did not say anything, and Kerslake's smile was a little forced. It was still Twain who helped them out. "Of course you can! As long as you rest well, you'll definitely come back! Think about the Romani boy. He laid here for nine months, but didn't he come back in the end? "
Eastwood's experience was indeed a good motivational story. A living example was on the same team as him. Paul Gerrard could not help but believe it.
"Rest well and don't think about anything. I've told Eastwood here that the entire team is waiting for him to come back. I'll say it to you again today. Paul, we'll be waiting for you to come back. "
Seeing the tears in Gerrard's eyes, Twain stood up and bowed slightly to Paul's wife. "Please take good care of him, madam. Your husband is a good man. "
"We're going to London tomorrow. We'll be leaving first."
The three of them got up to leave and pushed the door open. Twain was a little surprised to see Professor Constantine still at the door.
"Are you working as a doorman here? Professor. "
The old man did not react to Twain's joke. As if he had not heard it, he said to Twain, "I have something to talk to you about."
Hearing this, Dunn, who was walking at the back, naturally closed the door. Twain took a few steps forward before turning to look at Constantine.
"Good news or bad news? I've been asking people that lately. "
Constantine did not answer immediately. His expression was a little awkward.
"I got it. You don't have to tell me, Professor. "Twain waved his hand. "If it's good news, leave me a surprise. If it's bad news … I don't want to hear it. "
This made Constantine smile again. "Okay, Tony, as you wish."
"We're leaving. I'll come back after I come back from London." Twain shook hands with Constantine and said goodbye. "Please take good care of him."
"Don't worry about that, Tony. I wish you all the best. "
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