Luton boss Jones hits out at a lack of 'respect' shown to him by officials during Chelsea defeat

Boss angry that opening Blues strike was allowed to stand
Luton boss Nathan Jones addresses his players during their cup clash with ChelseaLuton boss Nathan Jones addresses his players during their cup clash with Chelsea
Luton boss Nathan Jones addresses his players during their cup clash with Chelsea

Luton boss Nathan Jones hit out at referee David Coote for showing him a lack of respect during Town’s 3-1 FA Cup fourth round defeat at Chelsea this afternoon.

The Hatters chief was left bitterly annoyed with the opening goal of the contest on 11 minutes after the Blues didn’t use the same ball that Luton keeper Simon Sluga had cleared into touch from his goal kick, despite a multi-ball system not being in place.

To make matters worse, as the hosts took the throw-in, there were then briefly two balls on the pitch, the second being kicked out of play by a Chelsea defender, but it should have seen play stopped by the officials.

It wasn’t the case though, Tammy Abraham taking advantage to score the first goal of his hat-trick, as a disappointed Jones said: “The rules have changed apparently, so I don’t know when but the rules have changed.

“First of all, we asked the fourth official is it multi-ball? He said ‘no’, so you have to use the same ball.

“The reason the ball’s are on the sidelines is because if they go into the top of the stand, there’s no crowd there to throw it back, so you use another ball, but there’s no multi-ball.

“I asked the referee if it was multi-ball and he just kept quoting the rule book to me, so I have no idea, I couldn't get clarification.

“I waited 30 minutes and he actually got changed and has gone, so I’m baffled, I don’t know what's going on as I did not know.

“I’ve been a professional footballer for 29 years, I've been a manager and a coach for nine, and in all that time when a second ball comes on the pitch, play stops, but apparently not today, so I don’t know.

“If the rules have changed and I don't know about it then fine, so one, we think it shouldn't have stood, but two, if the rules have changed then fine.

“When I went to speak to the referee, he literally couldn't make eye contact with me, he treated me with the biggest amount of disrespect I've ever been treated with and just kept quoting a rule book about something I wasn't actually asking him, so it puzzled me.

“I’m supposed to be wearing a badge today that says ‘respect’ on, it's got to be two ways.

“Who am I supposed to have respect for? I have respect for everyone I come up against, but today we were shown very little from the referee and that saddens me.”