Celebrating referee’s action to be scrutinised

Reed, who has handed out more cards — including six reds in 14 matches — than any referee so far this season, upset some of the Leeds fans when he appeared to celebrate Czech forward Patrik Berger’s goal by punching the air.

The long-range shot, after a pass from compatriot Vladimir Smicer, put Liverpool 2-1 up. Reed’s action was seen as a possible sign of bias and spurred some Leeds fans to voice their complaints on radio phone-ins.

It also put the spotlight firmly on referees, who have already had a hard time in England this season after a rash of early season cards and a perceived drop in standards.

Lee said while understanding Reed’s emotions, such gestures were open to misinterpretation and must not be encouraged.

Reed, an experienced official in his last season on the Premier League list, has said he was merely celebrating playing the advantage rule after Smicer had been fouled.

“Successful advantage doesn’t happen very often,” he said. “The referee loves to see the ball in the net when he’s played an advantage. It proves he was right.”

Reed, who comes from Birmingham, also said he was not a Liverpool fan and that he did not raise his arm in celebration. “My fist was clenched but it was down at my side,” he said, adding he would not be repeating the gesture but was “comfortable” with his conduct.

The Premier League can strike a referee off its list in cases of serious misconduct. Referee Rob Harris was suspended for a month in January after a breach of the laws during an FA Cup fourth round match between first division Tranmere Rovers and Premier League Sunderland.

Harris failed to notice that Tranmere had brought on a substitute and were playing with 11 men after having a player sent off near the end of the match. However, Reed was backed by former match official Roger Milford, who was quoted in newspapers as saying that he would have shown his emotions in the same way.

“I would have done what Mike did and have done it many times,” he said. “It was done through pure love of the game.”

Ray Fell, the chairman of the Leeds supporters’ association, was also supportive of Reed. “Some might say it was silly of the referee to do what he did, but it was a good goal and I don’t think anything the referee did had much effect on it,” he said.