Exeter City boss Gary Caldwell believes his dismissal during the recent goalless draw at Lincoln City was unjustified – and claims his Scottish accent played a role in the red card.
The incident occurred late in the League One clash at the LNEr Stadium after a dramatic stoppage-time moment saw a potential winning goal for the Grecians ruled out by referee Declan Bourne. Defender Angus MacDonald had seemingly bundled home the rebound from a Ryan Trevitt strike, only for the officials to judge that the ball had struck his hand.
The decision sparked an animated reaction from Caldwell, who left his technical area to question the fourth official – but the Exeter boss maintains he remained composed and did not use inappropriate language.
‘Scottishness’ cited as reason for red
“I didn’t swear, which I’m really proud of! I obviously went over to the fourth official, who is 20 yards away, because that’s where the fourth official is at that stadium… I didn’t run, he said I was aggressive.
“People who know me, I’ve got a Scottish accent… I think it’s the Scottish accent, it comes across very aggressive, but I didn’t swear, I didn’t run, in my opinion I wasn’t aggressive, but my accent and my Scottishness is aggressive and I got sent off for that.”
The 42-year-old has now received formal notice of a charge from the FA and has a set period to respond before a likely disciplinary hearing. It’s not the first time Caldwell has found himself in hot water this season; a similar touchline red against Wycombe Wanderers earlier in the campaign resulted in a fine and suspension.
Caldwell has already served a one-match ban for yellow card accumulation, and his assistant David Perkins was fined earlier this season after a fiery encounter against Lincoln at St James Park.
While the Scot accepts something must change, he feels the club are being unfairly labelled.
He added that the team’s passion is being misinterpreted as poor discipline and believes the Grecians are simply showing commitment to the cause. However, he admitted he may need to “Anglicise” his approach to avoid future sanctions.
Caldwell will be allowed on the touchline for Saturday’s home game against Wrexham, which is expected to draw a full house at St James Park.
Writer’s view
Gary Caldwell’s comments will no doubt raise eyebrows, but they shine a light on the growing tension between touchline passion and the strict boundaries of officiating. Whether or not his accent truly played a role, it’s clear he feels targeted. Exeter must now manage perception as well as performance, or risk distractions in their League One run-in.
