Jones blasts ref’s response over Chelsea’s first goal two-ball controversy

Nathan Jones had no qualms about Chelsea’s FA Cup victory over his Luton side but he blasted referee David Coote for a “the biggest amount of disrespect I’ve ever been treated with” over the Blues first goal controversy. 

In the build-up to the first of  Tammy Abraham’s hat-trick, a second ball appeared on the pitch. The game should have been stopped, with Jones saying the fourth official confirming that the game was no employing the multi-ball system. 

But no whistle came and when the Hatters boss went to ask the man in charge about it, he says he was saddened by the response. 

“The rules have changes, apparently. I don’t know when they changed but the rules have changed,” said Jones.

“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 balls are on the sideline is because if they do 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, ‘is it multi-ball?’ and he just kept quoting the rulebook to me, so I have no idea. I couldn’t get clarification. 

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

“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 them, then fine. One, we don’t think it should’ve stood, but, two, if the rules have changed, then fine. 

“But 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 rulebook about something I wasn’t actually asking him.

“So it puzzled me. I’m supposed to be wearing a badge today that has ‘respect’ on. It’s got to be two ways. 

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