Accrington Stanley boss John Coleman delighted Wrexham fans as he told his own player to give the ball back after disagreeing with a decision.
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Gesture from Accrington boss received standing ovationJohn Coleman ordered his own player to give ball backDisagreed with decision made by linesman & refereeWHAT HAPPENED?
As the ball ran out of play for a throw-in during Saturday's League Two clash, referee Ben Atkinson awarded the decision to Accrington Stanley, around the halfway line and in front to of the managers in the dugout. Coleman proceeded to jump out of his seat and tell his player to give the ball straight back to Wrexham, as he clearly disagreed with the decision and felt that the hosts deserved to have possession back.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
It was a hugely bizarre moment that's very rarely seen in football. Indeed, the Wrexham fans acknowledged Coleman's gesture, standing to their feet to give the Accrington manager an ovation. It might not have been the best idea, though, with the visitors then already 3-0 down, courtesy of a Paul Mullin hat-trick, and chasing the game against the promotion hopefuls. Indeed, they would fall 4-0 behind just before the half-time whistle blew, and it's unlikely Coleman will want do any more favours for Phil Parkinson's men.
DID YOU KNOW?
This sort of intervention usually only happens when a team has unjustly scored a goal that the opponent, and ultimately their manager, feels should be corrected, allowing them to score straight from the kick-off. This exact scenario happened in the Championship in 2019, when Leeds allowed Aston Villa to score the equaliser unopposed immediately after they had found the net while Jonathan Kodjia was down with an injury. That gesture saw head coach Marcelo Bielsa win the FIFA Fair Play award, much to the annoyance of Frank Lampard!
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ACCRINGTON?
After being ripped apart in the first half by Wrexham, Accrington Stanley will be looking to get out of SToK Racecourse as soon as possible. The League Two side face Bradford City on March 9 and will be looking to recover from a woeful recent run of results. As for Coleman, he's unlikely to be recognised by FIFA for his gesture, but Wrexham fans present at the game won't forget it in a hurry.