Away Match Day Thread 24/01/2026 - MDT: Leicester City v Oxford United

[Northstandboy]

 

[Toucan]

Technically this isn’t always true - you don’t need the ball to be in play to award a sanction.

Imagine the situation where the ball has been kicked over the Fence End and is out of play. While waiting for a new ball to be fetched and the corner taken, the keeper punches MHarris. The ref sees it happen.

Ref must deal with the situation there and then, dismissing the keeper for violent conduct, and awarding a foul (in this case a penalty).

By applying the strict rule of only taking action when the ball is in play, you’d miss all sorts of off the ball shenanigans, and players would go unpunished unless VAR or a referee observer spotted it.

Are you a qualified ref?

If so please see the posts regarding fouls above as they will assist you.

 

[Danny777]

I don't think you are right.

Yes its a sending off but it can't be a penalty.

I'm happy to be shown to be wrong.

Any qualified refs here viewing

Qualified ref here….
You are correct, if ball isn’t in play you can’t award a foul. Can be a yellow/ red but can’t be a penalty

 

[McXal]

Having just watched the last 10 mins or so back on the full replay, my interpretation is that the flare up after the game is actually a direct result of the poor officiating too - namely the assistant ref missing the ball going miles out of play in Leicester’s half right in front of us fans as the game goes into the 97th minute.

The Leicester player is allowed to dribble on, at which point Spencer visibly grabs Mavididi and tries to wrestle him to the ground to give a cynical foul away and stop their break. Mavididi has a bit of an angry flap at that point. Then as the final whistle goes he seeks out Spencer to argue with him again, Spencer shoves him away and the handbags ensue.

(There may be more involved of course - assume they were having a bit of a battle all afternoon. But you can see all of the above playing out quite clearly on the full match replay, and could all have been avoided if the assistant ref was LOOKING AT THE BALL when it went out of play. Of course it’ll be the Oxford and Leicester players/staff getting fines for the post-match scenes whilst the officials get off without comment…)

 

[Eaststanding]

It's very odd. I don't recall songs about Thatcher, Blair, or Johnson, all far more likely to be objectionable, whereas Starmer is one of the more boring, faceless, and mild PMs we've had. Or do you think there are certain Russian-backed influencers encouraging it?

It’s a popular song at protests, marches etc, and therefore carries across to football crowds. In amongst the other near 3 hours of superb support on Saturday this one song, sung once, is hardly worth the attention it’s getting here.

 

[Kernow Yellow]

Plenty of qualified drivers who don't know the highway code properly.

Hmm, I'd say that a better equivalent to a driver not knowing the highway code would be a professional player not knowing the laws of the game. Both have to adhere by the respective codes.

A qualified ref not knowing them sounds more like a driving examiner or traffic cop not knowing the highway code tbh - both have to administer the rules.

 

[MJB]

Having just watched the last 10 mins or so back on the full replay, my interpretation is that the flare up after the game is actually a direct result of the poor officiating too - namely the assistant ref missing the ball going miles out of play in Leicester’s half right in front of us fans as the game goes into the 97th minute.

The Leicester player is allowed to dribble on, at which point Spencer visibly grabs Mavididi and tries to wrestle him to the ground to give a cynical foul away and stop their break. Mavididi has a bit of an angry flap at that point. Then as the final whistle goes he seeks out Spencer to argue with him again, Spencer shoves him away and the handbags ensue.

(There may be more involved of course - assume they were having a bit of a battle all afternoon. But you can see all of the above playing out quite clearly on the full match replay, and could all have been avoided if the assistant ref was LOOKING AT THE BALL when it went out of play. Of course it’ll be the Oxford and Leicester players/staff getting fines for the post-match scenes whilst the officials get off without comment…)

Yes I think this is right.

Talk on last night's Dub of it being related to potential elbows by MPH earlier in the game aren't quite right in my opinion (albeit they might have added further to Leicester's frustration at half-time.

Either way, it didn't portray the Foxes in a particularly good light and perhaps indicates the disquiet at the club currently.

 

[Swinny]

From my recollection, Lankshear was shouting at the linesman claiming a foul and he was responding to that rather than watching the game carry on, and missed the ball go out. Even when running the line for my son's U12/13 matches we've been told to not respond to players and just watch the game!

 

[bazzer9461]

Enjoy

5.2K views · 34 reactions | LEICESTER CITY FIGHTING OF THE PITCH THAN ON!!! #lcfc #kingpower #fighting #oxfordunited | LCFC Alfie

LEICESTER CITY FIGHTING OF THE PITCH THAN ON!!! #lcfc #kingpower #fighting #oxfordunited

www.facebook.com

 

[Essexyellows]

Today at work was a lot of fun................. United beanie, mouse mat, scarf across the screens, email signature tweaked and lots of people chuntering.

Fair dues that a couple of ST holders reckon we were the loudest/noisiest bunch this season and were surprised that 3k or so turned up.

A lot of them are now looking over their shoulders with a points deduction pending......

Glorious!

 

[Ewes]

I don't think you are right.

Yes its a sending off but it can't be a penalty.

I'm happy to be shown to be wrong.

Any qualified refs here viewing

Yes you’re spot on, sorry my mistake (said the embarrassed qualified referee - whoops!)

 

[Mojofilter]

Plenty of qualified drivers who don't know the highway code properly.

yes but that's excusable because it's only driving a car, this is football which has real consequences

 

[Yellowecky]

Did you notice how the Oxford players were playing with smiles on their faces.

Long may it continue.

 

[Oxford84]

View attachment 33158

How many did we take?

 

[Essexyellows]

How many did we take?

As near to 3k as makes little odds.

 

[brinyhoof]

Excelllent alternative angle, great reaction , "fire drill".

 

[BicesterU]

Just got fed this on my Facebook algorithm, and the reaction to Sparky's goal is absolute gold.

 

[Marked Ox]

Just got fed this on my Facebook algorithm, and the reaction to Sparky's goal is absolute gold.

They weren't wrong on the defending tbf.

 

[Northstandboy]

 

[Rach]

This user does not have permission to use the HTML BB code.

&*(^% Can't edit a post with embedded images. This should just show the first image from Northstandboy's post...

Their goalie really did have his arms attached wrong.