Former Premier League referee and Cobblers fan Peter Walton explains why Aaron McGowan's red card was not overturned

Former Premier League referee and lifelong Cobblers fan Peter Walton has explained why Aaron McGowan’s red card against Crawley Town was not overturned by an independent FA panel this week.

The 26-year-old defender will be banned for the next three matches after Cobblers unsuccessfully appealed his sending off during Saturday’s League Two fixture at Sixfields.

Walton refereed in the Premier League between 2003 and 2012 and appeared on the Cobblers Show on BBC Radio Northampton this week to discuss McGowan’s sending off and explain how the appeals process works.

"The review is heard by an independent panel,’ he said. “We don’t know who it is but I understand it’s an ex-player, an ex-referee and an ex-manager or administrator and they come to a decision.

"I have to take by Cobblers hat off and put my sensible hat on for this instance because if you look at the law, violent conduct is when a player uses or attempts to use excessive force.

"Now, was McGowan seen to be using excessive force in that instance? I don’t think so personally. I just think the officials were a tad over zealous on the day and it was the wrong decision.

"But to get through that independent review panel, the Cobblers must have provided some evidence to say the onfield decision was clearly wrong and if you take the letter of the law, maybe that wasn’t reached and that’s why the appeal was dismissed.

"In hindsight, the best option would have been a yellow card for each player and put it to bed.”

Elaborating further on the appeals process, Walton added: “The bar for the appeal to win has been set so high and that’s to make sure that we don’t have frivolous appeal where clubs appeal just because they can.

"The FA are saying to clubs ‘if you have evidence, please show us, but that evidence must be clear that the referee on the day made an error’ and because we don’t have 24 cameras angles, the chances of finding that evidence is less than it is in the Premier League.

"But that’s the world we live in and it’s the same for all clubs in League Two and League One and unless the authorities lower that threshold, then we’ll be left in a position where common sense doesn’t prevail and we are left with the mere facts and in this instance it didn’t go in the Cobblers’ favour.”