The fall-Out from Sunday’s East Anglian Derby has continued today with Paul Lambert claiming that Norwich City goal-keeping Coach, Ed Wootten offered to fight him during the melee between the two benches just before half-time.
Lambert was speaking at his press conference ahead of Ipswich Town’s home game with Derby County on Wednesday night and was asked about the incident.
First off, he complained that he had been pushed by a steward and that this was out of order.
“That got me angry,” Lambert told the assembled media and reported here by TWTD.
“I don’t know why he had to get involved. Why did he have to get involved? There was no thing there, there was no reason for him to be involved.
”I heard some things on their side and that’s why I responded. I didn’t need a steward to try and usher me out of the road.
“I’ve never seen anything like that before. At Portman Road do we have stewards in the middle between the two benches? I’ve not seen any. Did they have any at Stoke? Did they have any at Wolves? I’ve never seen anything like that.”
Lambert was then asked about being offered out for a fight by Ed Wootten and having declined to say what exactly happened on Sunday, today he confirmed that was what had been said.
“That’s it, yes. I tell you what, next time I’ll say, ‘No, you win’. Don’t do it in front of 25,000, do it inside. Then we’ll see.
“I’m not going to stand and take it. No chance. I didn’t even know who the guy was. I don’t even know the guy’s name. I don’t know who he was, whether he was the goalkeeping-coach. Try and stick to what you’re good at. There’s a good idea.
“I don’t know if he played the game or anything. I’m not standing back for that, that’s for sure. Get him to give me a call then, see what happens.”
He accused Norwich of lacking class but surely his comments at the end there aren’t very classy either. Why say “Get him to give me a call?” Does he actually want to have a scrap in a car park?
Bringing the game into disrepute covers just about anything and if that isn’t it, then I don’t know what is.
Lambert is the high profile manager of a professional football club and that sort of talk is as unseemly as everything that went on, on both sides, on Sunday.
Before the game, Lambert made a very big deal of how he had played in and managed derby games before. The Old Firm derbies, Dortmund v Schalke and he made out that this local rivalry was water off a duck’s back to him.
I’ve watched the footage several times and the inescapable fact is that he lost his cool. Look at how Daniel Farke reacted, he didn’t get involved at all and Lambert literally had to be restrained.
The steward did admirably in the circumstances to keep him back and perhaps, he should be grateful that there was someone there to stop him doing something really stupid. Yet he focuses on the steward, who has just used reasonable force to prevent a more serious incident happening.
I notice that he hasn’t said anything about the Police Officer having to push him back either. I wonder why?
Section 4 of The Public Order Act (Threatening behaviour) would fit Lambert’s behaviour, along with several others. Obviously only those that were within earshot know what was said but his actions alone would probably have seen him nicked on a Friday night on Prince of Wales Road!
Sky Sports are reporting that Ipswich intend to complain about the steward and his treatment of Lambert.
Dear oh dear.
If poor old Paul Lambert was so poorly treated, why did a Police Officer have to intervene? Basically because Lambert completely lost control of himself which is never a good look for anyone, especially when your opposite number is acting as cool as Steve McQueen wearing his Persol shades while lounging by an LA swimming pool in the 1970’s with a cocktail in his hand.
Obviously, if Ed Wootten did offer to have a scrap with him then that’s pretty poor form on his part too but the more cynical among us might suggest that Lambert engineered a little something to try to deflect the referee from dealing with the appalling “tackle” on Max Aarons by Jon Nolan that sparked it all off in the first place.
Handbags.
Get back in you box, Paul and just accept that you lost 3-0, it really hurts and you’re about to achieve a second relegation in successive seasons. As for the Ipswich Town board, or whoever is driving the “complaint” against a low paid steward just trying to do his best, “do a Frozen” and “Let it go” you’ll soon be in League One and be able to forget all about us.
ON THE BALL CITY!