Bantams boss Graham Alexander won't send referee report

The Bantams boss was furious with the Wigan official’s display in their 2-1 defeat at Walsall.

He accused Smith of being influenced by the home crowd in his “one-way” decision-making.

But Alexander won’t be pushing the club to file an official report to the refereeing governing body, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited.

“I’m going to speak to the club about not doing reports,” said Alexander. “They are a waste of time.

“I don’t do them. I’ve seen them come back and we’re not listened to at this level as managers and coaches.

Vadaine Oliver confronts assistant referee Steve Rushton (Image: Tom Pearson)

“I’m not just talking about myself, it’s the same with everybody.

“The directives we were told were going to be driven forward last summer and this one haven’t happened. I’ve not seen that at all.”

Clubs have been promised there would be a higher threshold for contact to allow more physicality.

But Alexander insists that has not been the case. He was angry that late substitute Vadaine Oliver was punished by the officials over a couple of aerial challenges and felt Walsall target man Jamille Matt did not face the same scrutiny.

Alexander added: “It’s a competitive game. That’s what fans want to see in English football.

“Fine, if you’re going to give free-kicks then give them against both teams.

“You have to be the same but it was one-way traffic.

“Vadaine was raging because he was sent on to do exactly the same job that Jamille Matt was doing for them.

“There were five bookings (in our team) and they had one – when they cut Jamie Walker in half in the middle of the pitch.

“I’ve been booked, Colin Doyle’s been booked. It was just ridiculous.

“We have to find a way round it because we’re not going to change the way we play. That’s definitely not going to happen.”

City feel that referees make a conscious effort not to be influenced by the home atmosphere at Valley Parade. But Alexander stressed that has got to be the case across the board.

“It was just a constant break-up of any attacking pressure we could get and then handing the baton to them.

Andy Cook looking gutted after the final whistle on Saturday (Image: Tom Pearson)

“We don’t see that at Valley Parade. People think, ‘it’s a volatile atmosphere with a big crowd, so we have to overcome that.’

“But places like Walsall and Barrow are just as volatile. They might have less numbers but it’s just the same and the officials react to all that.

“I think they are trained to not react to it at Valley Parade. Nobody speaks about that.

“They talk pre-games about doing their homework and all that rubbish – just ref the game that you see right in front of you.”

City’s second away loss saw them slip to seventh in League Two and four points behind new leaders Notts County.

Alexander said: “I feel for the players and then you get the kick in the whatsits right at the end.

“There’s something we can do better on the cross for the goal. But if it was a free-kick, it was the other way round.”