'I'm afraid I can't support it' - Ex-PL CEO slams 'weird' Chelsea incident
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Keith Wyness critical of ‘weird’ Chelsea huddle: ‘I’m afraid I can’t support it’ Wed 18 March 2026 21:23, UK Chelsea players were wrong to do a pre-match team huddle in the centre circle around referee Paul Tierney.That is according to ex-Everton, Aston Villa, and Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who has also criticised the referee for his part in proceedings.Before kick-off against Newcastle, Chelsea’s players huddled around the ball in the centre circle, but referee Tierney remained in the middle as Reece James delivered his talk.Chelsea changed the location of their huddle into their own half when they hosted PSG in the Champions League in their next fixture.Manager Liam Rosenior does not need any further scrutiny regarding his position at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea having lost their last three matches in all competitions. ⚽ Chelsea Matchday⚽ Team news, line-ups, expert previews and tactical analysis for every Chelsea fixture at Stamford Bridge. I’m afraid I can’t support it.
Matches6Yellow Cards23Red Cards0Penalties Awarded1Paul Tierney’s 2025-26 Premier League refereeing stats.“I think the Chelsea players were wrong. I think the referee also should have moved.
I think all the parties were wrong. “And it’s something that could have been resolved in the tunnel before, when the referee goes to speak to both teams and said, look, if you’re having a huddle, do not do it around me and I think that will be made very clear going forward.”Ex-FIFA ref drops verdict on Chelsea huddleSpeaking to Football Insider former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett said Tierney should not have got stuck in Chelsea’s pre-match huddle.Tierney should have showed more authority in the situation, and Hackett believes the referee should have shown a yellow card to Blues captain James.Hackett called the scenes “unacceptable” and that the PGMOL should talk to Chelsea regarding the incident to prevent it from happening in the future. 🦁 Don’t Miss a Beat: Your Chelsea Insider Access Get the full story from Stamford Bridge and Cobham with our dedicated expert hubs: Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from West London.