Richard Keys launches into X-rated rant over Paul Tierney ‘nonsense’ in Chelsea vs Newcastle
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Credit: Imago / Sky Sports Premier League Sat 14 March 2026 18:23, UK Richard Keys voiced his anger over Paul Tierney at Stamford Bridge before Chelsea and Newcastle United even kicked off.Liam Rosenior’s players have introduced a new trend before games, huddling over the ball on the centre circle before kick off, which really frustrated the Aston Villa stars at the beginning of March.It was no different against the Magpies. However, the referee appeared to get caught up in the moment, with the Sky Sports cameras filming the bizarre scenes in West London.Newcastle took an early lead against Chelsea, so the pre-game huddle clearly didn’t do much to help, and the entire situation only appears to have annoyed onlookers, including Keys. ⚽ Chelsea Matchday⚽ Team news, line-ups, expert previews and tactical analysis for every Chelsea fixture at Stamford Bridge.
VISIT THE CHELSEA MATCH HUB MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES Paul Tierney and Chelsea stars infuriate viewers with pre-game huddleMore and more supporters from up and down the Premier League are learning of Chelsea’s strange ritual before games, and the majority of those are calling for it to be completely scrapped.Keys is certainly one of them, launching into a rant on social media, especially aiming criticism at Tierney, who was caught in the middle of it all.Taking in the scenes (14 March), Keys took to X to voice his feelings, writing: “What is Paul Tierney thinking, allowing this nonsense – a Chelsea huddle on the centre circle? Tell them to [expletive] off.”Rosenior has not taken any responsibility for the new introduction, but he is certainly not showing any signs of getting his players to stop it anytime soon.Could the Blues get in trouble for their new ritual?The Blues have not faced any actual repercussions just yet, but Keith Hackett, former head of the PGMOL, certainly believes to think so, should there be any sort of time-wasting.Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Hackett revealed that officials are likely to report Chelsea, given that Premier League and European games are run on a very tight schedule, especially when televised.Of course, Rosenior and his players can make sure not to eat into the playing minutes, but it seems like an unnecessary risk to take when these sorts of talks can take place in the changing rooms.It is only likely to frustrate the opposition, firing them up for the first half of football, rather than give themselves a boost. 🦁 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.