Chadwick 'Red Card blown out of all proportion'

Argyle Super Striker, Nick Chadwick feels that he should have been subbed off, rather than red carded against Yeovil. I can't see the elbow as being deliberate anyway- how the hell could Chadwick have intentionally aimed for something and been successful in hitting it?

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STRIKER Nick Chadwick believes the response to his red card in Plymouth Argyle’s first pre-season friendly was blown out of proportion.

Chadwick (right) hit the headlines after he was sent-off in the first half of the Pilgrims’ 5-0 defeat by League One outfit Yeovil Town in Dorchester last Saturday.
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The 29-year-old was dismissed by referee Keith Stroud after hitting out at Yeovil centre-back Byron Webster.

Argyle were trailing 3-0 at the time after a making a terrible start to the match and Chadwick blamed frustration on his part for his clash with Webster.

At first, officials at Home Park feared Chadwick would have to sit out the first three competitive fixtures of the new season as punishment.

But, instead, he was only banned for the 1-0 win at Truro City on Tuesday, following a recent rule change by the Football Association.

Talking about the incident, Chadwick told Herald Sport: “It was frustration on my part.

“We were 3-0 down at the time. Yes, it was a pre-season friendly, but you either like winning football matches or you don’t.

“Clashes happen between centre-forwards and centre-halves all the time. A lot has been made of nothing really.

“If the referee had subbed me off, would such a fuss have been made of it? I don’t think so.

“It’s not my greatest moment but it wasn’t anything too cynical and it’s time to move on. There are a lot more important issues than that incident.”

Chadwick admitted he was unsure after being sent-off what the disciplinary consequences would be.

He said: “No-one wants to miss the start of the season. I have worked hard in the summer to get to where I am now and I want to be a big part of things.

“So that wouldn’t have been the ideal start. I asked the question and found out I wouldn’t be suspended for the first three games.

“I was relieved and happy it was all systems go still,” he added.

Chadwick returned to Home Park for a second spell with Argyle last November and was soon in goalscoring form.

But niggling injuries limited his effectiveness towards the end of the campaign, as the Pilgrims clawed their way out of relegation trouble.

Now, Chadwick is ready and raring for the new campaign.

Argyle continue their pre-season preparations with an away game against Weston-super-Mare tonight (7.45pm).

That will be followed by a trip to Tiverton Town next Tuesday, July 31.

Chadwick said: “I have trained every day since we came back in and I think the games are important now.

“We were off it against Yeovil. You could tell they had played two games before that, and we hadn’t.

“So I think the next three or four games are important now to get minutes under our belt and make sure we are alright for the start of the season.”

Argyle’s build up to the new campaign has included boxing and swimming sessions, in addition to the usual diet of training and playing games, and Chadwick has welcomed that.

He said: “I think it has been important. We haven’t gone away on tour this year, so it can be a bit mundane if you stick to the same environment doing the same runs.

“The general fitness of everybody now is excellent, but you have got to get that game sharpness.”

After playing Weston and Tiverton, Argyle will have two more pre-season friendlies, both at Home Park.

They will take on Championship club Birmingham City on Saturday, August 4, before hosting League One outfit Preston North End four days later.

Chadwick said: “Personally, I think it’s important to play the local sides.

“It’s good for the community, and it gets you back into the swing of things.

“But as we saw against Truro the other night, these lads aren’t going to roll over and die.

“There are some good players at that level so it’s still a good test for people, without coming up against the real quality that Birmingham have got.”

Chadders