Henry - 'Can I take it please?'

Last updated : 12 December 2004 By Chris Parry
He said:

"If you can forget the way Arsenal scored their second goal - if you can call it a goal - the result was correct. But it's difficult for me to forget Arsenal's second goal, so I don't think the result was fair.

"If I speak about it maybe I would have to go to the FA and be sent to the stands for a few weeks or pay a large fine - and I should keep my money for Christmas presents. I am more than unhappy, but unhappy is a nice word. I cannot say the words in my heart and soul. I just cannot do it."

"In pre-season, we had a top referee at our training ground who showed us all the rules of football. So I have no doubts about it. One of the things he explained to us was walls, distance, whistle - everything was clear.

"I have a lot of respect for Mr Poll - he is a top referee. But the rules of the game are the same all over the world - in China, Japan, Mexico or England, in the top league or under-15s."

Mr.Poll however commended Henry on his politeness, saying:

"The whistle doesn't need to be blown. I asked Henry 'do you want a wall?'. He said 'can I take it please?' He was very polite. I said 'yes'," he reported. I deal with the laws of the game; I deal with fact. I gave the signal for him to take it, and that's what he did.

"The same thing happened when I refereed Chelsea against West Ham in an FA Cup replay two years ago - when Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink scored - and I don't remember them complaining about that."