- Newcastle boss Steve Diamond will miss the rest of the Premiership season
- He has been banned for six matches for abusing match officials
- Diamond apologised but questioned receiving the same level of suspension as a Glasgow player who made contact with the eye of Leicester’s Dan Cole
Steve Diamond believes his season-ending ban for calling a group of match officials ‘*****’ after his Newcastle team was beaten at Exeter last month isn’t fair.
The Falcons director of rugby hit out after a dramatic, 17-15 defeat at Sandy Park – a game in which the Chiefs scored a 79th minute try to win.
In the build-up to Greg Fisilau’s crucial try, Newcastle wing Alex Hearle appeared to be hit in the head in what Diamond saw as an act of foul play.
Diamond was banned for six weeks for telling the officials: ‘I hope you ***** can sleep tonight.’
At the post-match meal, he told the TMO: ‘You need to retire.’
The RFU’s disciplinary verdict said there was ‘no excuse’ for Diamond’s language towards those in charge.
Newcastle director of rugby Steve Diamond has been banned for six matches officials abuse
Diamond hit out after his team was beaten at Exeter by this 79th minute Greg Fisilau try
However, the 56-year-old believes his suspension is harsh given Glasgow No 8 Henco Venter has been given the same length of ban for making contact with the eye of Leicester prop Dan Cole during a last-16 Investec Champions Cup clash.
‘I’ve got a six-week ban for saying an inappropriate comment, which I’ve apologised for, to a referee in complete privacy,’ Diamond said.
‘The team of five were all refereeing in Europe last week after a huge mistake.
‘Someone was blatantly hit in the face. The ref and AR’s (assistant referees) can’t see everything.
‘But surely, the TMO should be seeing these things.’
Diamond added: ‘If you poke somebody’s eye out, or you attempt to, you get six weeks.
‘If you say something inappropriate in a private arena to professional referees, you get the same ban.
‘Maybe I don’t think that’s fair. The team of four or five (officials) hasn’t been good enough.
‘Do we just accept that as “Hey, that’s how it goes”? Or do we say they shouldn’t officiate for a week or two? We don’t get feedback on these things.’
