Harry Lennard is the “Specsaver” guy. Bournemouth fans now know Harry Lennard well from today’s match letting Christian Benteke’s controversial goal stand after Phillipe Coutinho was clearly offside under the new rules. The goal doomed a superior Bournemouth side to a second loss in a row in the new season. In the Chelsea vs Swansea match, Lennard was the assistant referee involved in the Thibaut Courtois send off after the Chelsea goalie brought down Bafetimbi Gomis inches into the penalty area. Gomis scored the penalty and Swansea’s equalizer which precipitated Mourinho’s medical malfunction.
Sam Allardyce knows the chap quite well too. He was the one who let Robin Van Persie’s goal against West Ham stand after he was about a yard or two offside.
A bitter Allardyce afterwards said the assistant referee’s decision robbed the Hammers of “a famous victory.” They were 2-1 up with 17 minutes left on the clock. Allardyce on the referee and the general standard of refereeing:
“This level of football has to be equaled by the level of the officials who are in charge of the game. His (Lennard’s) coaches have to coach him properly and coach him into getting better (positions) – that is why they are professional these days.”
In another incident, Lennard was also asked “to go to Specsavers” by Harry Redknapp for failing to see Liam Ridgewell’s blatant handball in the penalty area. Hapless QPR lost to West Brom in a death spiral to relegation in the 2012-2013 season.
This season has already seen its fair share of refereeing howlers. But what happened to Bournemouth was in a league of its own.