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Tottenham Hotspur News: Tom Huddlestone Red Card Overturned

Frank Wagner@Fw1812X.com LogoCorrespondent ISeptember 4, 2012

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 01:  Tom Huddlestone of Tottenham Hotpsur is sent off by referee Mark Halsey during the Barclays Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Norwich City at White Hart Lane on September 1, 2012 in London, England.  (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Well at least they got it right on review.

The FA announced today via its official website that the red card given to Tottenham's Tom Huddlestone has been rescinded and the subsequent three-match ban canceled.

The sending off in question occurred during the Spurs' match with Norwich at White Hart Lane on Saturday.

With the score 1-1 late in the match, substitute Huddlestone and Norwich's Jonathan Howson both chased a loose ball around midfield. As they approached, both went to ground with legs extended for the ball.

Despite the fact that he looked like he got the ball first, the Tottenham midfielder's challenge was undoubtedly sloppy, as he failed to properly tuck away his trailing leg.

The referee on the field, Mark Halsey, immediately judged the challenge reckless enough to warrant a red card.

After viewing the incident on replay, the decision certainly seemed rash. Today, the FA clearly showed they agreed, overturning the ban Huddlestone was subject to from his red card.

So what does this mean for Spurs?

Well, not all that much.

While it's nice to have the poor decision acknowledged, it is unlikely that the correct call would have altered the result of the Norwich match. Only four minutes of play occurred after the sending off and Norwich were really enjoying the better chances before it.

Further, Huddlestone's play in the match was less than convincing even without the red card. The 25-year-old showed the effects of having played only four matches last season when he came on as a substitute.

I'm sure he will not be factoring into Andre Villas-Boas's starting lineup any time soon, and AVB might want to avoid using him as a substitute for the next few matches anyway.

Still, it's nice to have the option to bring on Huddlestone instead of having a harsh red card force him out.

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