‘Ridiculous’ – Sky Sports pundits clash over West Brom v Portsmouth controversy live on air
Portsmouth’s hard-fought 1-1 draw at West Brom on Saturday was certainly not without its controversies.
Having fallen behind after a Mikey Johnston strike, Colby Bishop’s second-half header saw Portsmouth leave The Hawthorns with a share of the points.
Following his goal against West Brom, Bishop needs one more goal to become Pompey’s top scorer in the 21st century.
However, the game was marred by referee Elliot Bell’s contentious refereeing performance, which led to the Baggies feeling aggrieved over two big decisions, and West Brom boss Ryan Mason getting sent off.
Jay Bothroyd and Dermot Gallagher at odds over West Brom vs Portsmouth incidents
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch, ex-Cardiff City striker Bothroyd clashed with fellow pundit and ex-Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher.
When reviewing the contentious decision that Connor Ogilvie was not judged to have taken down West Brom striker Aune Heggebo, Bothroyd was outraged at Bell’s call.
“It’s just ridiculous – I don’t understand how the referee doesn’t see that,” he said.
“He might have been looking somewhere else at the time but that is one of the most obvious decisions we’ll see all season.”
Mason was sent off just minutes later for another animated reaction at Bell’s decision not to penalise Regan Poole for a tug of Heggebo’s shirt when the West Brom striker was through on goal.
When discussing whether referees should be made to explain and apologise for their decisions, the pair had differing opinions on the matter.
Bothroyd said: “The referee doesn’t get suspended for a game like Ryan Mason does, does he? You know, players have to come out after games and explain what they’ve done and why they’ve done it and what not, if they’ve made mistakes. I think referees should too.”
Gallagher replied: “As you’ve just alluded to there, if the referee stands up and he says, ‘I’ve seen the video, I’ve made a mistake,’ you go, well, that hasn’t helped me. I’m not going to get the penalty.”
Portsmouth efforts deserve small bit of fortune
In the aftermath of the game, it is clear to see Pompey were fortunate amongst the key refereeing decisions, but the performance was clearly deserved a result out of it.
Josh Murphy was a nuisance all match, with Regan Poole defending resolutely throughout for Portsmouth, hardly giving Heggebo a sniff.
A spirited team display ensures that John Mousinho’s side are unbeaten in four Championship matches, dating back to last April’s defeat at Coventry.
| Portsmouth’s last four away fixtures | Score |
| West Brom – 23 August 2025 | 1-1 |
| Oxford United – 9 August 2025 | 0-1 |
| Sheffield Wednesday – 26 April 2025 | 1-1 |
| Norwich – 9 April 2025 | 3-5 |
Despite West Brom’s misfortune, Pompey fans will argue that this is retribution for the controversy Portsmouth faced in their 2-1 defeat against Norwich.
As he looks for a first home win of the season against Preston next weekend, John Mousinho will be hoping for a controversy-free match at Fratton Park.
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