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Last week, Gary Caldwell, who manages Exeter City, was dismissed from the match against Lincoln City.
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The manager of the Grecians attributed his punishment to his Scottish accent.
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Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell claimed that he was dismissed during the match against Lincoln City last Saturday due to his ‘forceful’ Scottish accent.
The Grecians were tied 0-0 during their visit to Sincil Bank but missed out on a win when Ryan Trevitt’s last-gasp effort was ruled out after hitting Angus MacDonald’s hand.
Caldwell was furious with the decision and received his second red card of the year.
On Thursday morning, the 42-year-old was accused of misconduct by the FA for reportedly behaving improperly toward officials.
An official announcement stated: “Gary Caldwell has faced charges of misconduct related to the EFL League One match between Lincoln City and Exeter City held on Saturday, March 22. The allegation suggests that the manager behaved improperly near the 92-minute mark, resulting in his ejection from the game. He has up till Monday, March 31, to submit his response.”
Caldwell insisted, though, that he didn’t curse at any of the officials, asserting that his thick Scottish accent was misinterpreted as hostility.
“I clearly approached the fourth official, who was situated 20 yards away since that’s his position in that particular stadium,” Caldwell explained.
BBC Radio Devon
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‘Therefore, there is no means of communicating with the fourth official without stepping out of the technical area. I did not sprint; he claimed I acted aggressively. Those who know me well understand that I have a distinct Scottish accent,’
Caldwell proceeded to mention that his spouse frequently charges him with being overly assertive. He further explained: ‘My wife Jen always points out how forceful she thinks I am towards her, toward our children, even toward our dog – perhaps it’s due to my Scottish accent.’
‘This seems quite confrontational, yet I didn’t use profanity; I didn’t rush anyone. Personally, I felt I was not being hostile. It’s just my accent and my Scottish identity that came off as aggressive, though yes, I was dismissed because of that.’
The previous Saturday marked the second occasion this campaign where Caldwell has been shown a red card from the sidelines, coinciding with his second penalty for such an infraction after being dismissed against Wycombe on New Year’s Day.
The Scot was given a two-match touchline ban and £2,750 fine for his transgressions on that occasion.
Caldwell continued: ‘I do have to probably look at it have to change, and probably try and change my accent and be a little bit more “Englified”.
I clearly cannot express myself with my natural accent since it seems overly aggressive, so I will have to examine this issue as I agree that it shouldn’t continue occurring.
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