EXCLUSIVE: Chelsea star Ramires' 'dive' is the last straw as Baggies want video replays



West Bromwich Albion have written to the Premier League to ask for video technology to be used to stop the penalty injustice that denied them victory at Chelsea.

The Midlands club believe they have been the victim of a string of contentious decisions this season.

And the awarding of a last-minute spot-kick at Chelsea on Saturday that denied them three points and sparked a tunnel bust-up between Jose Mourinho and Albion defender Jonas Olsson was the final straw.

VIDEO Scroll down to watch Steve Clarke and Jose Mourinho sharing differing views on dive



Going to ground: West Brom want video replays after this incident between Steven Reid and Ramires

Ramires goes down under the challenge

FOUR FLASHPOINTS

Southampton (h) August 17

Midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu is penalised for a challenge on Luke Shaw. Rickie Lambert scores penalty. Result at the time: 0-0. Final result 0-1. Potential points dropped: 1 Arsenal (h) October 6

Laurent Koscielny shoves Shane Long in the back, again in the final moments of a hard-fought draw. Result at the time: 1-1. Final result: 1-1 Potential points dropped: 2 Stoke City (a) October 19

Charlie Adam chases Mulumbu as the midfielder drives towards the area. The Scot clips his opponent on the heel. Referee Howard Webb admits to missing the incident. Result at the time: 0-0. Final result: 0-0. Potential points dropped: 2 Chelsea (a) November 9 Ramires tumbles over after collision with Steven Reid in the fourth minute of injury-time, sparking melee in tunnel. Result at the time: 1-2. Final result: 2-2 Potential points dropped: 2.

West Brom have contacted the League, and the referees’ body, and will today ask for the issue to be debated at a Premier League shareholders’ meeting.

Chairman Jeremy Peace has fired off the letter highlighting four occasions when he believes the club have fallen foul of officialdom. He asks if the time is right to allow match officials to review their penalty awards.

West Brom’s grievances concern poor decisions in games against Southampton, Arsenal, Stoke City and Chelsea. They believe they would have been seven points better off in the table.

Although their complaints are driven by self-interest, Peace is keen to spark a national debate on the issue.

He pointed out that West Brom invested £250,000 in goal-line technology during the summer - a system that the club believes will be used less than six times this season. By contrast, more than 100 spot-kicks were awarded in the top flight.

Peace is hoping to elicit support from the referees. He wants to avoid the unseemly scenes which followed West Brom’s game at Stamford Bridge.

Pleading: West Brom boss Steve Clarke has been aggrieved by a number of refereeing decisions

Fury: West Brom, including Jonas Olsson (left) and Chris Brunt, were incensed at Stamford Bridge

Peace has also requested a meeting between Mike Riley, head of the Professional Game and Match Officials Ltd, and head coach Steve Clarke along with West Brom’s sporting and technical director Richard Garlick to explain why they have consistently been on the wrong end of decisions.

Their angst began on the opening day of the season at the Hawthorns against Southampton when Youssouf Mulumbu was penalised for fouling left-back Luke Shaw in the last-minute. Rickie Lambert sentenced them to defeat by scoring past England keeper Ben Foster.

Early last month, Clarke was incensed when Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny shoved Shane Long in the back - again in the final minute - of a tight duel at the Hawthorns.

Harsh? Youssouf Mulumbu was penalised for this challenge on Luke Shaw against Southampton

That went unspotted - as did Charlie Adam’s foul on Mulumbu at the Britannia Stadium thirteen days later. Referee Howard Webb admitted to being unsighted. Then came the fracas at Stamford Bridge.

West Brom are one of the more conservative clubs in the Premier League and are rarely keen to invoke controversy. Last season, they remained tight-lipped after another highly debatable penalty award went against them at the Emirates when Reid was involved with Santi Cazorla.

A tennis-style review system - in which clubs are allotted challenges - is one idea that has been mooted to root out potential errors with the final decision remaining with the match official.

But with increasing rewards and increasing pressure on clubs and referees, Peace feels the time is right to bring this issue into the public domain.