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Leeds United took another giant step towards promotion and the Premier League on Monday night, but the moment was soured by one decision from the powers that be after the game.
In a thrilling encounter between two of the best teams in the Championship this season, Leeds United secured all three points in the dying seconds of the game thanks to a Pascal Struijk header.
It was a game billed with intense hype beforehand, and ended up being one of the biggest talking points in the Championship from the past week.
Many suspect Leeds have now clinched promotion more or less after another win, but judging by what happened after the game, you’d be better off not celebrating just yet.
Daniel Farke receives touchline ban for celebrating last-gasp winner
That win took Leeds back to the summit of the Championship table, two points clear of Sheffield United, whom they face on Monday night in what could well be the title decider this season.
Unfortunately, Leeds face the daunting task of visiting Bramall Lane next week knowing that their manager, Daniel Farke, will have to watch the game from the stands.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  LeedsLeeds | 33 | 21 | 9 | 3 | 68 | 20 | 48 | 72 |
| 2 |  Sheff UtdSheffield Utd | 33 | 22 | 6 | 5 | 47 | 23 | 24 | 70 |
| 3 |  BurnleyBurnley | 33 | 17 | 14 | 2 | 39 | 9 | 30 | 65 |
| 4 |  SunderlandSunderland | 33 | 17 | 11 | 5 | 50 | 30 | 20 | 62 |
The manager stormed the pitch at full-time after the win over Sunderland to celebrate with his players after a momentous victory. But, the impassioned display of joy has been condemned by the referee on the night, who brandished a yellow card to Farke for his actions.
That was Farke’s third booking of the season, which means he will now be suspended for the next game as per FA rulings. Farke and Leeds are known to have appealed the ban, but the FA has turned this down and the suspension will stand.
So, as Leeds prepare for a game which could determine whether they win the title or not, they are having to do also deal with the fact their manager won’t be on the touchline for the match, all because of an arbitrary rule.
Why are we not allowed to celebrate goals anymore?
There’s no issue with a manager being punished for overstepping the line — they have to be held accountable just like everybody else — but Farke’s reprimand is, frankly, ludicrous.
The man just saw his team steal all three points in a promotion six-pointer that puts them within touching distance of a return to the top flight. Play was stopped at the time immediately after the goal. He joined his players on the pitch to celebrate the huge moment. Somebody stop us when they see an actual problem here.
Leeds are on course for a record-breaking season with the highest points tally in Championship history in their sights, and the emotions of that are understandably high. But, instead of allowing that passion to flow through the sport, it is being nitpicked and restricted to within an inch of its life at every turn.
Rules are rules, of course. But there has to be some level of common sense and appreciation of mitigating factors sometimes. If a player seriously harms an opponent, give them a red card. If a manager berates and abuses a match official, send them off. But what Farke did harmed absolutely no one.
Instead, it embodied everything that is special about the game of football. It’s how we should want every manager to act in similar circumstances, but the truth is, you are simply not allowed to have fun in football anymore.
Between the celebration police and VAR delays, football is broken
It’s not just the people in charge of the game, though. The so-called ‘celebration police’ have been chipping away at the enjoyment of the sport.
You only have to look at the negative comments about Everton’s celebrations after their last-gasp equaliser in the Merseyside derby last week to know that something is seriously wrong.
If you can’t jump on the pitch to enjoy a monumental goal against your fiercest rivals in the final home derby before the stadium gets ripped down, then when can you celebrate?
Between that whole issue, and the painful decay of the footballing experience caused by VAR — which only serves to slow down the game, leave fans afraid to celebrate, and cause more controversy — we are truly in dark days right now.
Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl has called for VAR to be introduced in the Championship, but that would be a big mistake, really. The more we mess with the game, the less fun it becomes.
Leave it alone, let people celebrate, and hopefully the joy and passion of football can slowly return in time.