'Too much' - Crawley Town boss says an emergency meeting is needed over new measures to 'improve behaviour of players, managers and coaches'

Lindsey received his third consecutive yellow card at Salford City on Saturday after showing what was deemed as dissent by referee Martin Coy. He received the same punishment against Exeter City and Bradford City.

The new measures have been brought in with a lower threshold for dissent from players and the behaviour of managers and their back room staff will come under greater scrutiny, with an automatic yellow card if there is ever more than one coach in the technical area, and harsher penalties for managers that leave their technical area.

And the Reds boss believes the changes are ‘too much’ and the authorities are taking the emotion and enjoyment out of the game.

He told us: “I have been a professional coach since 2009, before this season I think I have only ever been booked once and now I have been yellow carded three times in a row. I have not changed, I haven't got any worse, if anything I have probably got better over my years.

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“I just think it’s overkill.. I showed disappointment [on Saturday at Salford]. You just can’t show emotion any more. The fact is I see a decision which, in my opinion, is wrong and my body language shows disappointment because I am an emotional guy. It feels like they are trying to make you act like robots on the sidelines. Football is not like that, it’s an emotional sport. It’s a sport you show extreme emotion on the pitch and on the sidelines and there’s nothing wrong with that and it just seems to me they want to completely control you. I just think it’s wrong and it’s taking the enjoyment away from the game.

“The players are walking on egg shells. It needs to calm down, I don’t think we need to learn these new rules, I think they need to come off a little bit because it’s just too much.”

And Lindsey also said he is having to make decisions which affect his game plans and the fans’ enjoyment. “The big thing for me to add to this is I have had to take two players off at half time on Saturday because they have got yellow carded,” he said.

" Fans are paying good money to watch their favourite players play and I am taking those players off when they get booked, which is every game at the moment. The fans are not getting what they want. It’s a mess. I am not surrey what the answer is. I think they need to have an emergency meeting to sort it out.”

Lindsey also cited Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s actions on Sunday in the clash against Chelsea where the German was not punished. “Sometimes a decision is made and you don’t agree with it, you act accordingly,” said Lindsey. “Your body language shows disappointment, Jurgen Klopp actually fell to the floor after a decision. Did he get booked? No. Why am I getting booked then? I only showed disappointment. Am I supposed to clap every time they get something right?”