Referee Riley removed from Premier League duty this weekend after failing to send off Ashley Cole at Spurs

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The West Yorkshire official appears to have paid the price for the controversial part he played in Chelsea's fiery 4-4 draw with Tottenham at White Hart Lane.

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Yellow peril: Riley books Cole but it should have been red at White Hart Lane

Riley came under heavy fire for failing to send off Chelsea's Ashley Cole against Spurs and for not reporting Cole and team-mates for harassing him following the left back's horror tackle on Spurs defender Alan Hutton.

Instead of being on top-flight duty, the referee has been handed the Coca-Cola Championship fixture between Charlton and Wolves on Saturday and Nottingham Forest's visit to Carlisle - in League One - three days later.

However, a Premier League spokesman said that Riley was appointed to the postponed Carlisle-Forest fixture three weeks ago and that his appointment still stands for the re-arranged match.

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Mob rule: referee Riley is surrounded by Chelsea players at White Hart Lane

Refs chief Keith Hackett will doubtless claim those fixtures to be big matches but there's no escaping the fact that Riley is being punished.

His demotion seems to be a sign of the Premier League's dissatisfaction of Riley and he looks likely to be kept away from key games for the rest of the season.

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Flashpoint: Ashley Cole clatters into Alan Hutton to spark the controversy

The 4-4 thriller was Riley's first game back after being dropped from the Premier League list the weekend before following a poor performance in the Blackburn v Fulham game on March 8.

No respect: Chelsea full back Ashley Cole turns his back on Mike Riley at Tottenham