The 6ft 6in striker endured rough treatment from Fulham defenders who flouted shirt pulling rules in Saturday’s clash at St James’ Park
10:54, 28 Oct 2025
Newcastle’s Nick Woltemade is challenged against Fulham(Image: Iain Buist/Newcastle Chronicle)
Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has responded to the Nick Woltemade shirt pulling row after shocking images emerged from Saturday’s game against Fulham.
The German international had his shirt pulled and was grappled with all afternoon but referee Peter Bankes did not clamp down. The Professional Game Match Officials Limited had vowed to crack down on shirt pulling but Woltemade’s physical presence appears to have refs thinking he should be able to take a bit of extra rough treatment from defenders.
The current guidance to Premier League referees is to look for “extreme actions”, such as “dragging a player to the ground in a non-footballing way”. But minor tugs are getting dismissed – and it feels like the treatment Woltemade is enduring are being brushed off as such.
Howe said today: “There were one or two, looking at the weekend, that I think were fouls that weren’t given. Yes, I think that’s fair to say and I think Nick felt the same way.
“But I think Nick is going to have to come up with all sorts of different challenges from defenders however they see best to defend against him.
“Some might go aggressive, some might go a little bit more withdrawn and he needs to find a solution to figure out how best to play against that, and we’ll help him with that.
“I think he’s going to face a lot of different challenges this season because it’s all knew to him, but I think that will be a learning experience, the Fulham game, for him.”
The shirt pulling saga had started earlier in the season when Woltemade was denied a stonewall penalty at Bournemouth in the 0-0 draw on the South Coast. But it has been a recurring theme and none of the top-flight whistlers are yet to make a stand against it.
Against Fulham, Woltemade was pulled around by his shirt by Issa Diop and Calvin Bassey, with no punishment inflicted by Bankes. Those jeers at the end of the first half were arguably justified as a clear flaw in the rulebook unfolds for Newcastle.
And it wasn’t just Woltemade with Harvery Barnes also hauled back by his shirt in the second half – which only fuelled the crowds anger with certain supporters exploding with anger at the level of inconsistency.
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