GARY Gold insists Newcastle Falcons will continue to go through official channels rather than venting pubic anger at referees.

Friday’s 9-9 draw with Aviva Premiership high-flyers Harlequins again saw Newcastle hammered on the penalty count, Andrew Small awarding the controversial last-minute kick from which Quins’ fly-half Nick Evans rescued a dramatic draw.

Gold’s side had two men sent to the sin-bin as Chris Pilgrim and Rob Vickers were shown yellow cards, but the director of rugby fought the temptation to vent his spleen at a number of other calls.

He said: “You can mouth off as a coach against the officials but all you are going to do is get yourself into trouble.

“There is a system whereby you can file your report on how a game has been refereed and it is a system that works pretty well.

“Look, we all know the game is about 30 players and that is how it needs to stay.

“There is a 31st person on the field but we should not make it all about one individual.

“The game is there for the entertainment value, not for someone to officiate the death out of it, but I am not saying that did or did not happen on Friday night.

“All I am saying is that there are issues which lead to frustrations, but we will review that and put our report in via the proper channels.”

The South African added: “What I must say with some justification is the referees’ society, when we have highlighted things to them previously, have been very open and honest in coming back to us with feedback.

“They have not hidden behind anything.