Football: ref red cards himself

if only all of the refs in sports were this honest with themselves

Ref sends himself off

A football referee was forced to abandon a game after showing himself the red card.

Andy Wain decided he had to go following a run-in with a goalkeeper in the Sunday League match.

The incident happened during a contest between Peterborough North End and Royal Mail AYL.

North End keeper Richard McGaffin was unhappy with a goal that put the opposition 2-1 up, inisting a player had been fouled.

But instead of giving McGaffin a ticking off, Wain lost his temper.

The ref hurled down his whistle, untucked his shirt and marched up to eyeball the player, before realising the error of his ways.


If a player did that I would send him off - so I had to go
Andy Wain

The 39-year-old official, who had a few personal problems leading up to the Peterborough Sunday League Two clash, admitted he should have stayed at home.

"With hindsight I should never have officiated," he said.

"It was totally unprofessional. If a player did that I would send him off, so I had to go.

"I heard the keeper say 'It's always the bloody same with you, ref - we never get anything'. It was the last straw, but fortunately I came to my senses."

Wain, whose future as a ref is now hanging in the balance, had to abandon the game as he headed for an early bath in the 63rd minute - because there was no-one else to officiate.

Fortunately he did not compound his error by arguing with himself about the sending off.

Fortunately he did not compound his error by arguing with himself about the sending off.

I read about this today in a newspaper and i found it very amusing, its not everyday you will see a referee lose his rag..

it's not often i can scoop you on a football story...makes my whole day :party-smiley-018:

Hehe yeah, well done!

I don't think i have ever heard of a ref sending himself off in a game before lol!

at least the guy is honest, huh?