Referee Gets Player Sacked

“I was just saying to your colleague, the referee has got me the sack, thank him ever so much for that, won’t you?”

Former England manager Graham Taylor made his feelings know in that infamous TV documentary that covered his time with the national team. At the time, many mused that it was a long string of events that led to Taylor's downfall rather than just one decision.

However, for Byron Anthony, Conference referee Declan Ford has pretty much put him back on the employment scrapheap for one bad decision.

Declan Ford at Edgar Street last Saturday

Scroll back to Saturday, against Cambridge, with the U's surging down the right hand side. Anthony, coming in at pace, challenges for the ball. Apparent from the motion of the ball that Anthony has made contact, the linesman moves to put his flag into his right hand to signal a Cambridge throw, apparently seeing nothing else wrong with the challenge two yards in front of him.

Only for Mr Ford, who has sent players off in all two of his games this season, to come steaming in and dish out a ludicrous red card. Astounded by the decision, Anthony pleads his case. Fellow Bulls players urge the ref to ask the linesman but he's having none of it and waves away their pleas.

Four days later Byron Anthony, unable to do his job for two more weeks due to one poor decision from a referee, is unemployed again with the club having to balance their finite resources to produce a team.

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