Feature in Carmarthen programme is a classic
One of the delights of reading the Carmarthen Town AFC match programme is catching up on the latest from Alan Latham and his 'In a league of his own' column.
The latest programme from the Caersws game is worth a wider airing.
Alan wrote -
I have a lot of sympathy for referees, especially these days when they are under the television microscope and it takes about three slow-motion replays to prove they have made the wrong decision.
But, saying that, I was really bemused at the Liberty Stadium over Christmas when Swansea's Albert Serran in the match against Crystal Palace was sent off for foul play when, to my mind, the offence had looked pretty innocuous indeed.
Still, Serran left the field in a dignified manner, although Manager Paulo Sousa did seem to create a bit of a rumpus at the end of the game.
Unlike the scenario at Hillsborough in 1998 when Paolo di Canio incurred the wrath of referee Paul Alcock while playing for Arsenal by being sent off for his part in a brawl between the two teams.
He promptly pushed the referee in his chest and he then stumbled backwards before his ankles gave away.
An 11-match ban followed for di Canio while referee Alcock complained about the injury - 'Since the incident I have had continuous pins and needles down my left leg', he said three months later; di Canio's retort was: 'He fell over in a strange way, like someone diving to win a penalty.' Well, it takes all sorts to make the world go round.
The great, but notoriously hot-headed, Scottish winger Willie Johnston, who was sent off 22 times in his career, was once dismissed in a New York friendly between Rangers and Fiorentina for a foul for which he was arguably blameless.
Johnston refused to leave the pitch, so a police officer came on and drew a revolver on the player.
Needless to say. Johnston left the field very meekly, A rather unorthodox method to solve the problem, don't you think?
But the story regarding sending offs which takes the biscuit to me was when Vinnie Jones, who had quite a reputation for hardness, must have broken all sorts of records when in 1991, in a match at Maine Road, he ploughed through City's Peter Reid and was booked after a mere three seconds of the kick-off.
It is believed to be the fastest yellow card of all and, inevitably, a second yellow was administered to Vinnie just an hour later!
But I can cast my mind back to Richmond Park in the early 1990s when we had a long-awaited Cup tie against Ammanford Town who were in a higher division than us.
I remember well during the game, which was quite tense, that one of our players was subject to a nasty foul and had to be substituted.
Our substitute was that excellent striker Neville Wilshere who promptly ran on the pitch and floored the Ammanford defending player with what appeared to be a fine uppercut.
Neville was immediately sent off and was only on the pitch from the time he ran from the dug-out to the scene of the incident. Now that must be some sort of a record!
The latest programme from the Caersws game is worth a wider airing.
Alan wrote -
I have a lot of sympathy for referees, especially these days when they are under the television microscope and it takes about three slow-motion replays to prove they have made the wrong decision.
But, saying that, I was really bemused at the Liberty Stadium over Christmas when Swansea's Albert Serran in the match against Crystal Palace was sent off for foul play when, to my mind, the offence had looked pretty innocuous indeed.
Still, Serran left the field in a dignified manner, although Manager Paulo Sousa did seem to create a bit of a rumpus at the end of the game.
Unlike the scenario at Hillsborough in 1998 when Paolo di Canio incurred the wrath of referee Paul Alcock while playing for Arsenal by being sent off for his part in a brawl between the two teams.
He promptly pushed the referee in his chest and he then stumbled backwards before his ankles gave away.
An 11-match ban followed for di Canio while referee Alcock complained about the injury - 'Since the incident I have had continuous pins and needles down my left leg', he said three months later; di Canio's retort was: 'He fell over in a strange way, like someone diving to win a penalty.' Well, it takes all sorts to make the world go round.
The great, but notoriously hot-headed, Scottish winger Willie Johnston, who was sent off 22 times in his career, was once dismissed in a New York friendly between Rangers and Fiorentina for a foul for which he was arguably blameless.
Johnston refused to leave the pitch, so a police officer came on and drew a revolver on the player.
Needless to say. Johnston left the field very meekly, A rather unorthodox method to solve the problem, don't you think?
But the story regarding sending offs which takes the biscuit to me was when Vinnie Jones, who had quite a reputation for hardness, must have broken all sorts of records when in 1991, in a match at Maine Road, he ploughed through City's Peter Reid and was booked after a mere three seconds of the kick-off.
It is believed to be the fastest yellow card of all and, inevitably, a second yellow was administered to Vinnie just an hour later!
But I can cast my mind back to Richmond Park in the early 1990s when we had a long-awaited Cup tie against Ammanford Town who were in a higher division than us.
I remember well during the game, which was quite tense, that one of our players was subject to a nasty foul and had to be substituted.
Our substitute was that excellent striker Neville Wilshere who promptly ran on the pitch and floored the Ammanford defending player with what appeared to be a fine uppercut.
Neville was immediately sent off and was only on the pitch from the time he ran from the dug-out to the scene of the incident. Now that must be some sort of a record!
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