REF ATTACKED
But Gerrard’s cousin steps in to save him
STEVEN GERRARD’S cousin last night heroically protected a referee from being assaulted by a hooligan amid shameful scenes in a League One match at Rochdale.
Referee Peter Bankes gave a first-half penalty to Rochdale after Oldham’s Anthony Gerrard was ruled to have fouled Joe Thompson.
But a crazed ‘fan’ then ran at speed towards the referee, only to be intercepted by Gerrard and wrestled to the ground. After the man was taken away, Oldham’s Johny Placide saved the penalty. The game ended 0-0.
Last week saw a high-profile incident when Juventus’s Gianluigi Buffon reacted to a late Champions League penalty at Real Madrid by abusing English referee Michael Oliver, whose wife has since also been targeted.
Sportsmail’s refereeing expert Graham Poll said: ‘It’s unlikely that this shameful incident was a coincidence, taking place just after Buffon’s abuse of Oliver. This behaviour can trickle down to lower leagues.’
THIS shameful incident at Rochdale v Oldham took place less than a week after Gianluigi Buffon’s abuse of Michael Oliver. It is unlikely that this was a coincidence. If respect is not shown to referees at the highest level, this behaviour can trickle down to the lower leagues. While Buffon is not solely to blame, his actions were symptomatic of how officials are being treated. This was a battle for League One survival in an intense derby with a big police presence. When Rochdale were awarded a penalty, a fan made a beeline for referee Peter Bankes. Though Bankes dodged the attack, in part thanks to Oldham’s Anthony Gerrard (left), he may be affected psychologically. A fan once threw a punch at me as I was leaving a game. Rattled, I insisted on a police escort to my car after my next match. Referees never expect to be threatened in this way. It’s time to give officials the respect they deserve.