When match officials go bad
From a boxing timekeeper failing to ring the bell after the traditional three minutes to a referee disallowing clear goals, these are some of the blunders that have left their mark on sport
A devil of a time
● When Gerrie Coetzee lost his WBA heavyweight crown to Greg Page by knockout at Sun City in 1984, the eighth round lasted more than four minutes. Somehow the timekeeper failed to ring the bell ending the round after the traditional three minutes and let it continue until Coetzee was knocked onto his back and counted out more than a minute after it should have ended. At the time the referee waved it over, Coetzee should have been walking out for the start of the ninth round. Whatever had caught the timekeeper’s attention, it certainly wasn’t the fight — the action in the eighth had been remarkably sparse after a thrilling seventh. Perhaps he fell asleep? — David Isaacson
Something doesn’t add up
● The story goes that many years ago in the lower leagues of Boland rugby, referees used to submit the results to the union every Monday. One union official, perplexed after receiving a 2-0 scoreline for one match, phoned the referee. “Perhaps you made a mistake? You obviously can’t get a 2-0 result.” The referee replied: “Yes, I know. The winning team had scored a try and a conversion, but after the match I thought, ‘you know, that shouldn’t have been a try’. But the conversion was good.” Could it be apocryphal? Knowing some referees, maybe not! — David Isaacson
Court jester
● An appalling umpiring error by Wilf Diedericks at a near empty Wanderers Stadium in 1999 led to one of the most rasping chirps in all of cricket. Makhaya Ntini, who was playing in his first match after his rape conviction was overturned for Border Bears, was on the receiving end. Gauteng’s Ken Rutherford had nicked the ball towards Wayne Wiblin at first slip, but keeper Ian Mitchell claimed a chest-high catch. Rutherford did some gardening, Diedericks was unmoved and the Border players were stunned before a young spectator in the Unity Stand yelled: “Appeals only work in court.” — Liam Del Carme
Wats-on here?
● Andre Watson, right, was a referee of some repute, but his sense of humour, or lack thereof, failed him in a Currie Cup clash between the Golden Lions and Griquas in Kimberley in 1998. Watson was busy giving Lions captain Andre Vos a dressingdown when prop Balie Swart picked up the ref’s red card and cheekily flashed it at Watson. Watson then saw red, grabbed the card from Swart, showed it to the player and ordered him off the field. It was a gross overreaction, but Watson still went on to referee the next two Rugby World Cup finals. — Liam Del Carme
Low blow
● Mamelodi Sundowns will never forget what happened on November 28 1998 at the FNB Stadium. It was the day that assistant referee Tiny Chandermoney robbed them of R1m in the Rothmans Cup final when he disallowed Joel
Masilela’s legitimate goal for an offside against Kaizer Chiefs with a few minutes left. “People tell me it was daylight robbery. I should have been a hero in that game, but it was taken away,” Masilela, right, told the Sowetan about the incident 20 years later. Chiefs went on to win 2-1 on penalties after the match ended 2-2 in 120 minutes. — Sazi Hadebe
Riding their luck
● The 2002 World Cup will be always be remembered by a number of controversial calls by the referees that helped unfancied co-hosts South Korea progress to the semifinals. It all started in the round of 16 game when referee Byron Moreno, right, of Ecuador disallowed Italy a perfect goal and controversially sent off Francesco Totti for diving in extra time. Moreno's calls helped the Koreans win the match 2-1 through a golden goal by Ahn JungHwan. The Koreans benefitted again in the quarterfinals from Egyptian referee Gamal Al-Ghandour’s decision to disallow two great Spanish goals. Korea went on to win 5-3 on penalties to reach the semifinals, where they were eventually knocked out 1-0 by Germany. — Sazi Hadebe