According to The Sun, an amateur league match in East London descended into chaos due to the misconduct of an imposter referee.
The players from Bobagees and Limehouse Tigers were shown four red cards in quick succession by the imposter referee within a few minutes, leading to multiple players being sent off. Eventually, the players, unable to tolerate such unfair treatment, collectively left the pitch, refusing to continue the game.
It was only later that everyone learned that the referee was actually Norwegian, Maz Hansen, who had deliberately dressed up as a poor referee for a TV show.
On Sunday, Maz arrived at the scene wearing brand new referee gear, accompanied by two assistant referees and a GoPro camera, successfully convincing the players of his identity.
He claimed he was part of a “referee exchange program” and had received prior consent from both team coaches, making him part of this prank.
Maz said: “Our goal is to support those referees who work hard in amateur games. By portraying an extremely incompetent referee, we hope to make players appreciate and respect real referees more. Clearly, we achieved our intended effect, as the players said we ruined their day.”
Although the match was interrupted, it was eventually resumed and completed by a formal referee, with Limehouse Tigers winning 3-2.
A spokesperson for Bobagees commented: “This is the first time we’ve managed to score after having members sent off, which is a small victory for us.”
This prank will be featured in an episode of Maz’s TV show, “Referee Demon.”
Soccer Match Turns into Fiasco! Imposter Referee Issues Red Cards, Players Walk Off. Author:Sports UEFA.Please indicate the source when reproduced:https://www.sportsuefa.com/football-world/40834.html