FOOTBALLING CLICHE BEGS to differ, but sometimes, the scoreline isn’t the only statistic that matters.
In the case of Bath City’s recent FA Youth Cup tie with Newport County, a game that ended 6-0 in favour of the Welsh side, there were far more revealing statistics on offer.
Bath City were shown a total of five red cards during the game, not counting that of their manager, Billy Clark, who was also sent to the stands, a loss that swung the game irrevocably in favour of their opponents.
But it wasn’t violent conduct, fouling or dissent that prompted such extreme intervention on behalf of the referee– oh, no– it was mismatched pants.
By wearing underwear of a different colour from their team shorts, several of Bath’s players were deemed to be in breach of FA regulations, a fact that didn’t escape the attention of referee Darren Adie. A handful of dismissals ensued and, when he tried to remonstrate with the match official, Clark was banned from the touchline.
Paul Williams, the club’s MD, spoke to the BBC’s Neil Johnston after the game:
“Every team has to submit a report about the officials to the FA. Let’s just say ours is a very long report.”
Mike Everett, Newport County’s club secretary, was less critical of Adie’s performance, however.
“I understand that the initial problem was regarding incorrect undergarments… The referee made his decisions. There’s not a lot I can add.”
