LooneyToonArmy Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Video in link ------ Just book me ref, I want a holiday Top ref reveals Prem stars cheat fans by getting booked deliberately to skive off games http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/168650/Top-ref-Steve-Bennett-reveals-Premier-League-stars-cheat-fans-by-getting-booked-deliberately-to-skive-off-games.html PREMIERSHIP stars are getting booked on purpose to miss matches and skive off, the News of the World reveals today. The astonishing betrayal of fans by prima donna players was exposed by top Premier League ref Steve Bennett. Last night the league’s bosses launched a probe and said: “We will be asking Bennett for an explanation.” A top international Premier League star asked to be booked so he could get suspended and go on holiday with his family. ANOTHER tried the same trick because he wanted time off over Christmas. And a THIRD wangled a booking so he would miss a match at a far-flung ground where he didn’t fancy playing. The astonishing allegations were made to undercover News of the World reporters by top referee Steve Bennett. The ref, who took charge of the 2007 FA Cup Final, glanced from side to side, lowered his voice and whispered to one of our men: “Never repeat this.” READ: ANDY DUNN'S VERDICT ON SCAM He said of the players: “As a fan, they f*****g rip you off. You don’t know half the things that go on . . . if they knew that, you’d be absolutely gutted, trust me.” Last night, after we put our findings to the Premier League, a spokesman said: “Those comments do not reflect the opinion of the PGMO (Premier Game Match Officials) and as such we will be asking Steve Bennett for an explanation.” Bennett’s sensational revelations, involving current and former stars, were made at a conference of UEFA referees in Spain this week. The ref also INSISTED the practice was well used by foreign players who get suspended over Christmas because they are used to a winter break. He also BLASTED one current ace, calling him a “cheating b******”. http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00026/ref280_26464a.jpg His astonishing claims came at the five-star Hotel Torrequebrada in Benalmadena, venue for the six-day convention to improve ref standards. Bennett, a Crystal Palace fan from Farnborough, Kent, flew in from Gatwick to Malaga on Sunday at around 8pm before being chauffeured to the hotel 15 miles away. Premiership colleagues Mike Dean, Andre Marriner, Stuart Attwell, Howard Dean and Mike Riley were also there. At midnight the English refs, plus former official David Elleray, enjoyed a nightcap in the hotel bar. It was then that Bennett, who refereed the match between Blackburn and Aston Villa yesterday, made his mind-blowing allegations. We have decided not to divulge the identities of the players involved for legal reasons. But the News of the World has taped records of Bennett making his astonishing revelations and video footage. Still in his UEFA training kit, Bennett recalled one occasion when a player on four yellow cards told him he wanted to be booked to miss a far-flung game. Players who collect five yellow cards automatically get a one-match ban. A straight red card can earn a player up to three matches off. Bennett, 48, said: “XXXXXX certainly said it to me. ‘I ain’t, I don’t want to play against f*****g XXXXXX’.” Crude The player, who has pocketed millions in transfer fees, then launched himself into a crude tackle, forcing Bennett to give him a yellow card. The player missed the match he told Bennett he didn’t want to play in. Bennett then told our men about another player, who wanted Christmas off. Glancing from side to side, Bennett whispered: “He’s come in the dresser beforehand . . . he came into the dressing room on my mother’s life and said I need one more yellow card. So I gave him a yellow card and, ‘No, no, no, no,’ he says, ‘On the pitch’. It’s up to you.” Here is a transcript of our conversation with Bennett. It is sure to disgust fans, struggling with the credit crunch, who pay the wages of players earning up to £150,000 a week. REPORTER: And players do that? BENNETT: And they go straight through a bloke, to get a yellow card so that they don’t have to play over Christmas. REPORTER: But as a fan . . . BENNETT: I know and if they knew that, you’d be absolutely gutted, trust me. XXXXXX certainly said it to me, ‘I ain’t, I don’t want to play against f****** XXXXXX’. And what about XXXXXX’s tackle at XXXXXX? REPORTER: Did he want Christmas off? BENNETT: When you watch that. He comes in and you think what the f*****g hell are you making a tackle like that for? REPORTER: But, as a fan. BENNETT: He did. It’s Christmas, that’s three games. Absolutely. You don’t realise that. When you think about it now. You watch. Every year. REPORTER: Cos they want Christmas off with their families. BENNETT: They want a rest. What p***** off XXXXXX, I know for a fact, so does everybody else, he had a family holiday booked to go to XXXXXX for Christmas, right? REPORTER: And he didn’t get booked? BENNETT: Yep, he got sent off against XXXXXX. That’s why he made that tackle right? Right? But the manager says, ‘You ain’t going f*****g walkies. You are staying with the team and you will turn it in, f*****g good job. I was at XXXXXX on XXXXXX and XXXXXX sat in the box. He did not look happy. Between you me and the gatepost. REPORTER: Mate, I can’t, like, look, as a fan, right, if if anyone . . . BENNETT: As a fan, they f*****g rip you off. You don’t know half the things that go on. You don’t know half the things that go on. Just metres away, colleagues Howard Webb and Mike Dean were singing Liverpool anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone, unaware Bennett was letting slip the shameful secrets that will rock football. Fingers Bennett went on to claim a number of foreign stars, used to a winter break in their own countries, stick two fingers up at their fans by getting Christmas off. BENNETT: All I’m saying is the foreigner players probably do it more because they are never used to playing games over the Christmas period, because all over Europe there is a three- week, four-week gap. On the tape, which you can hear at notw.co.uk, he also calls a top foreign star a “cheating b******” for diving to win a penalty. BENNETT: He (unclear) the ball, takes one step, two steps, turns his body and just f*****g launches himself. I mean two XXXXXX players go like that. But they are nowhere near him. If are in the wrong position, you’ve a penalty. So I got into a position and thought, ‘You cheating b******’. That’s what you say to yourself.” REPORTER: (unclear) BENNETT: Oh absolutely. If you are in the wrong position, you’ve a penalty kick...And if, if you are not quick, you are not quick, the players are on to you like a traffic queue. So a fair way up I got into a position and thought ‘You cheating b******!’ That’s what you say to yourself. REPORTER: Yeah. BENNETT: So quickly your card’s out and you go, before they have a chance to react, and bang... REPORTER: Yeah. BENNETT: And then they stop because they know you’ve taken... REPORTER: They know that you haven’t taken the bait? BENNETT: They still have a little go at you. They go, whatever¿ REPORTER: Interesting. Hey, one thing... is that true, right, players have come in and said like ‘I wanna’, like, (player’s name) said, ‘I wanna...’ BENNETT: He’s come in the dresser beforehand. I only said that was (player’s name)... REPORTER: Yeah, he came in beforehand... BENNETT: Never repeat this. REPORTER: No no no no, but he said.. 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Kaizero Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 We already knew some cunt-ish players were doing that though. Nothing new. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 "<b>Just metres away, colleagues Howard Webb and Mike Dean were singing Liverpool anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone</b>, unaware Bennett was letting slip the shameful secrets that will rock football." Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnypd Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 "<b>Just metres away, colleagues Howard Webb and Mike Dean were singing Liverpool anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone</b>, unaware Bennett was letting slip the shameful secrets that will rock football." i do remember nicky butt getting sent off after 133 seconds against bnei sakhnin, conveniently missing the away leg in sunny Israel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcmk Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Jonas was suspended on boxing day, his two games before Christmas he picked up yellow cards mm interesting that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raconteur Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 It shouldn't be too hard to find out who Bennett is talking about really - the match should be easily identified, and then a quick look at the cards from that game...? I can't believe NOTW laid on such an outrageously sensationalised article but didn't name the player(s)?!? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kirkpatrick9 Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 It shouldn't be too hard to find out who Bennett is talking about really - the match should be easily identified, and then a quick look at the cards from that game...? I can't believe NOTW laid on such an outrageously sensationalised article but didn't name the player(s)?!? All you'd have to do is reference the matches bennett has refereed over a time frame. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sicko2ndbest Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Disgusting http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/168650/Top-ref-Steve-Bennett-reveals-Premier-League-stars-cheat-fans-by-getting-booked-deliberately-to-skive-off-games.html Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebellious Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 http://www.newcastle-online.org/nufcforum/index.php/topic,60049.0.html Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filflop1 Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Bye - Bye Bennett Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sicko2ndbest Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaizero Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 What's embarrasing is the fact that the other topic is still actually one of the topics on top of the footy page. Tch tch. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sicko2ndbest Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 What's embarrasing is the fact that the other topic is still actually one of the topics on top of the footy page. Tch tch. No whatS embarrasing is that you spell McLovin with an I not an E Jesus christ man, you have one word to spell! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pilko Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Already been posted. EDIT: Twice. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam Liam Liam O Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 It shouldn't be too hard to find out who Bennett is talking about really - the match should be easily identified, and then a quick look at the cards from that game...? I can't believe NOTW laid on such an outrageously sensationalised article but didn't name the player(s)?!? They can afford to lose a legal case with a referee who has his career finished, but if they lost the same case against a couple of players they'd be fucked. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Geordie Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Article doesn't surprise me in the least - but if it means that Bennett doesn't take charge of our games anymore, then so be it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Have Howard webb and Mike Dean reffed Liverpool. If they have, they should be banned as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LucaAltieri Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 I think he's talking out of his arse, personally. If you were a player and wanted a yellow you'd just get yourself booked. No need to have a natter with the ref about it. Just do it. Just a ref trying to big himself up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Howard Webb oversaw Liverpool games against Man Utd and Arsenal and Chelsea this season, two wins and a draw and sent off Adebayor and Vidic. Of course, this doesn't mean he's done anything wrong, but in light of him singing a Liverpool anthem I'd be feeling aggrieved if I was an opponent. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Jonas was suspended on boxing day, his two games before Christmas he picked up yellow cards mm interesting that. Oh but he wasn't...was booked the two games before Xmas, but was played in the two straight after. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pilko Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Here's the games Bennett has reffed and who he has booked. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/4145288.stm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PM Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Howard Webb oversaw Liverpool games against Man Utd and Arsenal and Chelsea this season, two wins and a draw and sent off Adebayor and Vidic. Of course, this doesn't mean he's done anything wrong, but in light of him singing a Liverpool anthem I'd be feeling aggrieved if I was an opponent. For singing a song? Get a grip. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robster Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Beckham admitted doing it for England so it will all be deemed acceptable Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wullie Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Beckham admitted doing it for England so it will all be deemed acceptable When Beckham did that it was the right thing to do. Still can't believe the stupid fuss made over that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robster Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Beckham admitted doing it for England so it will all be deemed acceptable When Beckham did that it was the right thing to do. Still can't believe the stupid fuss made over that. Agree. Mistake he made was admitting it and giving the media the opportunity to go nuts over it all. Am sure it wouldnt have been the first time it was done Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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