Saturday, February 26, 2011

Ref Banned For Inappropriate Liverpool Joke On Twitter & Facebook

It seems footballers aren’t the only ones getting into trouble for posting comments on Twitter or Facebook – Championship ref Mark Brown has copped a three-week ban for a jibe about Liverpool’s title chances.

Rookie referee Mark Brown thought it amusing to poke fun at Anfield captain Steven Gerrard on his social networking pages, highlighting the Reds’ unlikely chance of winning the Premier League this season.

But match officials boss Mike Riley - no doubt still reeling from Ryan Babel’s photoshop antics, didn’t see it that way and requested Brown hand in his whistle and cards.

‘Riley is taking drastic action as there are many ways for referees' integrity to be called into question,’ an insider told the Sun.

‘If Babel posts a picture of Howard Webb in a Man U shirt, then we can't have officials making comments and jokes about players.’

Currently in his first season as a professional ref, Brown’s highest achievement to date is a Championship game he officiated between Ipswich and Doncaster on January 22nd.

A trip to take charge of a game in front of the Kop could now be some way off for Brown, who will have to do his time officiating in League One and Two for now.

Ex-Liverpool man Babel became the first player to be fined £10,000 by the FA, when he posted a mocked-up picture of Webb on his Twitter page following a 1-0 defeat to Manchester United in the FA Cup.

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