EFFING 'N REFFING

Officials must wise up, it's not all about them

- JEREMY CROSS

A FEW years ago I attended a charity event at a golf club in Yorkshire.

One of the guest speakers at the evening dinner was a high-profile referee.

He shall remain nameless, for obvious reasons.

But it's safe to say he felt and acted like the star attraction, not least when he took to his feet to take part in a Q&A from the floor.

One of the first questions from an audience he appeared to have eating out of the palm of his hand was, "What do you really think of Jose Mourinho (inset)?"

The answer was immediate, brutal and quite shocking.

"I think he's a c***t," came the crude response.

The room erupted in laughter.

In fact, the only person inside those four walls who appeared shocked by the answer was yours truly. Even the bloke who delivered the words didn't seem to care.

This was a referee officiated in major tournaments, the Champions League, Premier League and even domestic cup finals.