Thursday, July 21, 2011

Oliver Brown: Howard Webb assumes starring role for men in black in the film 'The Referees'

The film’s working title, Kill the Referee, gives a clue as to Webb’s headline billing. Three-minutes into injury time, at a fairly inauspicious group game in Vienna, Rotherham’s most famous policeman awards a penalty to Austria against Poland. Ivica Vastic scores to steal a draw, and the streets of Warsaw turn febrile with indignation. Overnight, Webb becomes persona non grata across the Polish nation. “Disgrace! English referee!” Poland coach Leo Beenhakker is heard to scream as he all but kicks the dressing-room door down. Donald Tusk, Poland’s prime minister, confesses that he wants to “kill”.

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