Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey has admitted he booked a player who asked for a caution so he did not miss a big top-flight derby game.

If Donald Trump is said to fear walking down steps, my phobia was ‘going upstairs’.

Former referee Mark Halsey has been berated by Graham Poll for “betraying” his fellow officials — and accused of wearing a Bolton kit with his own squad number to training sessions.

Former referee Mark Halsey has been berated by Graham Poll for “betraying” his fellow officials – and accused of wearing a Bolton kit with his own squad number to training sessions.

For many years, football referees have complained of being silenced. But if the card sharps are not to be blunted entirely, it is becoming increasingly clear that the gags must stay on.

Alex Ferguson has denied suggestions he may have had influence over referees during his decorated career.

The Football Association in England has broadened its scope to retrospectively punish foul play.

Manchester City 2 Norwich 3

The Football Association will study all the available TV footage of Wigan forward Callum McManaman’s challenge on Newcastle’s Massadio Haidara before deciding if retrospective action can be brought against the 21-year-old.

Wigan Athletic 2 Newcastle United 1

Wigan 2 Newcastle 1

Sunderland 2 Fulham 2

Sunderland 2 Fulham 2

Everton must do without midfielder Marouane Fellaini for the next three matches after he was banned for his clash with Stoke's Ryan Shawcross.

Sunderland 1 Chelsea 3

Reading 3 Manchester United 4

The Football Association today charged Leeds manager Neil Warnock with improper conduct for his comments about referee Mark Halsey following his side’s 1-0 defeat at Millwall on Sunday.

What might happen if football’s top referees, across the continent, walked away?

Southampton 2 Sheffield Wednesday 0

Premier League referee Mark Halsey has made a complaint to Greater Manchester Police after receiving two abusive tweets on Sunday.

Premier League referee Mark Halsey has made a complaint to Greater Manchester Police after receiving two abusive tweets on Sunday.

The Twitter abuse of referee Mark Halsey has been condemned as “beneath contempt” by the match officials’ union Prospect.

Referee Mark Halsey was the victim of Twitter abuse following the Barclays Premier League fixture between Liverpool and Manchester United yesterday.

Chelsea 1 Aston Villa 3

MICK McCARTHY is rarely one to mince his words. On Saturday Mark Halsey was on the receiving end of some no-nonsense Yorkshire words of wisdom from the Wolves manager after his side’s 2-1 defeat.

Wolves 1 Newcastle 2

PREDICTABLY, the majority of the press focussed on the fact that this was the first opening game in the last 10 years that Chelsea had failed to win — personally, I was quite pleased with the way we played, if not necessarily with the result.

In all of the movies that have taken place inside a school, very few of them have really revolved around a terrible teacher.

West Ham 1 Aston Villa 2

Kevin Doyle believes Wolves will survive in the Barclays Premier League despite claiming his side were on the wrong end of two crucial decisions during the 3-3 home draw with Tottenham.

AC MILAN will not have known whether to laugh or cry after watching a display that was so typically Tottenham.

Stoke 2 Fulham 0

A YEAR ago referee Mark Halsey travelled to a game at Everton not only thinking his career was over, but fearing his life soon would be.

Tottenham 1 Newcastle 0

Manchester United 1 Everton 0

The FA have charged Middlesbrough with failing to control their players during the 3-0 defeat at West Brom on Saturday.

Manchester United 4 West Brom 0

MARK HALSEY will be returned to Premier League duty ‘‘before the end of the month’’.

AFTER the first 60 minutes at Middle Eastlands I had mentally crafted this column as a thesis on which set of supporters this weekend looked the biggest set of plums — the Manchester City fans swathed in tea-towels and Brazil shirts or those braying Geordies with their paranoid banners about “the Cockney Mafia.”

Frank Lampard has accused referee Mark Halsey of dropping a major clanger by dismissing Chelsea skipper John Terry at Manchester City yesterday.

Stoke 3 Aston Villa 2

Ipswich 0 Portsmouth 1