‘Ref paid price for Henry handball’

The referee who missed Thierry Henry’s infamous handball effectively ended his own career with the decision which ended Ireland’s World Cup dreams.

Swedish referee Martin Hansson was never handed another major match after the mistake in the World Cup play-off in 2009 where France edged out a heartbroken Republic of Ireland.

Ireland’s top soccer referee Alan Kelly told the Ray D’Arcy Show yesterday how the crunch decision cost the Scandinavian official his own career.