Abuse from fans left me scarred - Elleray

One of English football’s most famous referees said today he is “permanently scarred” from the abuse and hatred he suffered from fans.

Public school teacher David Elleray, who sent off Roy Keane four times, received death threats from Manchester United fans, had to have his mail screened and was placed under police protection.

The 50-year-old, who retired last season, often wears a disguise so he can safely leave games without being recognised by irate supporters.

Elleray was speaking in Dublin while promoting his new book, The Man In The Middle, which details his career in which he refereed 1,780 games, including 84 Manchester United matches.

Elleray said: “Some fans develop an intense dislike and hatred of you.

“Some are so passionate that if you do something against their team, it’s like you did something against their family.

“And they don’t forgive you. They remember something you did ten years ago.

“At one point I was getting hate letters and death threats at Harrow from a small minority of Manchester United fans.

“I told security, they told police and then officers came to install Home Office alarms in my house.

“Fans expect me to be right everytime I blow my whistle and they don’t remember my right decisions.”

Elleray said referees are more high profile now compared with 15 years ago.

“Pierluigi Collina is known as the bald guy with the staring eyes. But I’m known as that guy that teaches at Harrow.”

Elleray counts himself lucky that he could go back to prestigious Harrow School, switch off and keep things in proportion.

He said: “One wonders how I would have coped if I had nothing in my life apart from refereeing.”

Elleray described Keane as “aggressive and difficult” but among the best players in the world.

He added: “He doesn’t say much but when he speaks players take note of what he says.

“He always wants to get on with the game. He’s not one to chat like David Beckham and Dwight Yorke who were happy to natter away.

“You didn’t tend to pass the time of day with Roy. He tended to know what was what.”

When Elleray retired last year, his referee colleagues asked Keane for a signed shirt.

But the United captain responded with a cheeky letter in which he said he would never forget Elleray for “all my suspensions and fines“.

Elleray said he had mixed feelings about his retirement from the game.

“I miss the knot of nerves in my stomach when I wake up or the adrenaline rush when I set foot on the pitch of a big game.

“I don’t miss the abuse. I don’t miss having to train on a cold, wet November evening.”

He listed Beckham, Eric Cantona, Ronaldo and Glenn Hoddle as the players who impressed him most.

He said making referees professionals will raise expectations “because if a referee is paid £60,000 (€90,000), they shouldn’t be making any mistakes. It increases the pressure in a job which is essentially a lonely business".