Poll sent home from World Cup

Graham Poll has paid the price for his yellow-card blunder by being named among the 14 referees sent home from the World Cup.

FIFA’s referees committee today announced the 12 match officials who will be retained to be in contention to take charge of the remaining eight games of the tournament.

Poll, the official from Tring who booked the same player three times during the Croatia v Australia match, is not among them and neiher is Russian Valentin Ivanov after he set a record by showing 16 yellow and four red cards during the Portugal v Holland match.

Meanwhile, Argentina’s Horacio Elizondo has been name as the referee in charge of England’s quarter-final against Portugal on Saturday.