Top 10 death threat referees
Posted By Rob Parker on May 8, 2009
The refs who were told they would be officiating with the fishes
1. Anders Frisk
The original Chelsea-Barcelona death-threatened referee. The Swedish official retired in 2005 after officiating between the two sides in a Champions League match. Jose Mourinho claimed Frank Rijkaard had been seen entering Frisk’s room at half-time. And Blues fans were also angry with his sending off of Didier Drogba.
He said: “I’ve had enough. I don’t know if I even dare let my kids go to the post office. Then it’s gone too far. These past 16 days have been the worst in my life as a referee.”
2. Tom Henning Ovrebo
The new kid on the block reportedly had to be smuggled out the UK on Wednesday night after the Chelsea-Barca match. The receptionist at his Oslo psychology clinic can expect a sackful of English expletives this morning.
3. Urs Meier
The Swiss official was victim of a hate campaign all but orchestrated by The Sun after disallowing Sol Campbell’s last-minute header against Portugal at Euro 2004.
4. Mike McCurry
McCurry has said that disallowing an Aberdeen goal for offisde in a match against Hearts haunted him throughout his career in Scotland. As well as death threats, he claims to have received dead rats, chicken giblets and razor blades over a period of years from Dons fans who couldn’t let the decision go.
5. Valentin Ivanov
Unusually, Ivanov received a pre-match death threat on the eve of the Mosow derby between Spartak and Lokomotiv in 2005. Vadim Grebenkin, aged 51, was given an 18-month suspended jail sentence in relation to the incident.
6. Howard Webb
The threats on Webb’s life after he awarded Austria a 93rd-minute penalty in the Euro 2008 clash against Poland were led by Poland’s Prime Minister. Donald Tusk said: “As the Prime Minister I have to be balanced and collected. But on Thursday night I was speaking very differently about the whole thing. I wanted to kill.”
7. Terje Hauge
Norwegian referee receives death threats after officiating in a match between Barcelona and Chelsea. Sound familiar? This one was 2006 and Hauge’s offence was sending off Asier Del Horno for a foul on Lionel Messi.
8. Martin Hansson
Yet another unfortunate Scandinavian. This Swede received death threats to his mobile phone via calls and text messages after awarding Liverpool a last-minute penalty against Atletico Madrid last November.
9. Javier Turienzo Alvarez
This Spanish referee was targeted after awarding two controversial penalties and sending off tow Real Madrid players in a 17-minute spell in a match against Racing Santander in 2007.
He said: “I have received more than 50 phone calls at my house with death threats against me and my family.” The ref blamed a Spanish newspaper carrying the headline ‘Go for him’.
10. Yuichi Nishimura
By way of diversity, this is a referee who was accused of dishing out death threats. Nishimura allegedly told a player to “die” during a J-League game in 2008. The matter eventually fizzled out amid a dispute over the exact words the referee had used.
The Polish PM’s name is Donald not Dennis. Otherwise spot on.
Cowards threatening brave hardworking people. Sounds about how the world works, you try your best and the slime of humanity want revenge when you make a mistake.
I’m surprised Gus St. Silva isn’t on this list for his repeated MLS and Open cup transgressions. Sounds like we’re going to have to up our game, or is that all right that he all but ensured the Quakes a pass against the Timbers in Portland?
Mike McCurry might be the most hated man in Scotland. A self professed Rangers supporter and a Presbyterian Priest, McCurry has also disallowed goals for Dundee United against Rangers and stonewalled clear Celtic penalties, which prompted Celtic fans to serenade McCurry with this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PURY7aaYoU4
overbro is a cunt what a cheat
[...] Either that or he was giving them the last rites ahead of the inevitable death threats. [...]
Surely Martin Hansson’s rating (currently 8th) goes up a fair few notches after his dreadful decision in the France v Ireland world cup play-off last night! The whole world saw Thierry Henry’s handball / juggling antics prior to Galas’s goal, except Martin Hannson.