Mark Clattenburg (left) had to be brought replacement cards (Picture: Simon Roe/TGSPHOTO)

Referee Mark Clattenburg was left red-faced early in the second half of the Reading v Liverpool match when, after going to caution a player in the 50th minute, he discovered he’d left his notebook – and red and yellow cards – back in the dressing room.

The typical chant of ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’ couldn’t have been more apt for the embarrassed official – who gave a sheepish look as he realised he was physically unable to show a card to Royals midfielder Danny Guthrie.

Unfortunately for the former Newcastle player, he wasn’t about to get away with his foul on Daniel Sturridge.



Upon realising his mistake, Clattenburg was forced to halt the game and trot over to the touchline where he was furnished with a spare set of cards by the fourth official.


Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge still looks slightly afraid of referee Mark Clattenburg’s authority – despite a lack of cards (Picture: PA)

To cat-calls from the crowd he eventually produced the (reserve) yellow card – along with a forlorn grin.

The amusing episode was one of few highlights for fans of both teams who attended the match at the Madejski Stadium.

A relatively uneventful game ended goalless – giving a boost to neither Liverpool’s European ambitions nor Reading’s faint hopes of avoiding relegation from the Premier League.

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