FORGET about referees being bribed in Germany; the big story among the men in black is about a referee who sent himself off.

The incident happened in England during a contest between Peterborough North End and Royal Mail AYL and involved a referee called Andy Wain.

North End 'keeper Richard McGaffin was unhappy with a goal that put the opposition 2-1 up, insisting that one of his defenders had been fouled.

Instead of giving McGaffin a ticking off, the referee lost his temper, flung away his whistle, untucked his shirt and marched up to eyeball the player, before realising the error of his ways.

The 39-year-old official, who revealed that he had a few personal problems leading up to the Peterborough Sunday League Two clash, admitted: "With hindsight I should never have officiated. It was totally unprofessional. If a player did what I did, I would send him off, so I had to go.

"I heard the goalkeeper say 'It's always the bloody same with you, ref - we never get anything.' It was the last straw but, fortunately, I came to my senses."

Wain, whose future as a referee is now hanging in the balance, abandoned the game as he headed for an early bath in the 63rd minute because there was no-one to replace him.