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Keith Hackett’s verdict

1) First things first – the captain should not be “insisting” you do anything: have a word with him. Second, give him a lesson in the laws. The guidance on players leaving the pitch after treatment includes some commonsense written exceptions. One is that keepers are exempt; another states that if a keeper and an attacker collide and both need attention, both are exempt, to avoid unfairly disadvantaging the attacking side. Likewise, if a keeper and one of his team-mates collide and both need treatment, both stay on, to avoid unfairly disadvantaging the defending side. So in this case, all three players stay on as play restarts. Thanks to Paul Eldridge for the question.

2) It’s a mess – but you can’t now start undoing the damage. Deal with it like this: ask him for his name. If it matches the name of the player you booked in the first-half, send him off. If he gives you a different name, show him a yellow and continue as normal – then report everything to the authorities after the game. Either way, he and his club will face sanctions. Sadly, so may you, for not spotting the problem sooner. Thanks to Tony Harrison.

3) He has no right to intervene. As the referee you have a duty of care and if the player tells you he needs treatment then you must make sure he gets it. Once the player has been treated, ask him to leave the field in the normal way. Report the manager after the game. Steve Longworth wins the shirt.

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