Player gets booked three times in World Cup match
June 23, 2006 – 5:14 pmCroatia defender Josip Simunic set a new world cup record when he got booked three times in the match between Croatia and Australia. Normally when the second yellow is shown, it is followed by a red as the player gets his marching orders. However, in this case, English referee Graham Poll seemingly lost count and didn't send Simunic for an early bath until the third yellow.
This refereeing blunder means that Poll will soon be appearing before a referee's committee where his fate will be decided.
FIFA President Sepp Bladder had to say on this: "I place my trust in the referee's committee who will meet very soon to make an assessment on his performance. I hope they will show the tact in their handling that this matter deserves.
"I cannot understand how the four people in the team refereeing the match, the referee, the assistants and the fourth official could have allowed this to happen. It is like they had a blackout.
"There were four people there, an evident error had been made. Someone should have said 'stop, stop, something is wrong here'.
"That's why they have the communication system. The assistants and the fourth official have the right to call on the referee and tell him. It is not understandable how this happened."
Philip Sharp and Glenn Turner - the assistant referee's (or linesmen as they were called in my day) also hailed from England.
Fortunalely for all, the match ended 2-2 and Australia qualified for the next round. If the result had impinged on qualification, it may have had to be replayed.