Football: Five players sent off after brawl

LONDON: A referee took the extraordinary step of sending off five players in the dressing room in a chaotic postscript to a fiery clash in the fourth tier of English football. Southern side Crawley won 2-1 away to League Two rivals Bradford but that was only part of the story as referee Ian Williamson showed red cards to three Bradford players and two from Crawley during a post-match brawl which was said to have started with a punch. Bradford manager Phil Parkinson insisted if any of his players threw a punch, they would be fined. “The referee seems very clear in his mind what went on and that is the reason he took the action,” said Parkinson.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 29^th, 2012.