{"id":292439,"date":"2023-09-13T22:19:30","date_gmt":"2023-09-13T22:19:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/?p=292439"},"modified":"2023-09-13T22:19:30","modified_gmt":"2023-09-13T22:19:30","slug":"i-refereed-man-utd-vs-liverpool-fans-sent-death-threats-and-cancer-jokes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/soccer\/i-refereed-man-utd-vs-liverpool-fans-sent-death-threats-and-cancer-jokes\/","title":{"rendered":"‘I refereed Man Utd vs Liverpool \u2013 fans sent death threats and cancer jokes’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey has opened up on the 'death threats' and other abuse he encountered after overseeing one game between Manchester United and Liverpool.<\/p>\n

It was Halsey's job to keep tensions to a manageable level during a 2012 clash between English football's two most successful clubs. Almost exactly 11 years ago, the ex-official showed Jonjo Shelvey a first-half red card at Anfield before United came from behind to beat their hosts 2-1.<\/p>\n

And Halsey – who has overcome cancer, while his wife will undergo treatment for Leukaemia for the rest of her life – said the social media backlash following that result was the worst he's experienced in his career. The 62-year-old was "blamed for sending Jonjo off" despite his attempts to soothe players early on during the match.<\/p>\n

"I remember Jonjo went through a United player in the first minute, and you could argue it was a caution. But in those sort of games, you can't go straight in for a yellow card in the first few minutes, because you're gonna have a hatful," he told the Under The Cosh podcast. "You've got to manage those games. <\/p>\n

READ MORE: <\/b>Meet son of ex-Prem manager who is England amputees boss \u2013 and had awkward Sir Alex meeting<\/b><\/p>\n

"And I remember getting stick off my evaluations saying I should've cautioned him, but you can't! I remember the United players were going ballistic saying, 'That's a yellow card!' I said 'Get away and I will deal with it.' And I spoke to Jon and said, 'Any more and you're gonna get a caution.'"<\/p>\n

Halsey – who retired at the end of the 2012\/13 campaign, having returned to the top flight after beating a non-Hodgkin lymphoma – looked back on the fixture as a "really good game". However, the reaction he received from the public online was anything but.<\/p>\n

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"But on that, [I'll] say the fallout from that game on social media was horrendous for me and my family," he added. "Listen, I can take it. To reach the top level, you've got to be mentally tough, mentally strong."<\/p>\n

Asked whether that particular example was "a different level" to the abuse he was used to facing, the former official said: "Absolutely. Especially when they wanted my young daughter to die of cancer. And my wife's cancer to come back and [kill her]. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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"And there's a bullet waiting for you… you know, we can take it. But when it starts impacting on your family, that's not right. And I know the police got involved, they done a great job. A couple of people got interviewed [over the threats], and one of the guys lived up in the north east. He was gonna lose his job over it, and I remember speaking to his boss and saying, 'listen, don't sack him over it – he's got a family'."<\/p>\n

He went on to say that particular supporter "wrote a long letter apologising," explaining he was going through a lot of personal turmoil when he lashed out. Halsey cast a content figure as he insisted: "You've always got to forgive people. That's social media today, isn't it. There are many keyboard warriors that need sorting out."<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

While many fans may get extremely invested in clubs and their fortunes, Halsey and his family's lives were invaded by unseen figures threatening actual harm. And although he shows a mature and accepting response now, it clearly wasn't such a simple matter to deal with back then.<\/p>\n

It's by no means uncommon for excitement to boil over whenever United and Liverpool are on the billing. However, Halsey's tale serves as a reminder of the power fans have in the social media age – and the damage that can be easily inflicted upon officials just for doing their jobs.<\/p>\n

Source: Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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