Trevor Kettle Is Responsible For One Of The Most Controversial Refereeing Decisions In Football League History

Football League referee Trevor Kettle has decided to retire, according to reports.

The 55-year-old official, who marked his debut year in the Conference with seven red cards in ten matches, has enjoyed a rather controversial 20-year career.

He was promoted to the Football League list after the final day of the 2002/03 campaign, and went onto to brandish a quite remarkable 131 yellows and 13 reds in 28 games the following season.

The rest, as they say, is history.

In the coming years, Kettle would earn a reputation for handing out cards like sweets.

To put his record into perspective, the official went through the 2014/15 season without a single card-free game. In fact, last season, with just 15 games played, he handed out 56 yellows and six reds.

But perhaps his most infamous decision came in March 2016, when he controversially denied Accrington Stanley victory against AFC Wimbledon with a mistimed blow of the whistle.

With the game tied at 0-0 after 45 minutes played, Accrington were about to take the lead through Billy Kee.

But in a moment that left players and fans alike in a state of confusion, the goal was chalked off when Kettle blew for half-time.

"I've never seen anything like it happen in all my 46 years playing and managing," Accrington manager John Coleman said after the full-time whistle.

"He blew as the ball was on its way into the net. You can't account for that. Everyone in the ground is flabbergasted. Referees make mistakes because they're only human and that's what makes the game of football so special because you have talking points and arguments."

As you can imagine, fans expressed their disbelief at Kettle's decision following the League Two clash.

One wrote: "This is just Trev Kettle. He's a stickler for the rules, he has never stood for any nonsense and there is no genuine rule that says he can't do this either. If you look back at his record the amount of cards he hands out is unbelievable."

Another commented: "I could almost understand it if the ball was shot from outside the box or something, but he blew when the guy was in the box midway through his shot," while a third said: "Accrington would have been promoted if that goal had counted."

Thoughts on Kettle reportedly retiring from the game?

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Featured Image Credit: Sky Sports

Topics: League Two

Jack Kenmare

Senior Journalist at SPORTbible with a passion for long-form journalism. Almost 10 years’ experience across online and print.

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