Andre Marriner ‘was told to leave pitchside at an UNDER NINES game for mouthing off at a ref’

Andre Marriner was once forced to leave an Under nines game due to his language while watching his son play football. 

The veteran Premier League referee was reportedly asked to leave pitchside for mouthing off at the official in charge of a children’s game, with his regular demeanour with whistle in hand deserting him when on the touchline.  

As a referee, Marriner has a reputation for allowing the game to unfold and remain relaxed in key moments.

However, even one of the division’s most experienced officials is known to get caught up in the moment on occasion when his child is in action, according the The Guardian. 

The weekend’s domestic football action was notable for a shocking outburst by Aleksandar Mitrovic, which saw the Fulham striker shove referee Chris Kavanagh in the Cottagers’ 3-1 defeat to Manchester United, with the Serbian one of three Fulham figures to see red in a blistering two minutes at Old Trafford.

Andre Marriner was once told to leave the touchline of his son’s Under nines game for reportedly mouthing off at the referee

Aleksandar Mitrovic faces a hefty punishment for shoving Chris Kavanagh in Fulham’s 3-1 defeat to Manchester United

In his own career, Marriner has overseen 386 fixtures in the English top-flight, handing out 1,197 yellow cards and 67 reds, according to the Premier League. 

He could become only the third referee to officiate in 400 Premier League games, with only Martin Atkinson and Mike Dean having reached the huge total in the past. 

The 52-year-old commented on the level of pressure that referees are put under in high-pressure situations in the Premier League, comparing the level of scrutiny that he and his colleagues are put under to ‘surgeons’.

‘I can’t think of any other job where there’s this much scrutiny over decision-making,’ he said. ‘Maybe a surgeon?’

Officials in the English top-flight are often put under the microscope due to the number of contentious moments and decisions that take place on a regular basis. 

One of the key contributors to this seemingly incessant debate around refereeing in recent years has been the introduction of VAR, although Marriner maintained that in the same way that the technology is new for players and viewers, it is also novel for those put in charge of implementing it. 

‘It’s about trying to bank up the incidents so there is a standard of when to interfere,’ Marriner said. ‘Because VAR is new to us, we’re learning ourselves.’

And perhaps as a result of being forced to make the unpopular decisions that can often prove the difference for a team’s fortunes on the day, referees are becoming more and more akin to ‘pantomime villains’.

Marriner (left) is reportedly known for his dry humour and calmness with whistle in hand

In 386 appearances in the Premier League, Marriner has handed out 1197 yellows and 67 reds

After overseeing a 1-1 draw between Everton and Nottingham Forest, Marriner and his refereeing team – Simon Long and Richard West – were the subject of light-hearted jokes from Everton defender Conor Coady and his children. 

‘These are the referees,’ The Everton defender began, according to The Guardian, pointing at Marriner. ‘And we don’t like them … Boooooo!’

Although in jest, these are the sort of jokes and comments that lead West to remark: ‘Referees are the pantomime villains.

‘People think we get paid to turn up, ruin everyone’s day, and f**k off, but they don’t see all the work that we do.’