During a match in Wales, a referee expelled six players from a youth soccer team after a disagreement regarding the color of their underpants.
The peculiar situation arose when the referee noticed that a player from the English side, Bath City, was wearing white cycling shorts beneath the team’s red shorts. Another player was seen donning black undershorts.
According to the rules set by the Football Association (FA), both layers of clothing must be of the same color. However, this regulation is seldom enforced.
The situation escalated when the two teenage players were instructed to change on the sidelines, in full view of nearly 150 spectators, while their Welsh opponents, Newport, took advantage of their absence by scoring first.
One player was even compelled to take off the underpants beneath his cycling shorts after the referee objected to their color, resulting in him returning to the field entirely unadorned beneath his shorts.
“Technically, the referee might have been correct, but I can’t fathom that when this rule was established, the goal was for 16- and 17-year-olds to change their shorts publicly at the side of a pitch. That surely cannot be the appropriate action at this level,” remarked Bath City chairman Manda Rigby.
This incident spurred several heated exchanges during the FA Youth Cup match, leading to the expulsion of four players from Bath, one unused substitute, and Bath manager Billy Clark, as Newport triumphed with a score of 6-0.
By Buford Balony
