Footballer who rugby-tackled streaker was stunned to be sent off for violent disorder
- Crowd's cheers turn to boos as strict ref gives player his marching orders in non-league game
A footballer well and truly saw red when a streaker dressed in a Borat mankini invaded the pitch during the middle of a game.
Because Dorchester Town's Ashley Vickers rugby-tackled the offender to the ground, he was stunned to be sent off by the referee - for violent distorder.
In what must go down as one of the most amazing reasons for dismissal ever, the player was given his marching orders during the Blue Square Bet South clash at Havant and Waterlooville.
The players of both teams had stood and watched bemused as the man ran around the pitch for 30 seconds in his curly black wig to the cheers of the crowd.
But after a few laughable efforts to catch the streaker, Dorchester's player-manager decided he had seen enough and took it upon himself to stop him.
Tackling the problem: Dorchester Town player-manager Ashley Vickers ran after the invader before grabbing him by the shoulders and flinging him to the floor to allow the stewards to remove him
Up close and personal: As Ashley Vickers tussled with the streaker, the referee blew his whistle and showed the defender a straight red card for violent conduct
Vickers, 39, ran after the invader before grabbing him by the shoulders and flinging him to the floor to allow the stewards to remove him.
The cheers of the 458-strong crowd then turned to boos as Vickers was made to leave the field at a chilly Westleigh Park in Havant, Hampshire, last night.
Vickers said afterwards: 'I'm dumbfounded and speechless.
'A guy ran on to the pitch without any of the stewards getting near him and I thought I was doing them a favour.
'My only thought was to get hold of him so we could get on with the game.
'I managed to grab him and bring him to the ground and the funny thing was the stewards actually thanked me for it.
Fancy dress: The invader, wearing nothing but a bright green mankini and curly black wig, interrupted the non-league game Dorchester Town FC and Havant and Waterlooville FC
'But the ref decided to send me off and it beggars belief. Their players told the ref not to send me off and their chairman even offered to take a player off to even things up.
'No one in the ground, players and supporters alike, will have seen anything like that before and no one will see anything like it again.
'The ref lost the game after that and he knew he had made a great error by the reaction of Havant's players and management.
'In hindsight I perhaps shouldn't have done it but hindsight is a wonderful thing. I am sure people will crucify me for this but I have broad shoulders.'
Wrestled to the ground: The cheers of the 458-strong crowd then turned to boos as Vickers was made to leave the field at a chilly Westleigh Park after knocking the pitch invader to the ground
The unnamed streaker was ejected from the game and has since been banned from attending any future games.
The match was evenly poised at 1-1 at the time of the invasion and the subsequent sending off 70 minutes into the game.
Dorchester had two more players sent off after that for unrelated offences and Havant and Waterlooville went on to win the Blue Square Bet South clash 3-1.
Vickers said: 'We were 1-0 up and playing ever so well.'
A spokesman for Dorchester Town FC said today that they would not be commenting further on the matter until they have seen the referee's report.
Cover-up: The unnamed streaker was ejected from the game and has since been banned from attending any future games
Shaun Gale, manager of Havant and Waterlooville, today said he felt sorry for Vickers.
He said: 'As a club, we are not happy with the situation because it is not football and distracts from the game.
'We do our best to prevent people getting onto the pitch and it is the first time it has happened at Westleigh Park but it has happened at bigger venues, like Wembley.
'It may have been high jinks and given a few people a laugh but I feel sorry for Ashley Vickers, who thought he was doing the right thing.
'I spoke to him after the match and he was devastated.
Seeing red: 'The stewards looked disinterested - the players were all stood doing nothing - one person takes action against this idiot and you send him off - how does that work?', said one attendee
'The referee has apparently stuck to the letter of the law in sending him off for violent conduct but it is not a rule I knew.
'Next time a streaker comes onto the pitch, I have told my players to stand back and wait for the authorities to deal with it.'
He added: 'We were on top in the second half and I would like to think we would have won anyway but the sending off certainly caused Dorchester to lose their heads.
'The streaker will now be banned from the stadium.'
One Havant and Waterlooville fan later wrote on an internet message board: 'I was at the game and thought it was a ridiculous piece of reffing. There was only six stewards and matey could have easily got away. It ruined the game as a contest after that.'
Another wrote: 'Ref - you are a prized plonker.
'The stewards looked disinterested - the players were all stood doing nothing - one person takes action against this idiot and you send him off - how does that work?'
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