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Vickers 'dumbfounded' by streaker red card

Ashley Vickers got a shock © PA Photos

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Dorchester player-manager Ashley Vickers has admitted his sending off "beggars belief" after he was shown a red card for tackling a pitch invader dressed only in a lime green mankini and curly black wig.

The clash between Dorchester and Havant & Waterlooville was well poised at 1-1 when the interloper made his move. After he evaded stewards, Vickers stepped in and took the man down before handing him over. The problem for Vickers was that the referee took a dim view of his actions and pulled out a red card, much to the consternation of both sets of players.

"I'm dumbfounded and speechless," Vickers told the Dorset Echo. "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. But the ref decided to send me off and it beggars belief."

To rub salt into the wounds, Dorchester went on to lose the game 3-1 - denting their promotion hopes - and had two other players sent off for unrelated incidents.

Havant manager Shaun Gale sympathized with Vickers despite acknowledging the referee "stuck to the letter of the law."

"It may have been hijinks and given a few people a laugh but I feel sorry for Ashley Vickers, who thought he was doing the right thing," Gale said. "I spoke to him after the match and he was devastated.

"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."

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