Are you genuinely surprised that an official refused to send off a Man Utd or Arsenal player for brawling?
Former striker McClair later told Red Army Bet: "The brawl started as it was a really bad challenge on Denis Irwin. In the heat of the moment, you don’t really understand what you’re doing, with so many people watching the game in the ground and on TV around the world.
"As with all these types of things, the referee gained control of the situation and calmed things down. I did however have to have stitches in my head and ear after being punched by Anders Limpar.
"Looking back I’d have to say it was great having people in the team who had your back, but you could also say the same about the Arsenal players."
Man United's First Division clash with Arsenal in October 1990 was marred by a 20-man brawl on the pitch that sparked the intense rivalry between the two clubs
www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Keith Hackett was the referee that day, and only booked Arsenal’s Anders Limpar and Nigel Winterburn at the time.
“I walked out onto the pitch at Old Trafford to officiate a game that became particularly challenging,” he told
CaughtOffside.
“The game had been very enjoyable to officiate and I was wise enough to have the experience of thirty years of officiating behind me when out of nothing the game exploded into a mass brawl with twenty-one players involved.
“Sadly, I had failed to spot the instigators of the confrontation and was certainly not going to guess or issue any red cards on a gut feel.
“Twenty-one players confronted each other in the middle of the field with a lot of snarling and threatening with players holding onto each other to prevent an out-of-control escalation.
“It happened in a flash and within twenty-one seconds was back under my control with almost everyone on the pitch shouting calm down, calm down. Having not seen what had sparked the incident I could not sanction anyone with red cards.”
'The battle of Old Trafford': Michael Thomas and referee Keith Hackett recall the brutal Man United v Arsenal clash
www.caughtoffside.com
so speaks the man who never gets upset!!
All the f'ing and tone of your posts in this thread last night indicate you are in some way 'rattled' by responses.
