The Football League have chosen second-rate Andy D’Urso as the referee for the League One Play-Off Final at Wembley between Leeds United and Doncaster Rovers.
D’Urso, once a FIFA and a Premier League referee is now on the lower League lists.
At least he is used to high profile games but he will be forever remembered for back-pedalling from a snarling pack of Man Utd players (Stam, Butt, Beckham, and Gary Neville), led by an out of control Roy Keane, after awarding a penalty against the Man Utd without realising that Sir Alex had forbidden such practices against his team at Old Trafford
However, his indellible memory for Leeds Utd fans will be of being in charge of the travesty of an FA Cup tie at Ninian Park, where Alan Smith was dismissed on the pitch, Cardiff chairman Sam Hamman paraded around the pitch inciting the Cardiff fans during the game, protected by a convicted football hooligan, and where Leeds fans were attacked off the pitch by Cardiff fans and outside the ground by South Wales police dogs.
(Did the South Wales police ever discipline an officer for their behaviour that day - including the assault on the president of a Leeds United Supporters Club as he was boarding a coach? Thought not).
D’Urso played a major role in the 2-1 defeat at Cardiff. He allowed Gavin Gordon to stay on the pitch after disabling Rio Ferdinand, the Leeds captain. “He nearly broke his ankle,” said then Leeds manager David O’Leary.
Dopey D’Urso then dismissed Alan Smith for a foul on Cardiff’s Legg, who admitted, “I was holding him and he was trying to shake me off, and caught me in the mouth. I got a cut lip.” In an attempt to seem less like a wimp he then alleged that Smith had “…kicked me earlier on off the ball but I ignored it.” There’s a hero, boyo!
David O’Leary was incensed by Andy D’Urso’s red card against Smith, “It was a disgraceful decision,” said the Leeds manager.
Presciently, O’Leary added. “I am wondering whether there is an agenda against Smith; referees are very quick to jump on him.”
O’Leary’s words were later proved correct when the comments of a referee’s conference were leaked which, indeed, confirmed that Smith was a pre-determined target. (Of course, once Smith moved to the Theatre of Queens he came under the protection of the Red Knight, Sir Alex Fergybum and none of the evil black dwarfs dare approach the “blond one” and he was saved from further persecution).
Back to this season and Andy D’Urso has refereed Leeds United twice already. Firstly; in the 3-0 League Cup defeat to Portsmouth in August and secondly; in the 2-0 home win over Walsall in March 2008.
In these games D’Urso only issued a total of four yellow cards, two against Leeds and two against their opposition, so hopefully he will continue this even-handed restraint in Sunday’s final.
The fact that there were no cards at all issued in the Carlisle Utd v Leeds Utd semi-final tie gives every hope for an exciting final not ruined by the inequality that a red card brings to a game.
