Forget the last-minute goal, the goal-line clearance and the penalty shoot-out, for many fans the most dramatic moment of any match is when the man in black (or maroon or green) brandishes the dreaded red card. It can be heroic, tragic or comic; grotesque, bizarre or controversial; a moment of sheer joy, frustration or despair. In the world of football there have been thousands of dismissals. Each of them has their own story. This book recalls just some of them…
1972 Alan Mullery, the first player ever to be sent off for England, arrives back at his hotel to find a telegram from his father. A consolation message? A gesture of fatherly support? No. Just the words: 'You've disgraced the family.'
1968 Celtic v Racing Club in an x-rated affair. With six players already dismissed, Bertie Auld is next to see the ref's hand point to the dressing room. The winger stands his ground: 'I'm nae going!' he insists. Frightened by the hard-as-nails Glaswegian or baffled by his accent, the ref bottles out and Auld stays on.
And many more…