I refereed Stand Athletic in the Manchester League, up at Whitefield once. I sent off a lad for some reason. He went, no problems, but five minutes later ran back on the pitch with a glass bottle and attacked the lad he had a confrontation with.
He was being restrained, but he wouldn't stop. He did disappear when the police were called, and we didn't see him again.
The disciplinary reports went in, and Stand ended up appealing the dismissal on the very unusual grounds of impersonation. I turned up at Brantingham Road, and Stand reps were in the car park, finalising their concocted story. They claimed the lad dismissed had left the club, and he had signed on in the name of another player. The other player, who was totally innocent, played for Caernarfon Town in the Unibond League, and a completely different lad was presented as their witness, claiming to be the actual player, whose identity was stolen.
What they didn't know was I was also a lineman in the Unibond League, and had been at Caernarfon Town a few weeks before. I asked him what colour Caernarfon played in, and what their ground was called. He didn't have a clue.
MCFA bought the story though, and the player escaped sanction. However, Stand were fined heavily. Why they didn't just let them throw the book at him, I'll never know. I suspect Caernarfon were involved as they wanted to keep their player. I hope he brought trouble on them subsequently.