There was controversy on Monday evening at North Ferriby United, as Hull City’s Under-23 Professional Development League match with Millwall was cut short. A skirmish broke out between the majority of the players, with the referee deciding to abandon the game, a move Hull Academy Manager Jon Beale felt was unnecessary.
The game is called off with just one minute remaining
The Under-23 competition has come under scrutiny in its maiden year and this latest incident will raise question marks once more. With Hull leading 2-1 and the game drawing to a close, a brawl broke out with a Millwall player seemingly stamping on a Hull player’s leg, despite the visiting team being awarded a free-kick.
Yet the referee and his assistants were unable to single out the culprits in question for yellow or red cards. Thus the decision was made to abandon the game, a move that could cause the fixture to be replayed and prevent Hull from earning the three points they were strolling towards.
Beale not impressed by the referee’s decision
Hull Academy Manager Jon Beale was disappointed with the referee’s decision, explaining “the reasons for abandoning the game was that there was acts of violent conduct and the referee couldn't identify who the players involved were, so he wasn't prepared to carry on the game”.
Beale even suggested he helped the referee with the incident “I even told him who the two main culprits were", explaining that one player from either side had been the main offenders. "I suggested sending them both off so we could finish the game but he was having none of it”.
The concern for Hull now is the possibility of the result not standing. Beale added “I’m hopeful the result will stand but it will depend on what action the league take. They'll want to see the footage and the reasons why he's abandoned it”.