Turkish club president punches ref

[Coffee]

"Turkish football bosses suspended all leagues after a referee was punched to the ground by a club president following a top-flight game on Monday. Halil Umut Meler was struck by MKE Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca, who ran on to the pitch after his team conceded a 97th-minute equaliser in a 1-1 Super Lig draw with Caykur Rizespor. Unbelievable. All club games have been suspended in Turkey. But what kind of further punishment awaits Mr Koca? Relegation plus a massive fine? I hope David Sullivan doesn't get any ideas..."

[Leonard Hatred]

Or Cowdenbeath.

[WHU(Exeter)]

And this sort of thing would never happen at Zonguldakspor.

[Pee Wee]

Of course Sulivan could get on the pitch He just wouldn’t be able to carry the chair he’d need

[WHU(Exeter)]

"Sorry, you said “first leg”. Still doesn’t excuse him gifting Rizespor a point though. Time FIFA flushed these characters out the game."

[WHU(Exeter)]

"So as well as giving Rizespor a few dodgy extra minutes to equalise, he also oversaw the disgraceful scenes when AZ Alkmaar fans attacked a family seating area? The bloke had everything coming to him."

[ragingbull]

"He is also on Uefa's elite referee list and officiated West Ham's Europa Conference League semi-final first leg against AZ Alkmaar last season,from Beeb."

[Helmut Shown]

"They could replace them with international refs. We coukd send Taylor, Bankes, Oliver and Mike Dean could come out of retirement"

[ray winstone]

"What happened to the Turk who used to post on here, Hairy something....?"

[BBondsBootlaces]

"Sydney_Iron The actor Robert Blake denied shooting and killing his wife in his car, stating he had gone back inside the restaurant to get his gun that he forgot. Found not guilty."

[JayeMPee]

Sullivan (a) couldn't get there and (b) wouldn't give a damn. Since when has he ever shown real interest?

[Sydney_Iron]

"Fair enough arsene!!! But still skeptical this is a wind up rather than fact, the photos clearly show a clenched fist, the bloke goes to ground straight away and who would admit to be going to spit in someone's face??? But they are Turks i suppose!"

[Sydney_Iron]

"Then maybe you been caught as well? LOL seriously do you reckon that is a true or a made up joke report! Did a quick google and cant find anything, surely if that was kosher it would be all over the net????? All i can find is the bloke has been arrested, Turkish officials apologizing and going to take action etc etc."

[arsene york-hunt]

Can't find the CNN Turk page but it is quoted in this article: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12854749/Turkish-football-president-referee-DEFENDS-attack.html

[arsene york-hunt]

It was on a web site and I just C & P'd it

[Sydney_Iron]

arsene york-hunt 7:18 Tue Dec 12 Not buying this? but did make me laugh. Surely you're fishing arsene son? You caught a few as well.... Well played.

[stepney hammer]

Ref should be embarrassed. Bloke with a heart condition barely touches him and he throws himself on the ground like he's been shot. He only meant to spit at him in the face. The ref must have goaded him for it to get physical.

[On The Ball]

Just when you think this couldn't get any funnier!

[Mike Oxsaw]

"""My aim was to...spit in his face."" Blimey! The EU want as a full member a country who's elite and educated find that a socially acceptable form of communication? Yours!"

[WHU(Exeter)]

"There’s always two sides to a story. Reading that it sounds like six of one, half a dozen of the other. Let’s hope common sense prevails, and the ref gets his fair share of punishment for this too."

[mallard]

FMOB! That’s an impressive defence!

[arsene york-hunt]

"CNN Turk report Koca, twice elected to Turkey’s parliament as part of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AK Party, said: “This incident developed due to the wrong decisions and provocative behaviour of the referee. My aim was to react verbally to the referee and spit in his face. “At this time, I slapped the referee in the face. The slap I gave did not cause a fracture. “After the slap I gave, the referee stood for about 5-10 seconds, then threw himself on the ground. They immediately removed me from the scene because of my heart disease. Other than that, I am not aware of any incident that took place.”"

[arsene york-hunt]

"CNN Turk report Koca, twice elected to Turkey’s parliament as part of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AK Party, said: “This incident developed due to the wrong decisions and provocative behaviour of the referee. My aim was to react verbally to the referee and spit in his face. “At this time, I slapped the referee in the face. The slap I gave did not cause a fracture. “After the slap I gave, the referee stood for about 5-10 seconds, then threw himself on the ground. They immediately removed me from the scene because of my heart disease. Other than that, I am not aware of any incident that took place.”"

[BBondsBootlaces]

"They do VAR different there. Violence Assisted Ref. Not sure, did Mike Dean ever ref out there?"

[Far Cough]

Even Erdogan has got involved

[RBshorty]

Fair play to the Turkish FA. Can you imagine the Blazers over here doing that.?