11 months ago
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IAN WRIGHT has revealed all about the explosive moment he completely destroyed a referee’s room after receiving a red card.
Back in 1999, the now much-loved pundit found himself in hot water after picking up a second yellow card while at West Ham.
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The OverlapThe Arsenal legend and ex-England star then threw a complete tantrum as he was sent-off in the 16th-minute of the 5-1 home defeat to Leeds United.
Wright firstly had to be restrained from badgering ref Rob Harris by team-mate Trevor Sinclair and several others before his anger boiled over once he had gone down the tunnel.
He says that he can hardly remember any of his astonishing antics that day at Upton Park, except for when the fourth official had heard the commotion and spotted him.
Speaking on the latest episode of The Overlap: Stick to Football, brought to you by Sky Bet, the Premier League icon recalled: “I got sent-off against Leeds for West Ham. It was Ian Harte, I didn’t catch him with the challenge, I know I didn’t catch him but he went over and was rolling.
“It was one of those when you see someone see the red card and they look surprised.
“I felt so wronged that I lost all emotion. I lost all my composure and I started effing and blinding with him then I did the thing that you just don’t do – chasing the ref to try and talk to the ref.
“I had two or three players stopping me, so because I couldn’t get to him, I’m walking off and you’d think that was it but then I kicked the referee’s door in and smashed the room to bits. That was the emotion.”
Wright continued: “I felt so wronged by the situation. The only thing I remember is coming back out after smashing the room to bits.
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“I kicked the door in and you’d think that would have been it. But I went in, threw all their gear in the bath, threw the television against the wall and then, as I walked out, David Elleray was coming the other way.
“I didn’t even take my kit off – I just took my gear off the peg and drove home. Then Harry Redknapp called me and said: ‘What the effing hell has gone on?’
“I think I got fined about £18,000 for that.
Wright was fined £17,500 by the FA and received a three-match ban for his actions.
But he celebrated his 60th birthday this week, and he says he is much more mellow these days.
“The thing that saved me in that incident was that I was having counselling at the time, anger management, “ he added.
“I laugh now, but I literally blacked out with anger and emotion. I felt wronged and I lost it.
“I’ve learned – but I wouldn’t have changed any of that.
“That’s why I get so emotional now turning 60, seeing all of the love, something I don’t think that I got a lot of when I was younger.”
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