Watch hilarious moment Premier League ref says ‘hello there’ to the BALL as fans call it ‘highlight of the weekend’

THIS is the hilarious moment a Premier League ref greeted a BALL ahead of a match.

Fans hailed it as the “highlight of the weekend” as official Sam Allison said “hello there” as he picked up the matchball for Southampton vs Ipswich.

Ref Sam Allison had fans in stitches as he greeted the ball before a game

The clash between the newly-promoted sides finished 1-1 on the south coast.

Tyler Dibling bagged his first Saints goal just five minutes into the game.

But Ipswich fought back and rescued a point with a 95th minute Sam Morsy equaliser.

However, the star of the show was undoubtedly Allison.

He hit headlines last year after becoming the first Black Premier League ref in 15 years.

Allison impressed as he took charge of Luton Town’s thrilling 3-2 win over Sheffield United.

And the official looked to be loving life as he came out at St Mary’s on Saturday.

Leading the two sides to the pitch, Allison approached the ball as it sat on the Premier League-branded plinth.

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And before he scooped it up, Allison looked lovingly at the spherical piece of leather before saying: “Hello there!”

The hilarious moment was caught on camera too, leading fans to hail Allison’s actions on social media.

One said: “The highlight of yesterday’s football. This ref saying ‘hello there’ to the ball.”

Another declared: “Sam Allison, representing my home town Melksham. He’s a top bloke and the town is so proud of him.”

One noted: “Love this a lot.”

Another added: “Refs adding a personal touch to their style adds to the entertainment.”