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<\/p>\nMark Halsey recalled the time he told Rio Ferdinand to "f*** off" as he urged referees to engage with players more.<\/p>\n
Former official Halsey, 62, worked in the Premier League from 1999 to 2013, having spent a number of years in the EFL before that. He certainly had his fair share of run-ins with players over the years.<\/p>\n
He discussed one of them, with Manchester United legend Ferdinand, during an appearance on the Under The Cosh podcast after ex-Preston and Doncaster forward Chris Brown spoke about his hatred of referees who wave players away.<\/p>\n
"That really annoys me," Halsey replied. "It\u2019s important that referees have to engage with the players, you\u2019ve got to engage with the players. <\/p>\n
READ MORE: 'I was a Premier League referee \u2013 but never took eight-week training course'<\/b><\/p>\n
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"You can\u2019t come across arrogant, [but] shop floor language goes on on the field of play. I\u2019ve been told to f*** off many times. <\/p>\n
"I remember Rio Ferdinand came running to me at Old Trafford, telling me to f*** off and I just turned around and said \u2018you f*** off\u2019. And he did. He was so surprised."<\/p>\n
That prompted laughter in the room before Halsey continued: "But it\u2019s not foul, abusive or insulting language, it\u2019s shop floor language.<\/p>\n
Are referees too soft nowadays? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
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"You hear far worse coming from youngsters out in the street or even in the crowd. You\u2019ve got to have that, as long as it\u2019s not using the language at you and it\u2019s in the context of what\u2019s going on in the game. <\/p>\n
"That\u2019s what happens, all the good referees use shop floor language. It\u2019s the workplace, you're going out for 90 minutes, that is the shop floor, the workplace."<\/p>\n
The standard of refereeing in the Premier League has come under repeated scrutiny just four games into the season – and Howard Webb is set to address some of the controversial VAR decisions in a programme airing on Sky Sports and TNT Sports tonight (September 6).<\/p>\n