STEVE Dunn, the referee of the Rovers v Leeds game, and his two "assistants" should never again be allowed on to a football ground.

Two blatant penalty offences were committed on Martin Dahlin, both of which Mr Dunn decided to ignore. But to Leeds defence, the penalty he awarded earlier looked decidedly dodgy.

Replays on Sky TV within seconds of each of these offences clearly showed what the true decision should have been.

Richard Keys in his commentaries said: "Maybe the referee didn't have a good view, but what of the linesmen? Surely, they were in line with the play and saw the offences take place." I am not defending Rovers too much as I have seen them play better on many occasions, but the complete ineptitude of the officials cost them their rightful place at the top of the Premiership.

Maybe now the time is right to bring in the second referee, with instant replays to assist them and also maybe some form of accountability - penalty points - for bad play, as are currently handed out to the players.

To use a Blackburn expression, "We was Dunn."

IAN FORREST, Royshaw Avenue, Blackburn.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.