FOURTEEN players were sent off during a Burnley Sunday League match that ended in mayhem.

Players crowded around referee William Allott at the end of a game between General Havelock and Protec.

Having already red-carded four men, Mr Allott told league officials he sent off the remainder of the Protec team after a game marred by angry scenes.

"It was a shameful exhibition," said Sunday Burnley League press officer George Walton.

"The referee had been subjected to intolerable abuse during the game and even felt threatened.

"This sort of behaviour is just not on and the referee had little alternative but to take the action he did." But manager of Protec Fire Detection's team Tommy Grimes said one player, Alan Entwistle, was sent off by the referee during the game and two players were booked.

He said that as the team made its way back to the changing room after the match Dave Chippendale and Tommy Riley disputed one of the referee's decisions and they were also sent off.

He said: "The referee was an absolute stinker.

"He turned up late, then he reduced the match to 40 minutes each way without consulting with the teams and told us all he was in a bad mood and was going to send us all off.

"I have written a formal letter of complaint to the league."

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