Red Card For Player Who Tackled a Pitch Invader

The pitch intruder had run amok until Vickers (6) stepped in

A non-league footballer was left "dumbfounded" after he was given a red card for tackling a mankini-wearing pitch invader. 

If you thought Robin van Persie's sending-off against Barcelona at the Nou Camp was harsh - spare a thought for Dorchester player-manager Ashley Vickers.

During his club's away match at Havant and Waterlooville, a man dressed in an ill-fitting Borat-style mankini and sporting a curly black wig ran on to the pitch.

The stewards did not seem to be in a hurry to remove the intruder from the field - so Vickers took matters into his own hands and tackled the man near the centre circle.

But for his efforts Vickers was shown a red card for violent conduct, with the sixth-tier match level at 1-1 in the 70th minute.

"I'm dumbfounded and speechless," the footballer told local newspaper The Dorset Echo.

"My only thought was to get hold of him so we could get on with the game.

"I managed to grab him and bring him to the ground and the funny thing was the stewards actually thanked me for it. But the ref decided to send me off. It beggars belief."

The red card - an automatic decision for a player who attacks anyone on the field - riled his Dorchester team-mates, who complained to the referee in vain.

 Vickers, with hands on head at right, is left stunned by his red card

It did not get any better for the visitors, who had two more men sent off in the final 10 minutes and ended up losing the match 3-1.

Havant and Waterlooville manager Shaun Gale said he sympathised with Vickers, but conceded the ref was only doing his job.

"Next time a streaker comes onto the pitch, I have told my players to stand back and wait for the authorities to deal with it," he told the paper.

Vickers has three days to appeal against the decision while the intruder, who is reportedly a Havant and Waterlooville fan, has been banned from the stadium.