Boss blows whistle on referee deemed 'unfit' after night out

According to the allegation faced by Scarborough referee Steve Hurrell, he was "falling all over, unsteady on his feet, and locked himself in the toilet" during the incident. But Mr Hurrell blamed side effects from painkillers.

Top of the league the Sun Inn were 3-1 up against Cayton, at Cayton Playing Fields, Station Road, when Cayton's manager Steve Sheader called a halt.

Mr Sheader said: "There were a couple of decisions made where we should have had a penalty and he didn't see it at all. Even the other team said it was a penalty.

"It got to the point where he wasn't in control of the game – the players were. I made the decision we would not carry on any further for the safety of our players and theirs. It was chaotic."

Mr Hurrell said he had been drinking the night before but not on Sunday morning. He said: "I was on painkillers I should not have taken – I should not have done the football game."

He believed the problems may have been caused by the combination of the aftermath of his night out and the painkillers. "But I think it was more likely the painkillers because I took more of them at half time.

"I had no choice. My achilles tendon was killing me."

Scarborough and District Sunday League Chairman Tony Walker said the result could still be valid because league rules state that if a game is called off after 75 minutes the result stands.

Last Sunday's incident would be discussed at a league meeting tomorrow.