/ 10 July 2008

Soccer ref bust for being drunk on the field

A Belarus referee was helped off the field with apparent back pain while officiating a league match on the weekend, but was later found to be drunk.

In TV footage shown on Wednesday on Russian television, Sergei Shmolik staggered as he was helped off the field at the end of Saturday’s match.

Belarusian sports website Presball reported that the crowd in the Vitebsk Stadium, where the local team was hosting Naftan, was amused with the referee’s strange behaviour through the second half.

Shmolik was hardly moving by the end of the match, which ended in a 1-1 draw, officiating from the central circle by the end of the game.

Presball said Shmolik got help after the match but later was taken to the hospital for a test, which showed high levels of alcohol in his system.

The Belarus football federation said Shmolik’s case will be subject to a disciplinary committee. — Sapa-AP