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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| Football referee punched during Torre v Ashburton match | Football referee punched during Torre v Ashburton match |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A football referee has been taken to hospital after being punched by a player during a match in Devon. | |
| The player's team, Torre, has now withdrawn from the South Devon Football League following the abandonment of the match against Ashburton Reserves. | The player's team, Torre, has now withdrawn from the South Devon Football League following the abandonment of the match against Ashburton Reserves. |
| The referee, former mayor Councillor Donald Distin, was taken to Torbay Hospital with facial injuries. | The referee, former mayor Councillor Donald Distin, was taken to Torbay Hospital with facial injuries. |
| A police spokesman said officers were called to the ground and no arrests have been made. | A police spokesman said officers were called to the ground and no arrests have been made. |
| He said officers are still investigating the attack. | |
| Mr Distin said he has had plenty of verbal abuse in the past but "nothing like this before". | Mr Distin said he has had plenty of verbal abuse in the past but "nothing like this before". |
| He said: "They x-rayed me and I've got no cracked bones. | |
| "I've got bruised eyes, I can't open one eye at all, it's completely shut. I've got a cut lip, and there's bruising coming out below my jaw line. I can't eat at the moment." | "I've got bruised eyes, I can't open one eye at all, it's completely shut. I've got a cut lip, and there's bruising coming out below my jaw line. I can't eat at the moment." |
| "It knocked me to the ground. I wasn't unconscious, but was a bit delirious. | |
| "It took me 20 minutes to recover. The match was called off straight away." | |
| He said the attack happened 35 minutes into the game. | |
| Jamie Aylett, Torre manager, confirmed the player had used another name to play in Saturday's match after he had been sent off in a match on Thursday. | |
| Mr Aylett said the club strongly apologises for Saturday's attack and the club did not condone the player's actions. | |
| He said: "The club has withdrawn from the league because of this and it will fold. | |
| "I'm getting lots of grief on football forums but this is one incident by a player who has let the whole league system down." | "I'm getting lots of grief on football forums but this is one incident by a player who has let the whole league system down." |