Steve Bennett (referee)

infobox football official
name = Steve Bennett


fullname = Stephen Graham Bennett
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1961|1|17
cityofbirth = Farnborough, Kent
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath =
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath =
otheroccupation =
years = ? – ?
? – ?
? –1992
1992–1993
1993–1995
1995–1999
1999–
league = Kent League
Isthmian League
Football Conference
Football League
Premier League
Football League
Premier League
role = Referee
Referee
Referee
Asst. referee
Asst. referee
Referee
Referee
internationalyears = 1995–2001
2001–2006
confederation = FIFA listed
FIFA listed
internationalrole = Asst. referee
Referee

Stephen Graham Bennett (born 17 January 1961 in Farnborough, Kent [http://www.football-league.premiumtv.co.uk/page/RefereeProfilesDetail/0,,10794~628215,00.html Birthdate and Biographical detail] : the Football League official website. Retrieved on March 25 2008.] ) is an English football referee who operates in the Premier League, and previously for FIFA as an assistant referee and then referee.

Career

Steve Bennett has been a referee since 1984, starting out in his home county of Kent.

In 1995 he began refereeing in the Football League, and since 1999 in the FA Premier League. In 2001 he was appointed as an official FIFA referee.

Bennett took charge of an official friendly international match, [ [http://www.bootan.com/bhutan/articles/theotherfinal.shtml Official International Friendly Match] , Bhutan v. Montserrat, 2002: "Bootan.com" website. Retrieved on March 25 2008.] known as "The Other Final", in 2002, between the two lowest FIFA-ranked teams in the world at the time, Bhutan and Montserrat, at the Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu, Bhutan. This took place on the morning of the World Cup Final in that year, and the home side won 4–0. The subsequent documentary film, entitled "The Other Final" and directed by Dutchman Johan Kramer, was released in 2003. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379419/ "The Other Final (2003)"] at IMDB.com website. Retrieved on March 25 2008.]

In 2004 Bennett was criticised by FIFA president Sepp Blatter for having sent off Everton's Tim Cahill for removing his shirt after scoring against Manchester City. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/3650096.stm Sepp Blatter's criticism] : BBC.co.uk news report. Retrieved on March 25 2008.]

Bennett refereed the 2005 League Cup final at the Millennium Stadium between Chelsea and Liverpool, which the London club won by 3 goals to 2. In October 2005, he was in charge of the World Cup qualifier between Norway and Moldova, when the home side won 1–0 with a goal from Sigurd Rushfeldt. [ [http://www.football.co.uk/match_reports/norway_moldova_3021417.shtml Norway v Moldova] World Cup qualifier: "Football.co.uk" match report. Retrieved on March 25 2008.]

He took charge of the UEFA Champions League quarter final first leg match in March 2006 between Benfica and Barcelona, the game ending 0–0. Barcelona won the return match 2–0, setting up a final with Arsenal. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/4844418.stm Benfica v. Barcelona] , Champions' League, 2006: from a report at the BBC.co.uk website. Retrieved on March 27 2008.]

F.A Cup Final 2007

footballbox
date = 20 May 2007
team1 = Chelsea
score = 1–0
team2 = Manchester United
goals1 =Drogba 116'

"Makélélé" yel|83
"Kalou" yel|119
"Ferreira" yel|120
"A. Cole" yel|120
goals2 =

"Scholes" yel|58
"Vidić" yel|84
"Smith" yel|105
stadium = Wembley Stadium, London
Attendance: 89, 826Bennett was chosen to referee the 2007 FA Cup Final between Chelsea and Manchester United on 19 May 2007, the first at the new Wembley Stadium. [ [http://www.thefa.com/TheFACup/TheFACup/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2007/04/CupFinalReferee.htm Confirmation] of FA Cup Final appointment, 2007: TheFA.com official website. Retrieved on March 25 2008.] Chelsea won by 1–0, Didier Drogba scoring late in the second half of extra time. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/fa_cup/6649815.stm FA Cup Final 2007] , match report: BBC.co.uk website. Retrieved on March 25 2008.] Bennett issued seven bookings, four of which came in the added 30 minutes. [ [http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=523823 2007 FA Cup Final] , Chelsea v. Man. Utd.: soccerbase.com website. Retrieved on March 27 2008.]

In the first period of extra time, Ryan Giggs got on the end of a Wayne Rooney cross, and although Petr Cech gathered the ball, Giggs claimed that the ball had crossed the line, despite sliding into the goalkeeper and seemingly forcing the Chelsea man backwards. Bennett waved play on, but after the game Giggs commented: "It was clearly over the line - that's what I was asking for. I could see it was over the line and the referee did not give a free-kick so it was a goal." [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/6668517.stm Comments] from BBC.co.uk website. Retrieved on March 25 2008.] Carlos Queiroz, the Manchester United coach, said: "It is a clear penalty, there is no doubt about that. We are not surprised because after the pressure of the last 15 days it is natural the referee under pressure is not able to make the crucial decision of the game. The more pressure you put on referees the more it seems like some teams and some managers become compensated in the game because nobody does anything about that."

Manchester United v. Liverpool, Premier League 2007-08

Bennett was involved in some controversy when he refereed the Manchester United versus Liverpool Premier League encounter on March 23 2008. He sent off Liverpool's Argentine Midfielder Javier Mascherano for a second bookable offence. [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/03/24/ufnferg224.xml. Retrieved on May 5 2008. ] Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez has publicly defended his player. [ [http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.2141897.0.three_and_easy_for_reds.php Mascherano second yellow card for "persistent dissent"] : from a report at the Evening Times website. Retrieved on March 24 2008. ] Mascherano initially said: "I do not know why I was sent off. I asked the referee what was happening. I did not swear, I was not aggressive and I did not confront him. All I did was ask him what was happening, nothing else. So when he showed me the second yellow card and sent me off I could not believe it." [ [http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N159292080324-1208.htm "Masch: I could't believe red card"] : from a report on the Liverpool F.C. website. Retrieved on March 24 2008.] Mascherano later retracted this line, apologizing for his actions and admitting his behavior was inappropriate. [ [http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=522561&cc=5901 ESPNsoccernet - England - Reds to appeal ban as Mascherano issues apology ] ] Mascherano admitted a charge of improper conduct, was fined two weeks wages by the club, [ [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article3639591.ece "Javier Mascherano fined after improper conduct charge"] : from an article at The Times website. Retrieved on March 29 2008.] and attended a personal hearing before the FA on April 3. Following this, he received a further two-match ban and a £15,000 fine. [ [http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=522382&cc=5739 "Mascherano slapped with fine and increased ban"] after personal FA hearing: ESPNsoccernet website. Retrieved on April 3 2008.]

Since the incident, The Sun national newspaper has launched a 'Shut It' campaign, urging footballers to respect the referee and curb their argumentative behaviour. [ [http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article976263.ece "Shut It" campaign] : The Sun website. Retrieved on April 2 2008.]

Later career

Bennett retired from the FIFA list of referees in 2006, at the compulsory age of 45

Career statistics

(There are no available records prior to 1997/1998)

Facts

3 red cards in a game

* October 1997, Portsmouth (Thompson) v. Bradford (Kulcsar, Pepper)
* January 2001, Tottenham (Sullivan) v. Newcastle (Solano, Dyer)
* November 2006, Colchester (Barker) v. Southend (Maher, Gower)

10 cards in a game

* October 1998, Notts County (yel yel yel sent off) v. Lincoln (yel yel yel yel yel sent off)
* November 2002, Tottenham (yel yel yel) v. Leeds (yel yel yel yel yel yel yel)
* March 2005, Bolton (yel yel yel yel yel sent off) v. Arsenal (yel yel yel yel)
* June 2005, Spain (yel) v. Bosnia and Herzegovina (yel yel yel yel yel yel yel sent off sent off)

References

External links

* [http://www.soccerbase.com/refs2.sd?refid=125 Steve Bennett Referee Statistics] at soccerbase.com