Baerum SK's Simen Juklerod felt the full force of the Norwegian FA's crack down on homophobic behaviour as he was given his marching orders for calling an opposition player "gay".
The incident occurred in a Norwegian first division match between Baerum SK and Sandnes Ulf, as a free kick was about to be taken with the scores level at 2-2.
You can see from this footage the moment the referee hears the comment, and he heads straight for the offending player.
Referees in Norway have been instructed to show a red card when they clearly hear a homophobic term used in an insulting or offensive manner, and the offending player Juklerod offered no protest before leaving the pitch. He later explained that while he was not proud of his actions, he believes it should not have been a red card.
There was a second I was not thinking, and said the second word (gay), yes,. Of course it's completely lame. But I still think that's not a red card.
Baerum SK also explained on twitter that they had no objections to the decision and will discuss the matter internally:
It's good to such a hard stance taken on these types of comments, although you would be absolutely fuming if a player on the team you supported got sent off for being an idiot like that. Funnily enough, Baerum went on to lose the game 3-2.
via BBC Sport.
