Referee charged by English FA after squaring up to player

LONDON (AP) — An English referee was charged with misconduct by the Football Association on Wednesday for angrily squaring up to a player during a third division match.

Darren Drysdale apologized for appearing to touch heads with Ipswich midfielder Alan Judge in a confrontation near the end of Tuesday’s game before being ushered away by another player.

“I fully understand that it is important for us as referees to maintain our composure throughout the game and always engage with players in a professional manner,” Drysdale said in a statement by England’s referees’ body. “I’m sorry that I did not do that last night and I can only apologize to Alan and Ipswich Town.”

Drysdale has until March 4 to provide a response to the FA charge.

The match between Ipswich and Northampton ended in a 0-0 draw. Judge had been protesting after being penalized by Drysdale for diving.

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports