BANGKOK (Reuters) - A Thai soccer referee was beaten up by an entire team after sending off three of their players during a match to decide promotion to country's second division, local media reported on Friday.

Referee Prakong Sukguamala needed 50 stitches and also broke a finger after being attacked by the Kuiburi FC squad, furious at being shown three red cards during a 4-1 loss to Kasem Bundit on Thursday, the Thai-language Thai Rath newspaper said.

The angry players charged into Prakong's dressing room at the stadium in Ayutthaya, north of Bangkok, and started to kick and punch him. They dispersed after police fired gunshots into the air.

The players then chased Prakong into the stadium's office, where the hapless official ran into a mirror, leaving him with cuts all over his body.

Prakong told Channel 3 television he was forced to lock himself in the room to escape his attackers.

In the same interview, Kuiburi's coach accused Prakong of biased refereeing but said he had urged his players to show restraint when tempers flared.

Prakong, covered in bruises, insisted he had refereed the game fairly and had been told by Thailand's soccer federation to press charges against the Kuiburi team.

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The players then chased Prakong into the stadium's office, where the hapless official ran into a mirror, leaving him with cuts all over his body.

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And there rests the case for the defence your honour...

Meanwhile Kuiburi's press secretary added that they were in talks to sign Joey Barton and Lee Bowyer. However, they were unsure whether the notorious British duo were up to it and would be able to compete for their places.

Good losers then.

Typical.

You can't but entertainment like that...

Imagine the ref's dressing room as the whole country, can you?

Watched a Thai basketball team coached by Thai's play in tourney with international schools recently. When the Thai's disagreed with one call by ref, they set down on floor and refused to play for a while. Looked and acted like kids of preschool age. Finaly convienced to continue by tourney organizer, what a display of sportsman ship.

Watched a Thai basketball team coached by Thai's play in tourney with international schools recently. When the Thai's disagreed with one call by ref, they set down on floor and refused to play for a while. Looked and acted like kids of preschool age. Finaly convienced to continue by tourney organizer, what a display of sportsman ship.

:D :D :bah:

I thought good sportsmanship was to be taught in grammar school.

TheWalkingMan

If they ever show the same intolerance of political officials, they might get somewhere...

Thailand overcomes considerable international competition, to become 'Hub of Blind Refs', anyone ?

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The players then chased Prakong into the stadium's office, where the hapless official ran into a mirror, leaving him with cuts all over his body.

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And there rests the case for the defence your honour...

No cigar. Causation. Consider the kidnap victim who is injured in the escape when he voluntarily jumps from a moving car. The injury is deemed to have been caused by the kidnapper and yes, if I may predict your response, in law it is exactly the same thing as the mirror injury to the referee.