VietNamNet Bridge – Accusing center referee Vu Bao Linh of giving favor to the guest team Hanoi T&T, thousands of football fans of the central province of Nghe An surrounded the referee and threatened to kill him after the match.
Linh, who was the center referee at the final game of the V-League 2011, was under great pressure at the match between Hanoi T&T and Song Lam Nghe An at Vinh Stadium in Nghe An on the afternoon of January 14. This was the game in the third round of Super League 2012.

The game took place in hot temper. In the second round, Hanoi T&T’s Sam Son stamped his foot onto the face of midfielder Huy Hoang of the host team. Hoang was immediately taken to a hospital. However, Hoang got a yellow card. After that his teammate Anh Tuan received a red card for protesting referee Linh.

The stadium got burning by the audience’s booing. They said that it is absurd that the referee gave the injured player a yellow card. That card might be given to Samson. Many of the audience said that this referee has systematically favored Hanoi T&T because in the final game of V-League 2011, Linh made decisions that benefited Hanoi T&T.

At the 81st minute, Duy Nam of Song Lam Nghe An got a red card for violent act against Hanoi T&T Trong Hoang. Though the game finished in draw, with two goals for each team but the tenseness reached the pinnacle when Hanoi T&T’s Van Quyet scored the second goal at the final minute, from a corner kick.

After this gold, the entire coaching board and players of Song Lam Nghe An FC surrounded referee Linh to lodge complaint because the game finished two minutes late. Earlier, the referee announced only three minutes of extra time but in fact, the extra time was up to five minutes and the last goal of Hanoi T&T was scored during this time.

Moreover, they said that Hanoi T&T was only worthy for a throw-in but this team was given a corner kick, which made the second goal.
Vinh Stadium became a burning “pan” when thousands of audience booed, shouted and insulting the referee. They even threatened to kill him and threw things to referees. A man tried to approach the referee to beat him but he was timely stopped by guards.

Though many policemen were mobilized, many people did not leave the stadium and insisted to kill the referee. Only after Song Lam Nghe An FC’s general director Nguyen Hong Thanh and coach Nguyen Huu Thang called them to dismiss, the guest team and referees could leave the stadium in the blockade of hundreds of local fans.

Coach Thang said that his FC would lodge a complaint to the organizing board against referee Linh.

Phuong Ha