Prem ref was covered in wee after toilet tipped and ‘couldn’t have been happier’
Iconic Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg was once left “covered in p***” after being tipped over in a portaloo.
Clattenburg is best known for officiating the English top flight between 2006 and 2017, where he refereed some of the biggest games. The 48-year-old had enough character to make him a well-known figure among fans while being stern enough to maintain discipline if games got out of hand.
But Clattenburg was once on the receiving end of some harrowing treatment from his fellow fans while watching his beloved Newcastle United play at St. James’ Park.
The County Durham-born official had just begun his role as an assistant referee in 1993 when he attended a home game during the Magpies’ debut season in the Premiership. A teenager at the time, Clattenburg’s desperation to use the toilet saw him leave the terraces in a rush.
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He was forced to queue up to use a portable toilet due to stadium renovations. And all was going well until midfielder Rob Lee scored, causing Newcastle fans to tip the toilet in celebration and leave Clattenburg covered in his own urine.
Recalling the hilariously brutal ordeal in his autobiography Whistle Blower, Clattenburg wrote: “I need a p***. Will Newcastle ever stop attacking? I’m gonna have to go. I squeeze through the mass of black-and-white shirts and take the steps three at the time down the back of the Gallowgate End.
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“The stand is being renovated. There’s a queue for the portable toilet. One of those blue Portaloo types. I’m finally in. Ah, the relief. The crowd are getting louder. Newcastle must be back on the attack. There’s the roar, they’ve scored! Get in!
“But wait a second, what the f***? I’m upside down. Someone has tipped the toilet over – and there’s no toilet seat! Arrghh! I’m drenched, and I stink. I would have been better off p***ing myself on the terrace.
“I shove open the door and crawl out. Everyone is bent over laughing. My mates think it’s hilarious. But you know what? I couldn’t be happier.”
Clattenburg went on to add: “Rob Lee scored and someone pushed it over. I was lying on my side with the contents of this toilet coming towards me. Happy times."
Despite the scarring experience, things took a turn for the better for both Clattenburg and Newcastle. The north-east club would finish third in their first season in the top flight under Kevin Keegan.
Meanwhile, Clattenburg would work his way up the football pyramid, before being handed the honour of refereeing the Champions League and Euro finals in 2016.
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