New Zealand referee Peter O'Leary talks to Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, background right, following Nigeria's 1-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina. Photo / Getty Images
New Zealand referee Peter O'Leary talks to Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, background right, following Nigeria's 1-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina. Photo / Getty Images
A Kiwi referee today made international headlines after handing out two 'dodgy' penalties during the Women's World Cup semi-final between England and Japan.
Aucklander Anna-Marie Keighley felt the ire of social media, and the English tabloids, with her performance and became the latest Kiwi officials to upset the apple cart.
Last year an online petition drew over 20,000 signatures to remove New Zealand referee Peter O'Leary from the World Cup after an image appeared of him 'celebrating' with Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama.
O'Leary drew widespread criticism after wrongly disallowing an Edin Dzeko strike after 21 minutes in the Bosnia-Herzegovina defeat.
Eight minutes later Peter Odemwingie fired the Super Eagles in front, but Emmanuel Emenike appeared to clip the heels of Emir Spahic in the build-up.
That went unpunished and the appearance of the picture has prompted a Bosnian fan to send a petition to Fifa asking for the removal of O'Leary and the match to be changed to 1-1.
In the aftermath of the game Manchester City striker Dzeko, who also hit the post late on, said O'Leary's performance was "shameful".
When asked what happened in the game he said: "The referee happened. We are going home, we are sad because of that, but the referee should go home too, because he changed the result, he changed the game, and that's why we lost.
Paddy O'Brien
Referee Paddy O'Brien produced one of the worst rugby refereeing performances when he denied Fiji a win over France in the 1999 Rugby World Cup.
O'Brien made three crucial decisions which all went the way of the Tricolors and allowed them to escape with a 28-19 win against Fiji and give them an invaluable rest before the last-eight playoffs.
Quizzed after the match, O'Brien accepted that he had blundered and told journalists that he "lost the plot."
The most astonishing ruling came 10 minutes from time with Fiji leading 19-13 but under severe scrum pressure on their line.
O'Brien penalised Fiji a couple of times and yellow-carded prop Joe Veitayaki for pulling out of one scrum, but seemed to be controlling the tense situation well until he set another scrum.
It wheeled near Fiji's posts and as it did, replacement French hooker Marc del Maso popped up in the front row and O'Brien, remarkably, ruled a penalty try for France, even though they had transgressed.
Many people remember a young Roy Jones Jr. being robbed of a gold medal by corrupt Olympic judges in 1988, but few remember the even uglier incident that preceded it.
Kiwi referee Keith Walker was officiating a bantamweight bout between Byeon Jong Il of South Korea and Alexander Hristov of Bulgaria which was an ugly foul-filled affair and Walker had to repeatedly penalize Byeon for head butting.
At the conclusion of the fight Hristov was announced the winner but this only incensed Byeon's countrymen.
South Korean boxing officials and coaches stormed the ring and attacked referee Keith Walker with punches, kicks, bottles, and even chairs.
The terrified Walker barely escaped serious injury.
At the same time, the New Zealand embassy in Seoul was deluged with numerous angry phone calls.So he headed to the airport and took the first plane back to New Zealand.
