PORTLAND referee Graham Masters was involved in a controversial double booking incident in a Jewson Wessex League clash between Eastleigh and Fareham.

Former Cherries wing back Christer Warren's name went into Master's notebook twice in the first half of the game but the man in black did not send off the former Cherrie.

The Eastleigh player, 28, received his yellow cards in the space of five minutes and was finally given his marching orders at half-time.

The Poole-born defensive utility man had never been sent off before the game when he was booked for foul and abusive language after 31 minutes of the Jewson Wessex League clash, having already been cautioned for kicking the ball away.

Warren, who lives in Bournemouth, said: "I haven't got a clue what the ref was doing - I've never seen anything like it.

"I've noticed the standard of refereeing at this standard is very poor and that proved it.

"He said he booked me for swearing the second time but I can honestly say I didn't.

"My exact words were 'Jesus Christ, there are two teams here'.

"He told me he was booking me for it but I didn't swear - he probably heard one of my teammates swear and thought it was me."

Warren may believe saying 'Jesus Christ' in that context is not foul and abusive language but those who believe He is the Son of God most certainly would and, at Ten Acres on Saturday, it offered a classic example of refereeing inconsistency when Masters backtracked at half time.

Warren, a delivery driver, added: "He admitted he wouldn't have booked me the second time had he known he had already booked me.

"Overall he didn't think the two yellow cards constituted a red."

But that was only after the comedy of errors that led to Masters, who has declined to comment, carrying out a halftime pitch inspection in the hope there might be an area of frozen turf that would justify an abandonment.

"He asked for my name the second time as he did the first, and told me to turn round so he could take my number," added Warren. "I was expecting the red card but he didn't pull it out so I walked away and started laughing!

Only at half-time was Masters able to do what he should have done 20 minutes earlier, and that was only after Eastleigh manager Paul Doswell knocked on the door of the referees' changing room.