Brother to current ref Andy, the younger Madley has officiated 10 Championship fixtures already this season but hasn’t overseen a Premier League ref match since 2018, following an off-pitch controversy which cost him his job in England’s first division.
He will now referee the Brentford vs Wolves game on Saturday having gradually recovered his career.
As Madley explained in a post entitled ‘Time to Move On…’ on his blog The Referee’s Word back in December 2019, he was dismissed from his duties after he made a “dark-humoured joke” directed at someone with a walking impairment via social media the year prior.
The 37-year-old from Wakefield was attending his daughter’s sports day not long after a Sun headline from former ref Mark Halsey cruelly dubbed him ‘Blobby Bobby’, leading him to make a self-deprecating albeit admittedly inappropriate joke.
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Madley went on to record a short video of the disabled individual on Snapchat, quipping: “F**k me I have a chance of winning the parents’ race this year.”
The controversial caption was overlayed on a six-second clip and despite intending to save it for private use, ultimately decided to send it to someone he “trusted” and had shared a close relationship with for more than 10 years.
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After an argument with the same person, the video was then sent ‘anonymously’ to his manager and following a disciplinary meeting with the Professional Game Match Official Limited (PGMOL), he was sacked and went on to relocate to Norway, where he continued to referee games.
Madley refereed 91 Premier League matches between 2013-2018 and hundreds of others throughout the footballing pyramid, dozens of which were held across Greater Manchester since beginning his career at the age of 16.
Madley has always maintained that the PGMOL dealt with the incident in “the strongest way” and that he respects their decision, insisting that he never intended to mock disability, especially given that his own father was disabled.
He concluded his 2019 statement by saying: “Please don’t think bad of me. I’m a human being who made one mistake, one that many many people have done themselves and not lost everything for. Again, I have to pick those pieces up.”
Featured Image — Preston North End FC (via Twitter)
Sport
Man City fan jailed after causing £10k damage to a police vehicle following Champions League victory
Emily Sergeant
A Manchester City fan has been jailed for his part in large-scale disorder following the club’s Champions League victory.
The court heard how, following Manchester City’s Champions League Final win over Inter Milan in Istanbul in Turkey on Saturday 10 June 2023, jubilant fans flocked to the streets of Manchester city centre for late-night celebrations.
The large influx of fans in high spirits prompted a police response to ‘ensure public safety’ and ‘prevent any public disorder’, according to Greater Manchester Police (GMP).
However, the disorder did begin to escalate despite police presence.
A number of fans, including 22-year-old Leon Blackett, scaled a police vehicle and proceeded to jump up and down on it, which subsequently caused more than £10,000 worth of damage, and resulted in the vehicle having to be written off.
#JAILED | Leon Blackett (14/01/2003) of Craigmore Avenue, has been been handed a three-month jail term for causing £10k worth of damage to a police vehicle following the club's Champions League win in 2023, along with 41 months for other offences.
Following the disorder, an investigation was launched by GMP’s City Centre policing, with officers obtaining social media and CCTV footage that helped them to identify those responsible.
Blackett admitted to the offence, after he was arrested on Thursday 19 October 2023.
Following admitting to the offence, Blackett was sentenced to 44 months in prison – a three-month jail term for this football-related offence, along with 41 months for possession of a bladed article and a domestic related communications offence.
He has also been given a seven-year Football Banning Order, commencing on the day Blackett received his sentence.
“The actions by Blackett in the wake of Manchester City’s historic Champions League Final victory were completely unacceptable,” commented PC Matt Ford, from GMP’s Specialist Operations Planning Unit.
“This is a timely reminder to those who commit crimes while following the football in another country, we will seek prosecutions for unacceptable behaviour.”
Featured Image – GMP
Sport
Six Nations to stay free-to-air as broadcasters strike new TV deal
Danny Jones
Good news for rugby fans as the Guinness Six Nations is set to remain free-to-air for the foreseeable future following a new deal being struck between the competition and its current broadcasters.
With the 2025 tournament approaching its conclusion, the organisers are already looking ahead to the next year and how to contest will be marketed, with many predicting the rights to be snapped up by a major sporting channel.
Fortunately, however, the Six Nations‘ present coverage partners have managed to keep the games as part of the current TV license package after striking a new four-year deal.
The agreement between BBC and ITV, who air all of the annual fixtures between them at the moment, will see the pair host the matches until 2029 at the very least.
As mentioned, it was thought that broadcasters and streaming platforms like TNT Sports might secure the licensing for at least part of the tournament as they continue to expand their large and varied service but, for now, UK coverage is staying right where it is.
Under the new contract, ITV will show 10 games per season, including every England match, while the BBC will air the remaining five fixtures.
BBC will also host all Wales and Scotland home games bar when the two nations play England at Murrayfieldand the Principality Stadiums, respectively.
Better still, not only will the men’s competition be staying free-to-air but BBC will continue to show every game during the Women’s Six Nations as the interest in female rugby continues to grow.
In fact, it’s having quite a boom here in Greater Manchester on its own.
Greater Mancs making strides for the next generation.
This year’s tournament has been as blockbuster and nail-baiting as ever, with England still in with a chance of winning the whole thing if they beat Wales with a bonus point – provided France fail to beat Scotland in the final game.
England’s last game gets underway at 4:45pm and it’s all to play for.
You can find all the best places to watch the remainder of the action down below:
Danny Jones -
26th October 2022 
