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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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
Greg James, Jimmy Anderson, and Felix White to bring popular cricket podcast live to Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Greg James, Jimmy Anderson, and Felix White have announced they’re taking their smash-hit Tailenders podcast on a tour around the UK.
And cricket fans in Manchester will get to see the lads live in action later this year.
Launched back in 2017, and undoubtedly going on to become one of the most successful podcasts in the UK, with hundred of episodes and a whopping 2.5 million listeners on average tuning into each series, Tailenders is a “loosely cricket based, certified funny” podcast – and sometimes BBC radio show – centred around the world of cricket.
It’s presented by BBC Radio 1 DJ Greg James, with and England international cricketer James Anderson, and ex-Maccabees guitarist Felix White.
The critically-acclaimed podcast became a hit right off the bat (pun absolutely intended), regularly finding itself at the top of the podcast charts in the UK when it hits the airwaves, and even scooping a few coveted awards along the way.
Now, the trio are gearing up to take their “alternative (and sometimes musical) look at cricket” on a live tour across the UK – with a stop off here in Manchester this October.
Fans of the podcast will know the show is also made with help from producer Mark ‘Sharky’ Sharman, and with regular input from Matt ‘Mattchin’ Horan – with the latter of the two set to join the core presenting trio on tour.
With fans told to expect “a night of cricket, a night of laughs, and night of surprises”, Tailenders: The Inaugural (Annual) Farewell Tour will be kicking-off in Nottingham on 19 October, before heading out to other major UK cites like London, Birmingham, Sheffield, and more, and arriving at the O2 Apollo in Manchester on Wednesday 25 October.
Tailenders: The Inaugural (Annual) Farewell Tour 2023
Thursday 19 October – Royal Concert Hall (Nottingham)
Saturday 21 October – New Theatre (Oxford)
Sunday 22 October – Cliffs Pavillion (Southend)
Tuesday 24 October – City Hall (Sheffield)
Wednesday 25 October – O2 Apollo Manchester
Thursday 26 October – Symphony Hall (Birmingham)
Friday 27 October – Eventim Apollo (London)
Saturday 28 October – Forum (Bath)
We are heading on the road!
After the incredible London Palladium dates this year, we’re going be touring EIGHT UK cities!
The highly-anticipated tour follows the podcast’s biggest-ever live show at London’s Palladium earlier this year, which sold out within just three minutes – and tickets are predicted to be snapped up just as quickly this time round.
So if you’re up for an “unmissable evening of laughs and surprises”, with quizzes, musical interludes, general cricket chat, and much more, then tickets are on sale now.
Chester Zoo calls for runners to take on new charity 10k to help ‘save endangered animals’
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo is calling for thousands of runners to take on a charity 10k through the zoo’s grounds in a bid to help save one of its many endangered species.
The UK’s biggest charity zoo is looking for 2,500 runners of all abilities to sign up for its brand-new ‘Run for Nature‘ later this year – which begins inside the zoo’s 128-acre grounds, and sees participants race past the elephant, giant otter, and giraffe habitats, all before heading out and around the wider countryside estate.
As well as the 10k route, there’s also a special one-mile ‘zoom’ fun run around the zoo, which is perfect for energetic kids under 12.
All runners will get a medal when they cross the finish line, and there’ll even be some exciting prizes up for grabs for those who raise the most money.
Chester Zoo calls for runners to take on new charity 10k through its grounds and beyond / Credit: Chester Zoo
Taking place on Sunday 24 September, all funds raised from the run will go towards the Chester Zoo’s ongoing and extremely-important efforts to find a vaccine for a deadly virus that threatens endangered elephant populations all across the world – which is known as Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV).
Scientists at the zoo are currently in the middle of the world’s first vaccine pilot study to fight the virus, and hope that proceeds raised from the upcoming events can help “create a future where Asian elephants survive and thrive.”
“We’re so excited to be able to offer places for 2,500 fundraisers to run our first ever 10k Run for Nature later this year,” explained Hannah Wright, Fundraising Lead at Chester Zoo.
Runners will raise money to help the zoo’s efforts to save endangered Asian elephants / Credit: Chester Zoo
“As a charity, fundraising is at the core of this event, but we also hope that it’s a great fun event that the whole family can get involved in – whether running, supporting or sponsoring.
“All participants will be receive a sustainable medal and top fundraisers will have the opportunity to win a variety of prizes, which include annual memberships, animal experiences, and meal vouchers for our gastro pub, The Oakfield, as well as a selection of animal adoptions.”
Danny Jones -
26th October 2022 
