Ashley Barnes could be on the receiving end of a lengthy ban for apparently tripping referee Nigel Miller at the end of Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Bolton Wanderers, an action the Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder was promptly sent off for – watch this clip from 50 seconds in…

Suffice it to say, Football Burp got thinking on ten other memorable player vs referee clashes in recent football history. Have a butcher’s at and info-load of the following, some of which are amusingly accidental, others of which are nasty and to be condemned before we go any further…

…oh, and one or two of them are kind of in the middle…

Referee fouls player during Zenit St Petersburg vs Shakhtar Donetsk

He should at least have booked himself for this cynical challenge…

Michael Ballack vs Tom Henning Ovrebo

The then Chelsea player was a trifle miffed at the Norwegian referee’s disinclination to award any one of a series of penalty appeals in a Champions League semi-final second leg match against Barcelona…

Players chase referee across the pitch in Lebanon

This embattled fellow didn’t give Al Nahda Club a last-gasp penalty against Al Salam Zgharta, a decision that was met with some opprobirum…

Kathiripillai Reuben scythes down referee

The Malaysia midfielder was taking no prisoners in a 5-0 friendly defeat to Australia…

Hertha Berlin midfielder Peter Niemeyer touches referee’s breast

She’s a she, obviously, as opposed to a particularly unfit he…

Portugal U20 player steals referee’s red card in a tantrum

…only to be shown it himself mere seconds later…

Gazza shows referee yellow card as a joke

…only to be shown it himself mere seconds later…this is from Paul Gascoigne’s Rangers days…

Di Canio vs Alcock

The former Swidon Town manager’s legendary pushing incident and subsequent Nigel Winterburn scaring of in a match between Sheffield Wednesday and Arsenal…

Robbie Savage referee elbow

One meeting the other quite forcefully…

Referee punches player to ground in Brazil

…then has to outrun two enraged teams of players, successfully dodging a succession of flying kicks as he does…

Honourable mentions

Here’s a right old kerfuffle at some Turkish game or other…

…and here’s a compilation showing various other incidents…

Should referees be given stun guns? Have your say in the comments section below…