Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has opened up about the moment Craig Bellamy grabbed him by the testicles in the tunnel, revealing he saw the funny side of the incident. The pair had a strained relationship stemming from a controversial sending-off at the Reebok Stadium in December 2009.
Clattenburg, then officiating a match between Bolton and Manchester City, cautioned Bellamy for dissent before later showing him a red card for diving. The decision, which Clattenburg later admitted was 'probably a bit harsh', infuriated the Welsh forward and led to the tunnel confrontation at the Etihad Stadium during their next encounter.
Recalling the incident on the Undr The Cosh podcast, Clattenburg said: 'He said something like "f***ing w****r" and just grabbed my balls. I just saw the funny side of it. To be fair, he was right. There's no point being a***y. He's right, I probably shouldn't have sent him off, but what happens happens.'
The former referee also revealed that he had complained about Bellamy's behaviour to a Manchester City club official during the Bolton game, only for his comments to be leaked to the media. 'I said, "How do you put up with him week in, week out?" And they f***ing put it in the media the next day,' Clattenburg said, expressing his frustration at the breach of trust.
Bellamy, now manager of the Wales national team, received four red cards during his playing career, but Clattenburg chose not to escalate the tunnel incident, instead laughing it off. The official, who has named Bellamy among his most annoying players to officiate, said the pair have since moved on from the altercation.
