ITCHEN COLLEGE principal Barry Hicks has promised swift disciplinary action after THREE of his students were sent off in a stormy Hampshire Colleges match.

Mark Williams and Mitchell Goldring were both sent off for two bookable offences by referee Sandy Powell while Rob Newbold was shown a straight red card in the 5-5 draw at Poole Grammar School.

Hicks has been forced to issue an apology after studying Powell's report, which Hampshire Schools chairman Pete Munro confessed was the "most condemnatory" he had seen in 40 years.

And Powell, a former Conference referee and linesman, said the Sholing-based college's display was the "most appalling behaviour" he had seen in over 30 years of whistling.

Powell had previously only sent off three players in TEN years of refereeing colleges football.

The official, 56, said: "The problem is the kids at this level think they can get away with murder, because if they get sent off, it doesn't affect any other football they play.

"When someone comes along who has been around a bit and who starts to applies the rules, they don't like it.

"In over 30 years of officiating, this was the most appalling behaviour from any team or players and a lack of control from the coaching staff in charge I have ever seen.

"From the first whistle, Itchen's players were questioning every decision I made, and it got worse and worse as the game wore on."

Newbold was the first sent off for an alleged stamping offence in the first half of a match in which Itchen had led 3-0 and 5-3.

Goldring was first booked for persistent dissent then dismissed in the second half for a foul. The referee has also put in his three-page report that the player made an obscene gesture to him as he left the field.

Williams was sent off in the last minute for an alleged two-footed tackle that the opposing player jumped over.

In addition, Itchen pair Martin Appleby and Leonard Pennick were booked for persistent dissent.

The three players will not be dealt with by the Hampshire FA as colleges football falls outside their jurisdiction.

But Hicks revealed they will receive "extended suspensions" and said: "We apologise to the referee and to Poole Grammar School.

"I am ashamed of the players' behaviour.

"We have a good disciplinary record at this college and this has come as a very big shock to me. It will be quickly dealt with internally.

"You can't expect people to give up their time to referee football and be treated in that way."

Itchen are coached by Havant & Waterlooville striker James Taylor, who was at the match.

The incident highlights the anomaly which exists in grass-roots football in Hampshire.

Had the players been sent off playing in a local league such as the Wessex, Hampshire or Southampton Leagues, they could have received longer suspensions than the colleges sometimes hand out to their students.

As it is, they can still play for a club in a local league even if they are serving a college suspension.

If a player is handed a Hampshire FA suspension while playing for a club, they can still play for their college - though Munro requests that colleges don't pick them.

"All I can do," said Munro, "is recommend that a student is suspended for two games. Sometimes they say they thought a sending off was harsh and will only ban him for one match.

"In the most extreme case, for something like a punch or a head-butt, I could ask the Hampshire FA to impose a club suspension as well as any college suspension - but I have never had to do that."

Powell added: "I don't referee local league games anymore because I was sick and fed up of the players' behaviour.

"If you can get to the players when they're 13 or 14 then when they get to 18 they're generally okay.

"But if you don't ... I was speaking to a women the other day who is getting disciplinary reports from under-10 football leagues!

"I will still referee college football, not all the games are like the one the other day. When King Edward's visited Poole last season, I didn't give a single foul against them until the 89th minute."