"Who do they think they are" - Portsmouth referee Mr Marmite gets banned again for sexual orientation posts

Con Da Costa has been handed a suspension of 154 days and slapped with a £90 fine by Hampshire FA after comments he made on May 2 that were flagged by an “anonymous whistleblower”. He was also told to undertake an education programme.

The Paulsgrove referee, who has received multiple bans and fines from Hampshire FA in recent times, will serve the ban from August 26 when his current suspension finishes. He was banned earlier this year for 126 days from April 22 for improper conduct.

Mr Da Costa is also in hot water from the authority after continuing to referee despite his suspension. He was charged over the matter after he said on social media: “Mr Marmite has another friendly tonight. He’s that bad he’s wanted by all. You got to love it.”

However, the 52-year-old told The News he was allowed to referee games due to him now being a “free agent” who is no longer registered with Hampshire FA.

Mr Da Costa, who is known as “Mr Marmite” in his refereeing capacity because people either “love or hate” him, said of his latest run-ins with Hampshire FA: “I have been suspended and fined again for truthful posts on social media. Hampshire FA are instructing not to use me as a referee.

“I have not registered with Hampshire FA so I am a free agent or a ‘Joe Bloggs’. If a game hasn’t got a referee, then anyone can do it. I am classed as anyone now.

“Who do they think they honestly are trying to dictate what a member of the public can and can't do. I have been officiating more than 23 years and am personally better than most of the local referees. All they want is revenue and yes men.”

The social media posts landing Mr Da Costa in trouble included comments saying: “I am also free to referee any games if needed. Men, women, gays, (lesbians). I’m your man/woman.”

In reference to an individual another comment said: “(Personally) I think he/she looks like Mr Lee Roberts.” 

But Mr Da Costa said he was hacked on social media and never made those comments. He said his original account, which was hacked, was called Mr Marmite Fanzone with his new account now called Mr Marmite. “Both my Facebook accounts were recently hacked,” he said. “I 100 per cent did not put this comment about gender on. If you read all my posts this is not my style or words. I apologise if the the comments upset anybody.”

Hampshire FA’s disciplinary commission found Mr Da Costa guilty of two charges of improper conduct. In the panel’s written response they said it was an “extremely serious case, particularly in light of the participant’s disciplinary record”. 

The verdict continued: “The commission noted four previous offences of misconduct this season alone. The participant’s position is further  worsened given the current offences have been committed during the currency of  an active suspension imposed for a previous aggravated offence. 

“A disciplinary  record of this kind for a match official is truly exceptional in the opinion of the  commission. The record shows a considerable inability and/or unwillingness to  comply with the rules applicable to a participant and it was clear to the commission previous sanctions have not acted to deter repetition of repeated similar misconduct.

“The commission concluded it had no choice but to substantially increase the seriousness of the sanction being imposed against the participant on this occasion in the hope the same will act as a future deterrent and change the behaviour of the participant, including exercising the discretion available to the commission to impose a financial penalty.”

As previously reported last year, Mr Da Costa fell foul of Hampshire FA after his social media post on a controversial decision to award Hamble Club a penalty in their 1-1 draw with Wessex League rivals AFC Portchester in August.

The main post that landed him in hot water, alongside a video of the incident, said: “No words can explain this. I am embarrassed to call myself a referee. I apologise to all. Not even me (who was the referee).”