Yellow card referee

Seagulls, Grandmothers and Flatulence: Football’s Most Bizarre Yellow Cards

General / February 7, 2025

It’s well known that a footballer can be booked or even sent off for celebrating a goal. They may whip off their shirt – an automatic yellow card as per IFAB’s rules – in a frenzy of emotion, they may leave the field of play (i.e. to celebrate with/in the crowd) or celebrate in a way that might be described as ‘inciting’ the away fans.

It was this latter rule breach that got Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye in hot water when he scored against Brighton in January 2025. After notching the spot kick that would ultimately win the Toffees the game, the 24-year-old celebrated in front of the Brighton fans by flapping his arms as makeshift wings – a mickey take of the Seagulls’ club nickname.

But referee Tim Robinson didn’t see the funny side, booking Ndiaye for his wanton act. In fairness to Robinson, he didn’t have much choice but to issue a yellow card as per the letter of the law. The Football Association rulebook decrees that a player can be cautioned for celebrating a goal by ‘gesturing or acting in a provocative, derisory or inflammatory way.’

That’s somewhat subjective, of course, although on this occasion Robinson was of the opinion that Ndiaye’s seagull celebration was provocative or indeed inflammatory. Either way, it certainly joins the ranks of football’s most bizarre yellow cards.

Grandma, We Love You


When Roma defender, Alessandro Florenzi, scored a rare goal for his side against Cagliari back in 2014, he celebrated by committing that most heinous of acts: hugging his elderly grandmother.

As the ball hit the back of the net, Florenzi took off – charging past his jubilant teammates, leaping a safety barrier and climbing into the crowd, where he spotted his ‘nonna’, who was apparently watching her grandson play live at the Stadio Olimpico for the first time.

As he was helped down from the stands to pitch side by stewards, the referee was waiting with yellow card in hand, which he issued to a chorus of boos. It’s not an offence as per IFAB’s rulebook to leave the field of play to celebrate a goal, however, a player can be cautioned for ‘climbing onto a perimeter fence and/or approaching the spectators in a manner which causes safety and/or security issues.’

Still, it’s a bit harsh, and Roma boss, Rudi Garcia, vowed to pay Florenzi’s fine personally. “The hug was the sort of image that we want to see,” he said.

An Ill Wind Blows

‘Footballer booked for farting’ is exactly the kind of viral headline that social media content curators crave. And their wildest dreams came true in 2016 when Adam Lindin Ljungkvist was cautioned – and sent off, given that it was his second booking of the game – for breaking wind in the direction of an opponent. The Pershagen SK striker later revealed that the referee had booked him for ‘unsportsmanlike’ behaviour, although there isn’t currently a section on flatulence in IFAB’s rules.

Ljungvist was, however, bang to rights after opting for a voluble ripper, rather than a silent-but-deadly gust. “I was standing a good distance away, but I heard the fart loud and clear,” said Kristoffer Linde, who was playing for opponents, Jarna SK. The booking made international news. “The story is everywhere,” Ljungkvist said. “I don’t get how a small fart can get so much attention.”

Mankini Mither

While pitch invaders often get a good laugh from the fans and those watching on TV, there can be serious consequences if said individual has bad intentions in mind. But Alan Young, a supporter of Havant & Waterlooville, did not intend to incite violence. Instead, he was simply trying to win a bet when he entered the field of play in a game against Dorchester Town while dressed only in a mankini.

Dorchester’s player manager, Ashley Vickers, did not see the funny side, however. He rugby tackled Young to the ground, enabling stewards to carry the near-nude fan away. The referee decided that Vickers’ tackle was aggressive enough to warrant a yellow card – his second of the game, meaning that he was sent off.

To rub salt into the wounds, two other Dorchester players were sent off – for more traditional footballing offences – and they lost the game 1-3. Incredibly, Vickers’ red card was upheld even after an appeal, although the typical three-game suspension was rescinded.

Seeing Yellow


Paul Gascoigne was, and still is, regarded as one of British football’s great mischief makers… an agent provocateur with a heart of gold. The problem is, comedy is often a subjective matter – and Scottish referee Douglas Smith did not take too kindly to Gazza’s antics in a game between Rangers and Hibernian back in December 1995.

Somehow, Smith’s yellow card had fallen out of his pocket as he ran to keep up with the play. Gascoigne stooped down, picked up said card and, in a moment of light-hearted tomfoolery, brandished it at Smith as if to caution him. Having a momentary sense of humour failure, Smith snatched the card from Gazza’s grasp before showing it to the Englishman… for real, this time.

Super Dry


Ahead of the 2023/24 season, the EFL changed their rules and outlawed players drying the ball on a towel prior to taking a throw in. Fair enough. But Wycombe’s Luke Leahy thought he had come up with an ingenious workaround when he instead dried the ball on a steward’s jacket during Wycombe Wanderers’ win over Bradford City back in February 2024. However, the referee was on to Leahy’s rule bending, showing him the yellow card for breaching the ball-drying rules.