Stephen Graham faces FA probe after what he called the referee in an angry rant mid-game

The actor Stephen Graham faces an FA probe after what he called the referee in an angry rant mid-game, according to reports.

It’s claimed he aimed insults toward the referee David Kennedy during a match at Leicestershire side Barrow Town, who lost 3-0 to Heather St John’s Reserves on Saturday, with the game stopped for around eight minutes.

Graham, who had been in attendance with his son to watch his nephew play, has since ‘apologised profusely’ to referee David Kennedy and is said to be ‘mortified’ by his actions, which allegedly included an alleged ­reference to a sex act.

The 51 year old is accused of calling the official a ‘f**king Teletubby’ and ‘fat useless t**t’.

Stephen Graham ‘faces FA probe after calling referee a f**king Teletubby in vicious rant’ https://t.co/WvtStOCBKp

— Metro (@MetroUK) December 19, 2024

The referee eventually stopped the game, and refused to resume it until Graham stepped back from the touchline.

Witnesses said to The Sun that Graham suddenly snapped for no reason, and called Kennedy a ‘f**king Tellytubby’, accused him of being on a ‘power trip’, and said he was a ‘useless t**t’.

He allegedly said: ‘Look at the state of you, you fat t**t.’

A source said that his behaviour was ‘absolutely disgusting’ and everyone, including the referee had been left ‘horrified’ at what took place.

They went on: ‘To speak to a referee like that is absolutely appalling.

‘He’s a household name and is a real local celebrity around here.

‘Clearly he wasn’t worried about being recognised.

‘Nothing had even happened to make him flip out – it was like someone flicked a switch.’

‘It’s shameless and he shouldn’t be able to get away with it,’ they added.

The Leicestershire and Rutland County FA have launched an investigation, while another source state that Graham asked to apologise to the referee immediately after the game but was advised to go home.

‘I’m sorry, I don’t know what it is about football, it turns me into a Neanderthal.

‘I need to do some soul searching and work out why I behaved the way I did,’ Graham reportedly said in a phone call to Kennedy two days later.

A source close to Stephen, also said to The Sun: ‘He’s mortified by his behaviour.

‘He’s a very passionate football supporter but understands nothing can justify his actions.

‘He’s apologised profusely to the referee and is hoping to learn from the incident.’

However, they deny claims he also shouted “Google me”.

Further allegations of him threatening to “knock out” the referee and used the C-word have been denied, as well as a reference to a sex act.

On the 30th of November, a picture of him was posted on Facebook, and said: “We had a thrilling 3-3 draw against Sileby, but the real surprise came when actor Stephen Graham stopped by to support his nephew and cheer on the Barrow Town team.

“He even took time to chat and snap photos with fans.

“A brilliant example of community spirit and support.”

The FA have this week said it was supporting the local body in its investigation with a spokesman said: “We strongly condemn any abusive or unacceptable behaviour aimed toward our match officials, on or off the pitch.

“We are aware of this incident and supporting Leicestershire and Rutland County FA who are carrying out a full investigation.”

as per FA rules, Stephen Graham faces potentially banned from watching Barrow Town play, either permanently or for a set number of games. The club could also have points deducted for fans’ misbehaviour.

In a statement which was published to Metro after being contacted, Leicestershire and Rutland County FA said: ‘The Leicestershire & Rutland County FA are aware of an alleged incident from a fixture between Barrow Town and Heather St Johns, played on 14 December 2024. We have been in contact with the Match Official to offer our support and we are carrying out a full investigation into the matter. Offences against Match Officials are treated with the utmost seriousness – we strongly condemn any abusive or unacceptable behaviour towards our Match Officials.’

FA STATEMENT:

We have today published our new four-year equality, diversity, and inclusion [EDI] strategy, titled A Game Free From Discrimination, which sets out our long-term commitment to celebrate and promote diversity within English football, as well as our ambition to tackle all forms of discrimination in our game.

A Game Free From Discrimination will run until the end of the 2027-28 season, and focuses on three core pillars:

• Boosting representation by improving the diversity of officials, coaches, volunteers, players and our employees.

• Driving inclusion by ensuring everybody involved in the game, in whichever capacity, feels welcome.

• Tackling discrimination by creating a culture where prejudice and abuse is routinely challenged and addressed, from grassroots through to the elite level of the game.

The new strategy represents the collective efforts across the FA, with the three areas of focus deeply embedded within the grassroots game, disability football, the women’s and girls’ game, FA Learning, our County FA network, and our own people.

The key deliverables outlined within A Game Free From Discrimination, which we have committed to achieving by the end of the 2027-28 season, are to:

• Increase the number of players, coaches and referees from underrepresented groups.

• Unite leaders across professional football to tackle big EDI challenges.

• Deliver meaningful and impactful campaigns across the game.

• Drive EDI best practice into our County FA network.

• Continue to increase the diversity of the FA workforce and its leaders.