Footballing dad Darren Painter is facing a lengthy ban after getting his young stepsons to urinate in the ref's shoes and blow their noses on his shirt.

The 29-year-old centre forward has already been thrown out of Buckland FC and now faces a ban from the football association.

But the father-of-four is unrepentant and declared: "I'm glad they did it. I would have done it myself but I didn't need the toilet."

The extraordinary incident happened after Painter was sent off for swearing in a game for Buckland reserves, near Faringdon, last month.

Painter, who admits to having been sent off 17 times in his career, hurled a volley of abuse at the referee and stormed off the pitch. But then he marched to the dressing room with stepsons Jamie, 12, and Ashley, ten, where the youngsters URINATED in the ref's shoes and BLEW THEIR NOSES on his shirt, while Painter himself spat on his clothes. The case is being considered by the Berks & Bucks Football Association, with a decision expected by the end of the week. A lengthy ban is likely.

A B&BFA spokesman said: "The two parties concerned - Buckland and the player - are not contesting the referee's version of events, but pleas of mitigation have been received."

Buckland general manager Martin Holder said he was "upset and embarrassed" by the incident. He revealed that members had since voted unanimously to throw out Painter, who lives in Swindon.

And the children's mother Rachel, 31, was also not amused. She said: "I'm disgusted by what they've done. It's not funny - it's disgusting."

Painter was shown the red card for foul and abusive language during a North Berks League game against Warborough and Shillingford reserves. Mr Holder said: "The individual concerned was given a key to the dressing rooms, because they have been locked ever since a spectator hid a referee's socks as a joke last season.

"But while he was there, his two kids - and we don't know whether he told them to do it or not - urinated on the ref's belongings and wiped their noses on his clothes.

"It's very distressing and the club is devastated. We've got lots of 15 and 16-year-olds in the team and we have to set an example.

"We're a small village club and we try to get people in from outside the area to bolster the team - but then someone lets you down like this and you wonder whether it is worth it." Dave Rich, general secretary of the North Berks League, said: "It's up to the county FA whether it bans him, but for the moment we've cancelled the player's registration.

"I understand that he will be pleading mitigating circumstances, but I'm not sure what they will be."

The league has sent a letter to all clubs ordering them to lock and guard changing rooms during matches in future.

In the letter, Mr Rich describes the incident as "disgraceful" and the referee's belongings as having been "soiled in an appalling manner". One Warborough player, who did not want to be identified, witnessed the sending off in the League Division Five match, which Buckland lost 6-1.

He said: "The bloke got really upset about some of the tackles flying in. He swore at the ref, got booked and then kept having a go until the ref sent him off.

"But he still wouldn't stop. He was going ballistic on the touchline. I was watching because I was injured and I went over to him and said, 'Look mate, you're going to get a massive ban if you don't shut it'.

"That was the last I heard. We only found out what he was supposed to have done at training the next Tuesday.

"You've got to think that he's going to get banned for ages, and he could possibly never play again."

Story date: Wednesday 10 November

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