Not ‘Very Nice’: Soccer player ejected for tackling streaking Borat impersonator

And now for IoT’s weekly report from English soccer’s minor leagues (courtesy of The Associated Press):

LONDON — The streaker wore green. The soccer player saw red.

A man wearing nothing but a bright green thong and a curly black wig dashed onto the field during a low-level game in England on Monday. Dorchester player-manager Ashley Vickers ended the intruder’s 30-second jaunt with a thudding, neck-high tackle during the 70th minute of the game against Havant & Waterlooville.

Vickers was shown a red card for violent conduct with the score 1-1.

“I’m dumbfounded and speechless,” Vickers told local newspaper The Dorset Echo. “My only thought was to get hold of him so we could get on with the game. I managed to grab him and bring him to the ground, and the funny thing was the stewards actually thanked me for it. But the ref decided to send me off and it beggars belief.”

Dorchester lost 3-1, a blow to the team’s hopes of making the playoffs in England’s sixth tier of soccer.

Granted, I’m not all that familiar with the intricacies of English soccer, but I kind of figured a player who tackles a streaker wearing Borat’s swimsuit would automatically earn his team a promotion into the next division, not a red card.

As you can see in the video below, the referee got an earful from both teams for interpreting the rulebook a little too strictly. As you’ll also see, Vickers might have a promising future in the NFL if the soccer thing doesn’t work out.