British actor Stephen Graham is reportedly facing an investigation by the Football Association (FA) following a verbal outburst during a football match.
The 51-year-old Line of Duty star allegedly directed a series of insults at non-league referee David Kennedy during a match at Barrow Town in Leicestershire on Saturday.
According to The Sun, Graham’s tirade caused an eight-minute delay in the game, with the referee refusing to resume until the actor had left the touchline. Witnesses claim he called the referee a “f*ing Teletubby” and a “fat useless tt,” and also made a derogatory remark about the referee’s school experience.
Graham, who was attending the match to watch his nephew play for Barrow Town against Heather St John’s Reserves, later apologized for his behavior after the local FA initiated an investigation.
Sources say that Graham became agitated without provocation, accusing the referee of being on a “power trip” and allegedly making inappropriate comments. It’s also reported that he boasted about his fame, saying, “Google me, I’m on Netflix.”
A source commented, “His behavior was absolutely disgraceful. The referee, along with others, was shocked by the outburst. He rightly refused to continue the match until Graham left. Eventually, Graham agreed to move to the bar so the game could proceed.”
Following the incident, Graham apologized to the referee both after the match and again two days later via phone. A representative for the actor stated that Graham was “mortified” by the incident but denied claims that he told others to “Google” him or used the C-word or threatened the referee.
Barrow Town ultimately lost the match 3-0.
The FA recently launched its Enough Is Enough campaign to combat discriminatory behavior, following a rise in abuse directed at referees.
