Mask pitch invader given 10-yr ban

A man wearing a Mexican wrestling mask has been banned from all levels of football in Canberra, Australia for 10 years following a bizarre pitch invasion.

The invader ran on to the field in the second half of the game between Cooma and Woden-Weston, with his face masked and brandished the referee with a red card.

Players then ripped off the mask and exposed the man’s identity before he was taken from the field.

It is reported the man is a former referee who was staging a protest against the treatment of officials in Canberra over the past 12 months.

Capital Football — the ACT’s soccer governing body — wasted no time in punishing the invader and gave him a 10-year ban.

It means he cannot attend football games at any level — from grassroots to international fixtures — and Capital Football are reportedly asking Football Federation Australia to implement the ban nationwide.—ESPN