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<\/p>\nA former top referee has admitted he wanted to congratulate Dion Dublin for nutting Robbie Savage.<\/p>\n
Aston Villa and Birmingham City met in an explosive Second City Derby in March 2003, with the Blues winning 2-0. Either side of their second half goals, the host had two players sent, with strike Dublin first to see red.<\/p>\n
The man in the middle that night was Mark Halsey, who knew he would have his hands full as Villa looked to avenge a 3-0 defeat at St Andrew\u2019s earlier in the season. Experienced duo Dublin and Savage had already been going at it before their infamous confrontation early in the second half.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was doing Villa v Birmingham, a Monday night live on Sky. You know the players don\u2019t like each other,\u201d he told the Under The Cosh podcast.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: Prince William told Man City captain how to hold trophy during Treble season<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cDion and Robbie had already had words with each other. Dion has gone straight through Robbie. That\u2019s a yellow card all day long. Robbie gets up to confront him and Dion goes bang! Headbutts Robbie and I\u2019ve gone \u2018well done, Dion\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite his feelings towards Savage at the time, Halsey had no choice but to dismiss Dublin.<\/p>\n
\u201cRobbie, you\u2019re a great lad, what you\u2019re doing for Macclesfield [where he is director of football] is brilliant. But he was a bit annoying to us referees," he added. \u201cDion comes to me and says \u2018Mark, I\u2019m so sorry\u2019. And I said \u2018I\u2019m just sorry I\u2019ve got to send you off, Dion\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
What did you think of Dublin's headbutt on Savage? Tell us in the comments section below<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
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Dublin and Savage are now friends, with the former subsequently admitting the Welsh midfielder had done nothing to upset him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had a stinker getting sent off at Villa Park for violent conduct to my friend, Robbie Savage,\u201d he told Villa TV in 2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you think about it now, it was very petulant and very stupid. Robbie did what he set out to do, which was get me sent off.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI rose to the bait \u2013 but it was completely my fault. Robbie did nothing wrong. People ask \u2018what did he say to you, what did he say to you?\u2019 Was he racist? Not at all. He said nothing. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was all me. The red mist descended and Mr Dublin got sucked in. Robbie was smiling. I was grimacing. It happens. I\u2019ve apologised to Robbie. We work on the BBC together. It\u2019s not a problem. I\u2019m a man.\u201d<\/p>\n
Following the headbutt, Stan Lazaridis and Geoff Horsfield then scored for Birmingham before Johannes Karl Gudjonsson was dismissed as Villa ended the game with nine men.<\/p>\n