25 September 2023 , 17:53
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Jermaine Jenas has apologised for calling referee Robert Jones a "complete s***house" during the North London Derby.
The One Show co-host, who made more than 200 appearances for Tottenham, was not happy with Arsenal being awarded a controversial penalty during the game which ended in a 2-2 draw. A lengthy VAR review saw Spurs defender Cristian Romero penalised for handball, with Bukayo Saka then stepping up to score the penalty.
Taking to Twitter, now known as X, Jenas fumed: "Complete s***house off a referee! They're all ruining our game!" Following criticism of his post, Jenas has now issued an apology, claiming "my emotions got the better of me".
He said: "I hold my hands up, I got it wrong yesterday. I should know, more than most, the responsibility we have as fans, players and pundits and the impact our words online can have as it's an area I've been vocal in.
"My emotions got the better of me and I apologise to The FA and to all match officials." Referee charity RefSupportUK were among those to criticise Jenas' initial comments, branding them "disgraceful".
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"This is a disgraceful tweet and you should be ashamed," they said. "Your tweet encourages online abuse of referees and considering your role on TV your employers need to give their head a wobble.
"Remember Anthony Taylor and his family were attacked at an airport because of antics such as yours." They also pointed out that Jenas fronted the 'Love Football, Protect the Game' campaign ahead of the new season, where he calls for "no more abuse" within the sport.
"People of influence working, for BBC, or anyone else for that matter, have a responsibility to not be the starting gun for referee abuse," the charity added. "Not so long ago the FA were paying him to be part of a campaign to protect match officials. His hypocrisy is breathtaking."
In a video for the campaign, Jenas says: "The emotions of the game get to us all. I know all about that. But whether out on the pitch, in the stands or on the sidelines, we've all got to do better, at all levels.
"No more surrounding refs, no more abuse, no more intimidation, no more discrimination. Let's make sure that this season is different. We all do it for the love of the game. Let's show our pride and passion in the right way."