English non-league club moving Devon and Earth for Collina

LONDON (AFP) - Football's best known referee Pierluigi Collina bowed out of international football after last Thursday's Euro 2004 semi-final - the next match for the bald official with staring eyes could be the unlikely setting of Dawlish Town in the picturesque English county of Devon.

The cash-strapped non league club play a pre-season friendly against Kettering Town on July 31 and have requested that the 44-year-old Italian officiate in a bid to attract a huge crowd.

They have offered to pay all his expenses and put him up in a five star hotel according to the BBC.

"It's a serious bid, we've got sponsors to fund it," club chairman Nigel Gooding said Sunday.

"If he came, we could have a carnival day."

It would be a rare bright day in its 115 year history for the club who saw all their players walk out in May of last year over non payment of wages and were relegated to the Western League First Division last season.

Gooding, who is a former referee himself, revealed that their fury at Swiss official Urs Meier's disallowing Sol Campbell's last minute goal in the quarter-final with Portugal had inspired their idea.

"We thought we were robbed and it started a debate about referees," said Gooding, whose team are nicknamed the 'Seasiders' and play at the appropriately named Sandy Lane ground.

"We thought, why not ask Pierluigi Collina to referee one of our games - so we've written to him.

"We've sent the letter to UEFA and the Italian Football Association as well, to show them we don't hate all referees - just one particular Swiss ref.

"He's easily the best referee in the world. Players don't dispute his decisions and they have confidence in him.

"I think he's the greatest ref there's ever been and probably ever will be."

Gooding added that if Collina hasn't replied to his letter by Monday he would ring him personally.

Collina, who is a financial adviser in his hometown of Viareggio on Italy's Ligurian coast, blew the final whistle on his international career when Traianos Dellas' header in the last minute of the first-half of extra time earned Greece a place in the final at the expense of the Czechs.

He has to retire because he turns 45 next year which is the compulsory age for retirement at international level and also for Serie A which has led to speculation that he could move to England and officiate in the Premiership.

The closest thing to a refereeing superstar that football has ever had, Collina is remembered for the way he handled the 1999 European Champions League final between Manchester United and Bayern Munich, when he consoled the weeping German players after they lost to two late goals.

He also refereed the 2002 World Cup final in which Brazil beat Germany 2-0.