Ex-ref Clattenburg: Carragher reason why didn't ref at Everton for 6 years! | OneFootball

Former Premier League ref Mark Clattenburg has explained why he didn't officiate a game at Goodison Park for six years.

Clattenburg gave Liverpool two penalties and sent off Everton pair Tony Hibbert and Phil Neville in a Goodison clash in October 2007.

However, there were more controversial decisions in the match as Reds forward Dirk Kuyt - who scored both of the penalties in Liverpool's 2-1 win - escaped a red card for a high lunge on Neville.

Then in stoppage-time, after Kuyt's second penalty, Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher appeared to wrestle Joleon Lescott to the ground in the box, only for Clattenburg to fail to give the home side a spot kick.

Speaking on Carragher's podcast 'The Greatest Game', the former official admitted: "I was out of my depth.

"I don't know why I was refereeing it. I'd just done the Manchester derby and the London derby, so it was my third derby in three or four weeks.

"I had underestimated it - the working-class derby. The other two were different derbies, this one was brutal.

"Some derbies are different in certain stadiums. Sunderland-Newcastle is more intense at Sunderland and Everton-Liverpool is more intense at Goodison. There was always more intensity.

"I remember the first half I did okay, but in the second half I had an absolute nightmare. I listened to my assistant referee for the Dirk Kuyt challenge, which when you look back was a stonewall red."

Clattenburg then reflected on his failure to punish Carragher for the tussle with Lescott.

"Look at what you did with Lescott - you killed us! I wasn't allowed to referee Everton for seven years because of you!" he said.

"When I was a young referee in the Premier League, I didn't understand balance. If I'd seen it - and I still don't know why I didn't see it to this day - the easiest decision was to blow for a penalty.

"Why? I would have come out the game with a little bit less criticism. Yes, Everton had two players red-carded and I awarded Liverpool two penalties, but had I given Everton a penalty and the chance to make it 2-2, no Liverpool fan could have criticised me.

"But everything went against Everton. You don't sometimes see it when you are in the game. I could have given the penalty and come out with less criticism and then refereed Everton over the next seven years, which I failed to do."