Chelsea submit formal complaint over Mark Clattenburg's behaviour

When Javier Hernandez's 'goal' found the back of the net seventy-something minutes into the 3-2 loss at Stamford Bridge, I remember -- vaguely -- getting up from my office chair and punching a nearby wall. I also remember thinking that if I were Roberto di Matteo, I'd haul my remaining nine players from the pitch and refuse to participate in what had descended into complete and utter farce.

Chelsea, however, played on. But they did find one way of protesting the detestable display of incompetence shown by Mark Clattenburg on Sunday evening:

Chelsea have made a formal complaint about 'inappropriate language' supposedly used by Mark Clattenburg towards two of their players.

— Dan Levene (@BluesChronicle) October 28, 2012

I like to think that, in general, I'm pretty forgiving towards referees. Everyone is prone to mistakes, and in a high-profile job you're going to make high-profile errors. That doesn't mean you deserve the sort of abuse Premier League referees receive on a regular basis.

But there's making mistakes and being a colossal knobhead, and if these accusations from Chelsea turn out to be true... well, then I'll be in a far less forgiving mood. Clattenburg's mistakes cost Chelsea the match -- and if he was using his smug little face to offer smug little retorts to our players, I hope that that costs him his job.

Update

...two of their players were allegedly racially abused during today's game with Manchester United. #cfc #mufc

— Telegraph Sport (@TelegraphSport) October 28, 2012

What in the actual heck is going on?