If England's emergency line had a penalty system, one overzealous soccer fan might be dealt his own red card.
A Manchester United loyalist dialed the British version of 911 because he felt it was a crime that soccer star Nani received a red card during Man U's 2-1 loss to Real Madrid on Tuesday in a Champions League match, the BBC reported.
The 18-year-old from Bingham, Nottinghamshire, later said he was sorry, and no charges were filed. Chief Inspector Ted Antill reminded the public that while these types of incidents are amusing, they distract from real emergencies.
Nani was ejected in the 56th minute for "a studs-up, flying challenge on Alvaro Arbeloa," according to the Associated Press. The penalty sent United manager Alex Ferguson into a rage. And the teen fanatic, watching from his home, apparently was incensed enough to dial 999, England's police line.
Neither party could have been happy with the end result: Man U gave up two goals after Nani's departure and was eliminated from the Champions tournament.
On the other side of the pond, 911 abuse reached a new level of weird recently, when an Indiana man reportedly dialed the emergency line 9 times to order a cheeseburger.