Dunk calling referee “bald p***k” voted Brighton Comedy Moment 2023-24

A straight red card with 15 minutes remaining in a game you are leading 3-1 having not won for two months is no laughing matter. Unless of course it involves Lewis Dunk being sent off for calling referee Anthony Taylor a bald prick at Nottingham Forest, in which case it ends up a convincing winner of WAB Brighton Comedy Moment of the Season 2023-24.

Before we delve into the moment of madness, a quick disclaimer – we do not actually know for certain that Lewis Dunk called Mr Taylor a bald prick.

The assumption he did is based on lip reading, Twitter and the utter disbelief on the faces of Dunk’s Albion teammates. In particular, Joao Pedro and Jan Paul van Hecke.

When you hear your captain call the referee a bald prick #BHAFC pic.twitter.com/eeU8Ex18jF

— We Are Brighton (@wearebrighton) November 25, 2023

Whatever Dunk did say was serious enough to warrant a straight red card for foul and abusive language, making him the first player to be sent off in the Premier League for dissent in 15 years.

Dunk’s meltdown was sparked by the 73rd minute decision to award Forest a penalty. Mr Taylor initially waved away protests that Callum Hudson-Odoi had been pulled to the ground by Jack Hinshelwood when both tried to reach a pretty harmless cross into the box.

VAR though told Mr Taylor to watch again on the screen. He duly changed his opinion on whether or not Hinshelwood had fouled and pointed to the spot, sending Dunk berserk.

The Albion captain’s initial protests against the decision earned him a yellow card. This further infuriated Lewis Dunk, leading to him calling Mr Taylor a bald prick. Out came the red.

Morgan Gibbs-White duly despatched the penalty to make if Forest 2-3 Brighton. Dunk’s ill-discipline subsequently left his teammates 20 minutes to defend a one-goal lead with a makeshift defence of Hinshelwood, Pascal Gross, Jan Paul van Hecke and Joel Veltman.

Forest threw the kitchen sink at the Albion, roared on by the City Ground. The Albion though just about held on for their first Premier League win in nine weeks.

Lewis Dunk calling Mr Taylor a bald prick would have seemed less funny had it cost Brighton victory. Actually, who we are trying to kid? There is nothing better than a mental breakdown involving the low blow of insulting someone for having no hair.

Second place in WAB Brighton Comedy Moment of the Season 2023-24 went to what can only be described as an interesting 90 minute performance from Jason Steele at Wolves in the FA Cup.

Steele let a simple cross slip through his hands after only two minutes, gifting the hosts what proved to be the only goal of the game. He later found himself producing a Bobby More-esque last man slide tackle to deny Wolves a second.

The best moment though was reserved for the final few minutes. Steele was sent up for a corner in a desperate search for a late equaliser.

Naturally, the ball dropped to him five yards out with only opposite number Jose Sa to beat. Steele though had clearly not been working on his finishing in training as he could only poke harmlessly wide.

Still, he ended up with the highest xG of any Albion player at Molineux for that chance. Better than Danny Welbeck, Ansu Fati, Simon Adingra and Julio Enciso. Pure entertainment from Steele on a night where it was otherwise in scant supply.

Steele was also involved in the 180 seconds of football which took third place in Comedy Moment of the Season. Fresh off the back of winning 5-2 at Sheffield United in the FA Cup, Brighton headed to relegation threatened Luton Town.

There is no need for us to describe what happened next when the Albion Twitter account did such a good job:

“1: We’re underway against Luton.”
“2: Elijah Adebayo opens the scoring. 1-0.”
“3: Chiedozie Ogbene doubles Luton’s lead. 2-0.”

After going 2-0 up in three minutes, the Hatters went onto win 4-0. One of those nights where if you didn’t laugh, you would have had to cry.

WeAreBrighton.com Comedy Moment of the Season 2022-23 – The Results

• Lewis Dunk calls referee bald prick – 51.42%
• Jason Steele v Wolves – 13.47%
• 2-0 down in three minutes v Luton – 11.00%
• Amex attendance v Villa announced as 31,596 – 9.48%
• Finishing below Palace – 9.10%
• Renaming Amex Stadium as Amex Stadium – 5.50%

Previous Winners: “I’m the president of this ****ing football club” (2023), Chelsea fan boots ball into his own friend’s face (2022), Missing two penalties v West Brom (2021), Ezequiel Schelotto v Wilfried Zaha (2020), Yves Bissouma laughs at Arsenal (2019), Anthony Knockaert faceplant (2018).