Blues midfielder Alan Judge has angrily denied referee Darren Drysdale’s claim he used the C-word in the lead-up to the official squaring up to the Republic of Ireland international in the Blues' 0-0 home draw with Northampton last month.
Earlier today, Drysdale was handed a backdated ban and a warning regarding his future conduct by an FA independent regulatory commission having admitted improper conduct relating to the incident which took place in the final minute of the Cobblers' visit.
In his statement to the commission, Drysdale claimed Judge, having been denied a spot-kick for what the official felt was a dive, said ‘It’s a f***ing penalty you cheating bald c***!’, and that he later added, ‘You're a fucking cheating c**!”.
However, Judge, who was booked for the alleged simulation, strongly disputes the 50-year-old official’s version of events.
"I said the incident was over as far as I was concerned when I walked off the pitch and that I wasn’t looking for an apology,” he told the club site.
"I didn’t want to make anything of it because it’s a tough job being a referee but I’m not going to keep quiet when I’ve been accused of calling the referee a cheat and using the C-word.
"I’ll admit using the F-word but I said to him ‘you have got to be f***** joking me and I said that a couple of times to him. I never used the C-word. I don't use that word and I didn't call him a cheat.”
Neither Judge nor Town gave an account of the incident to the commission with Judge having previously said that the matter was closed as far as he was concerned when he left the field, while he recently suffered a family bereavement.
"My mum passed away last week - which is far more important than this - and I don’t need this hassle to be honest,” he added.
"Like I said, the matter was closed but I’ve got a decent reputation in the game and I won’t stand by and be accused of saying something I didn’t and not responding.
"Our media team have got some audio and it backs me up. Some people have said I should have come out straightaway and explained what I said but I didn’t want to do that.
"I was trying to help Darren. I said the matter was finished and it was but I have to make it clear now that I totally dispute what has been said by the referee.”