Referees' bosses have reacted to the Arsenal "spitting" storm by ordering the match officials to be first off the pitch at the end of matches instead of last, reports The Mirror. In the past, refs and their assistants have stood back at the final whistle and allowed all the players to leave the pitch before heading down the tunnel themselves.

But that has changed following the bust-up after the Arsenal-Hull FA Cup clash, when Cesc Fabregas was accused of spitting at Tigers assistant boss Brian Horton.

The officials have now been told to be first off and take up positions in the tunnel to watch out for potential flashpoints.