Referee Andy D’Urso has been suspended for 28 days following his blunder in Southampton’s match with Blackburn on August 21.

D’Urso booked Barry Ferguson on two occasions but failed to send him off in the Premiership match.

He faced a Football Association investigation and the FA’s referees committee today imposed the suspension.

The official was charged with ‘less than proficiently applying the laws of the game’.

Ferguson was shown the yellow card for protesting at the award of the spot-kick but not sent off despite being booked for an earlier foul.