Refs to show solidarity with banned 'rock, paper, scissors' David McNamara

Referees were left outraged by the treatment of McNamara who was suspended for 21 days for using the same method as opposed to the traditional coin toss to decide kick-off ahead of the televised WSL match between Manchester City and Reading on October 26.

BBC Sport quoted an unnamed referee as saying: "I will be doing it to show support. It will probably serve as a light-hearted way to introduce myself to both captains."

The same referee, who the BBC said was one of several known to them planning to show support, said of McNamara's banning: "The whole thing is a bit ridiculous and massively out of proportion."

McNamara fell foul of the Football Association's rules that a coin-toss is the required method to decide kick-off when he accidentally left his coin in the dressing room ahead of the match. He instead decided to use rock, paper, scissors to decide kick off.

Keith Hackett, former referee and head of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited has written a complaint to the FA in complaint about the decision, branding it as "an injustice."