League One farce as referee sends off WRONG Bolton player for apparent slap at Forest Green, with fans and players confused

Absurd scenes erupted in League One on Tuesday night after a referee sent off the wrong player.

Bolton v Forest Green were marred by the referee showing the host’s Dion Charles red.

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The two sides met at Bolton University Stadium on a freezing night.

And the hosts got off to a flyer when Charles put them ahead with just six minutes left on the clock.

However, the fan favorite soon became the victim of a mix-up when, at the age of 28,^th Minute.

Charles was just a spectator when an incident ensued between teammate Elias Kachunga and Forest Green defender Brandon Cooper.

The pair became tangled in the box as Charles waited for a ball to be played into it.

And video playback showed Kachunga appearing to punch his opponent in the middle.

But when play was stopped by the linesman, referee Tom Nield got the wrong end of the stick.

Instead of going straight to Kachunga, the officer went over to Charles instead.

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The prolific striker drank some water on the touchline when Nield showed him the red card, causing great confusion.

The fans chanted “You’re not fit to referee” as Charles unsuccessfully pleaded his innocence.

And many others flooded Twitter to question the decision, including Bolton’s official account.

The admin uploaded a post stating: “Dion Charles has been sent off. Some confusion on the ground, not sure what happened there!?”

Joker’s Specsavers joined in the fun, replying, “We’re going right over.”

One fan explained: “EFL is unfit for purpose. 100 percent appeal to it.”

Another remarked, “Incredible Kachunga didn’t admit it was him after seeing the red card.”

One added: “Of all the mistakes you can make, sending our top scorer off and letting our worst player continue.”

Bolton boss Ian Evatt was stunned by the decision.

He said afterwards: “We cannot deny that Elias let everyone down and showed that lack of discipline is not acceptable and he apologized to the group.

“It’s a good place for the linesman to spot it, but then involving and sending off a player who was 15 yards from the incident is confusing.

“There is enough finance in the game to be able to have VAR for every division in the English pyramid. It’s just as important to us as it is to any Premier League team.”

Despite being a man down for the rest of the game, Bolton managed to hold on to his slim advantage despite a second-half shove from the visitors.

Bolton finished the game with just 37 percent possession but more importantly with all three points.

As a result, Bolton remain fifth in the League One table while Forest Green are still bottom.