Just when you think that you’ve seen everything on…and just off…a football field, along comes Swansea City versus Chelsea. I did not actually get to see the match util about ten minutes to go…and the commentators were already talking about the “extra-ordinary” sending off.

So after the match, I got to see it. Edin Hazard of Chelsea sent off for violent conduct…on a ball boy.

That probably sounds worse than it is. The ball boy was in fact 17 years old…not 12 years old.

Certainly…extra-ordinary. To be fair, over the seasons, I have noticed at times…a certain atmosphere between “away teams” and ball boys. And indeed match day staff. According to Glenn Hoddle (last night) the balls boy are ” instructed” to speed up or slow down returning the ball, with the best interests of the home team involved. He called it part of the home teams advantage. That’s a bit sad…and no pun intended but not part of the level playing field culture.

A certain gamesmanship is always expected. But the normal courtesies should apply.

TV replays of the incident are inconclusive. It DID seem that earlier in the match, a different ball boy was slow to get the ball back…and Chelsea players seemed already frustrated. The incident itself seems to suggest that the ball boy fell on the ball…or threw himself on the ball…as Hazard approached him to hurry up. Then Hazard appeared to kick the ball from underneath him…connecting with him in the process.

It should not come as any surprise that “violent conduct” applies, not just to players on the opposing team. It applies to everyone in the ground. Hazard was duly sent off and will miss three games.

Football fans are tribal. This could have happened to ANY “away” team. Thank GOD it was not Manchester United. But there seems to be something inevitable about the fact that it was…again…Chelsea. As I have said before…Chelsea aerie unloved…to the point of being toxic.

You can’t buy CLASS. And there was not much class about last nights incident. And Chelsea have now a long established reputation For lacking class.

All is well that ends well. A handshake between ball boy and player after the game and the suspicion that the ball boy who called himself the King of the Time Wasters in a pre-match “tweet” is at least partly to blame…will remove some or all of the poison. But.Boyer another unseemly incident for the Beautiful Game…and Chelsea.

The Ball Boy will have his fifteen minutes of Fame, interviews and public appearances arranged by an agent…and Hazard get a three-match ban.