Taylor reveals Halsey abuse

Newcastle defender Steven Taylor has called for greater respect for referees after revealing Mark Halsey was a regular target of death threats.

In a conversation with Halsey before last weekend's match with West Brom, Taylor said the Premier League match official had told him he had received threats to "put a bullet in the heads" of him and his family. The Newcastle defender admitted his shock, insisting the taunts he had faced in the previous weekend's Tyne-Wear derby paled in comparison.

"He asked me how I felt about the Sunderland game and I said there had been no problems at all, that it was just a bit of banter," Taylor told The Times.

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