TWO football matches had to be stopped when parking wardens showed players the red card.

The teams were forced to leave the pitch midway through a game after wardens warned them their cars were illegally parked and they would be booked.

Angry scenes broke out on Spa Road playing field, Bolton, on Sunday afternoon after the three NCP wardens arrived.

They told all 44 players, the referees, substitutes and spectators that they would hand out fixed penalty fines if the cars were not moved within 10 minutes.

Players say they have parked their cars on double yellow lines on Spa Road alongside the two football piches for several years without being booked.

Football club officials have now appealed to the the council to relax restrictions on Sundays.

But parking bosses at the town hall say wardens have a duty to enforce regulations.

Referee Paul Dwyer, who was overseeing one of the games, a Bolton Pioneer Sunday League match between the Jolly Waggoner and North Bolton, said: "I've been playing and refereeing there on a Sunday for 10 years and I've never seen a parking warden.

"We were 20 minutes into the match and then I saw the wardens standing there. I had to stop the game because I didn't want people getting booked."

Astley Bridge Football Club was playing in the other match and club secretary Trevor Lester said: "It's absolutely ludicrous.We always thought there was an amnesty on a Sunday because we've always parked there."

Both games were held up for almost 20 minutes.

A council spokesman said players and spectators could use Chorley Street car park which is about 200 metres away.

But players say they fear that their cars will be an easy target for thieves and vandals if they are not being watched over.

The council spokesman said the change in approach to parking there was likely to be the result of NCP taking over from Apcoa as its parking contractors at the start of September.

"There has been a change in coverage and the restrictions on Spa Road are being enforced as they should be," said the spokesman.

He added: "If someone parks half on the pavement, it forces pedestrians to walk in the road and creates a danger."