Well, that didn't take long.

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Howard Webb – World Cup and Champions League final referee, former policeman – has retired. The 43-year-old is one of the UK's most successful referees, but for most football fans he is known for a perceived bias towards Manchester United.

And that, at least on Twitter, is how he will be remembered.

But for all the jokes, there was some support, plus evidence that Webb's skills weren't limited to whistle-blowing and football divisiveness. Check out this cheeky penalty kick from a charity match last weekend (no, not at Old Trafford).

And finally, if you want the stats, guess which team performed best when Howard Webb was refereeing? That's right, it's Manchester... oh, City.

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How teams fare with Howard Webb in charge (via @WhoScored) pic.twitter.com/9KQyljrKR0

— Secret Footballer (@TSF) August 6, 2014

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So much for the jokes, eh?

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