Nasty flare-up: ref red-carded Scholes? (4)

I believe the answer is:

paul

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'nasty flare-up ref' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both people as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe you can see an association between them that I can't see?

I can't explain the rest of the clue.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for paul that I've seen before include "Boy's name" , "The first great Christian missionary" , "Peter - Rubens, Flemish painter" , "One of the apostles" , "---23, C20 novelist" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.

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