The match officials who failed to award Wolves a stoppage-time penalty at Manchester United on Monday have been punished by not being selected for Premier League games this weekend.
It comes after Howard Webb, the referees’ chief, apologised to Wolves in the wake of the error at Old Trafford. The referee Simon Hooper, VAR Michael Salisbury and assistant VAR Richard West will not officiate any games this weekend.
Webb, who oversees Premier League referees, made contact with Wolves officials on Monday after the club were not awarded a stoppage-time penalty despite United’s goalkeeper, André Onana, wiping out the Wolves striker Sasa Kalajdzic.
The incident was checked by the VAR but the referee was not encouraged to review the incident at the pitchside monitor. It was not deemed a clear and obvious error so the referee’s decision stuck. The Wolves head coach, Gary O’Neil, was booked by Hooper for his protests.
Webb, the chief refereeing officer at Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), has stressed that referees must be accountable for their decisions.
Jonathan Moss, the former top-flight referee who is select group one manager at PGMOL, spoke to O’Neil after the game, which United won 1-0 courtesy of a Raphaël Varane strike. “Moss came out and said it was a blatant penalty and apologised,” O’Neil said. “He thought it was a clear and obvious error.”
Last week Webb confirmed plans to make audio of VAR decisions available once a month to the public, via the Premier League’s overseas broadcasting arm.
He also intimated he was open to referees explaining decisions to supporters in stadiums if Fifa decides the current trial, which includes the Women’s World Cup, is deemed a success and worthwhile. “I’d be keen to make sure that the information is meaningful,” Webb said.
