Clubs are pushing hard for referees to have to face up to their mistakes.
It comes after a hugely embarrassing weekend for the officials, PGMOL and VAR because of glaring errors in Chelsea ’s win over West Ham and also Newcastle ’s draw with Crystal Palace.
Managers, players and club execs are all pushing for referees to have to do post-match interviews after games to explain decisions and mistakes. Former World Cup referee Howard Webb is coming in later this year to become the PGMOL’s chief refereeing officer with current refs’ chief Mike Riley stepping down.
One club exec insists this “limbo” period was always going to be difficult but now is the time to make changes with referee post-match interviews among the key topics.
It was trialled in Australia, current Prem ref, Aussie-born Jarred Gillett, was involved in the trials and so far the Prem has resisted the calls for officials to face the media post-match with the fear they will only be interviewed on the back of mistakes.
But the PGMOL are trying to be more open and with the highly-respected Webb coming in, that is only likely to improve. Whether it goes far enough to allow post-match interviews remains to be seen but several clubs have spoken among themselves about making a big push.
West Ham striker Michail Antonio, whose team were denied a last gasp equaliser at Chelsea after an VAR intervention, said on the Footballer’s Football podcast: “When a player or a manager does something wrong, we have to go after the game and talk about it. We have to show our faces in front of the world.
“The fact we have to do that, the referees making massive decisions like this, why do they not have to come out themselves? Why don’t they have to come out at the end of the game and explain the reasoning behind their decisions. That would make everything easier.”
Referees did address clubs in pre-season and insist the bar would be higher on fouls while an independent panel - a representative from the Premier League, PGMOL and three ex-players - sit weekly to review decisions.
Last season, 120 VAR interventions were made to correct decisions and, after six games, there have been 22 so it is on similar lines.
-----------------------------------------------
ITV have teamed up with Twitter to show goal clips, interviews and coverage from the World Cup on social media.
There is more output available also from the Premier League as there is a two hour “hold back” on goal clips being made available on social media but clubs can now show goal celebration clips almost immediately.
-----------------------------------------------
BBC chiefs are sending fewer commentators to games partly because of “sustainability” reasons.
The new drive has been implemented on England away games and was brought in last season but may only be noticeable now when access, travel and media returns to normal. It means one commentator - plus a pundit - will got to Italy later this month rather than the previous two.
