The recent controversy surrounding Nottingham Forest and their complaints about the appointment of referee Stuart Attwell has brought the issue of officials’ personal allegiances to the forefront. While Forest’s insinuations of bias may have been misguided, they do raise an important point about the general appointments of officials in the Premier League.
A report by The Telegraph shed light on the personal allegiances of several of the 20 main Premier League referees, as well as the restrictions placed on them in terms of managing certain clubs. According to the report, five referees are not allowed to officiate Liverpool matches due to their allegiances to either the Reds or their rivals. These referees include Darren Bond, Jarred Gillett, Peter Bankes, Rob Jones, and Michael Salisbury, three of whom hail from Merseyside or nearby areas.
Interestingly, only two of the 20 referees are originally from Manchester, namely Anthony Taylor and Chris Kavanagh. However, neither of them is prohibited from taking charge of matches involving Manchester City or Manchester United. Taylor is known to be a supporter of Altrincham, while Kavanagh reportedly roots for non-league team Droylsden. This raises the question of why referees from Manchester can oversee matches involving clubs from their city and Liverpool. It is worth noting that Mike Dean, a Tranmere fan from Merseyside, has also refereed matches involving teams from both Manchester and Liverpool.
The report also revealed that outside of the North West region, two referees are unable to officiate games involving Sheffield United or Sheffield Wednesday, while two others are restricted from handling Swindon matches, and another two are prohibited from overseeing Wigan fixtures. These restrictions may seem coincidental, but they add to the complexity of referee appointments.
It is interesting to note that none of the 20 referees featured in the report are from England’s two largest cities, London and Birmingham. This raises questions about the representation and diversity of referees in the Premier League.
Nottingham Forest has not backed down from their criticism of Stuart Attwell’s appointment as the VAR for their match. They expressed their concerns to the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) before the fixture, fearing that any officiating errors would lead to a sideshow. Unfortunately for Forest, their fears were realized as they believe three crucial decisions went against them in the game, casting doubt on the correctness of those calls.
The issue of officials’ personal allegiances and its potential impact on their decision-making is a contentious one. While it’s important not to jump to conclusions or make unfounded accusations, it is essential for the PGMOL to address any potential biases and ensure fairness in referee appointments. Transparency and accountability are crucial to maintaining the integrity of the game.