VAR Blunder Officials Darren England and Daniel Cook Return to Premier League Duty
VAR officials Darren England and Daniel Cook are set to make their return to Premier League action this weekend. The duo made headlines last month after a glaring error in the match between Tottenham and Liverpool. They incorrectly ruled out Liverpool forward Luis Diaz’s goal for offside, leading to a 2-1 defeat for the Merseyside team.
The Colombian international thought he had given his team the lead in the 34th minute with a clever finish inside the 18-yard box. However, both on-field referee Simon Hooper and VAR official Darren England bizarrely ruled out the goal, with assistant Daniel Cook failing to intervene. Replays clearly showed that Diaz was onside, making the decision even more controversial.
As a result of their mistake, Premier League officials took action by removing England and Cook from their next proposed outing, the Nottingham Forest vs Brentford match. However, after weeks in the spotlight, both officials are now set to return for the upcoming round of fixtures.
Darren England will serve as the fourth official for Brentford’s home game against Burnley on Saturday, while Daniel Cook will be the assistant referee for Sheffield United’s match against Manchester United. Meanwhile, Simon Hooper has been designated as the VAR for Newcastle’s clash with Crystal Palace.
The release of the expletive-filled audio of the VAR gaffe behind Luis Diaz’s disallowed goal further highlighted the officials’ mistake. The clip revealed that England and Cook had initially drawn the lines showing that Diaz was onside. The on-field referee, Simon Hooper, even commended their process. However, they realized that play had resumed without the correct call being made after the replay operator questioned the decision.
Upon being asked again about the outcome of the decision, the VAR team became aware that they had made an incorrect call. Assistant video referee Cook confirmed this by saying, “That’s wrong, Daz.” The officials were unable to rectify the mistake as the game had already resumed, despite the replay operator’s request to delay the game.
PGMOL chief Howard Webb addressed the VAR failure and explained that England had lost sight of the on-field decision after going through his processes too quickly. He emphasized the importance of efficiency but not at the expense of accuracy. Webb also confirmed that the laws of the game did not allow the officials to intervene and rectify the mistake.
The return of Darren England and Daniel Cook to Premier League duty raises questions about the effectiveness and accountability of VAR in football. The controversy surrounding their previous error will undoubtedly put them under scrutiny in their upcoming matches. Fans and pundits will be watching closely to see if they have learned from their previous blunder and can make accurate decisions going forward.
In conclusion, VAR officials Darren England and Daniel Cook are set to return to Premier League action this weekend after their high-profile mistake in the Tottenham vs Liverpool match. The controversy surrounding their error has raised concerns about the effectiveness of VAR in football. As they step back onto the pitch, all eyes will be on them to see if they can regain trust and make accurate decisions in future matches.