Premier League bans 27 referees from officiating; details of their origins revealed
Referee Anthony Taylor was confronted by Chris Wood and Callum Hudson-Odoi of Nottingham Forest during their defeat at Everton. The loyalties of Premier League referees have been called into question following Nottingham Forest’s controversial social media comments after their defeat to Everton. The club criticized Stuart Atwell, the appointed VAR, suggesting bias towards relegation rivals Luton.
This has sparked a debate surrounding refereeing appointments, with the league and FA expected to take action against the club for misconduct. This season, 27 referees, including six outside of the PGMOL Select group, have officiated Premier League matches. Mirror Football has gathered information about their fan loyalties and hometowns, revealing that several referees are prohibited from overseeing matches involving certain clubs.
Examples of this include referees such as Sam Allison, Stuart Attwell, Peter Bankes, and others, who are prohibited from refereeing matches involving clubs they have connections with or allegiance to. A wide range of fan allegiances and hometowns among the referees has raised concerns about potential biases in their officiating. The diversity of referees’ fan loyalties and hometowns has led to calls for more transparency and scrutiny in the refereeing appointment process to ensure fairness and impartiality in Premier League matches.
This includes considerations regarding referees’ connections to specific clubs and the potential impact on their objectivity in overseeing matches.
